''Charodei'' (russian: Чародеи, translations ''Enchanters'', ''Sorcerers'', ''Magicians'') is a 1982

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

romantic fantasy Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre. One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

directed by

Konstantin Bromberg The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name ''Constantinus'' (Constantine) in some European languages, such as Russian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. ...

.Как снимали «Чародеи» // ''Dubikvit''
/ref>

Plot summary

Ivan Puhov (Abdulov) is in love with a very kind and friendly girl, Alyona (Yakovleva). Alyona works as a

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...

in a research institution that researches magic called NUINU (Scientific Universal Institute of Extraordinary Services, a NIICHAVO subsidiary in

Kitezh Kitezh (russian: Ки́теж) is a legendary and mythical city beneath the waters of Lake Svetloyar in the Voskresensky District of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast in central Russia. Reference to Kitezh appears for the first time in ''Kitezh Chronicle ...

grad; for NIICHAVO see

Monday Begins on Saturday ''Monday Begins on Saturday'' (russian: Понедельник начинается в субботу) is a 1965 science fantasy novel by Soviet writers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, with illustrations by Yevgeniy Migunov. Set in a fictional to ...

). The couple are about to get married when Alyona's jealous and scheming co-worker,

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...

eev (Gaft), tricks Alyona's boss, Kira Shemahanskaya (Vasilyeva), the institute director, into putting a spell on Alyona. The spell makes Alyona undergo a severe personality change, become unable to control her actions, and forget about Ivan. Ivan and Alyona's friends must figure out a way to break the curse while simultaneously protecting the institution's latest research development, a magic wand.

Cast

* Aleksandra Yakovleva as Alyona Igorevna Sanina "Alyonushka" *

Aleksandr Abdulov Aleksandr Gavrilovich AbdulovАбдулов Г. Д.
Ферганский г� ...

as Ivan Sergeevich Puhov *

Yekaterina Vasilyeva Yekaterina Sergeyevna Vasilyeva (russian: Екатерина Серге́евна Васильева; born 15 August 1945 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actress. She performed in more than ninety films since 1967. Vasilyeva ...

as Kira Anatolyevna Shemahanskaya (vocal by

Zhanna Rozhdestvenskaya Zhanna Germanovna Rozhdestvenskaya (russian: Жа́нна Ге́рмановна Рожде́ственская; born 23 November 1950 in Rtishchevo, Saratov Oblast, RSFSR, USSR) is a Soviet and Russian pop singer, Honored Artist of the Russian Fe ...

) *

Valentin Gaft Valentin Iosifovich Gaft (russian: Валенти́н Ио́сифович Гафт; 2 September 1935 – 12 December 2020) was a Soviet and Russian actor. He was People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984). Biography Early life and education Gaft was ...

as Apollon Mitrofanovich Sataneev *

Yevgeny Vesnik Yevgeny Yakovlevich Vesnik (russian: Евге́ний Я́ковлевич Ве́сник; 15 January 1923 in Petrograd – 10 April 2009 in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian actor. The son of Yakov Vesnik, the first director of the Kryvorizhstal pl ...

as chairman of the commission *

Valery Zolotukhin Valeri Sergeevich Zolotukhin (russian: link=no, Валерий Сергеевич Золотухин, 21 June 1941 – 30 March 2013) was a Soviet and Russian stage and cinema actor who performed at the Taganka Theatre which he also headed between ...

as Ivan Kivrin *

Emmanuil Vitorgan Emmanuil Gedeonovich Vitorgan (russian: Эммануи́л Гедео́нович Виторга́н; born 27 December 1939) is a Soviet, Russian film and theater actor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1990). People's Artist of Russia (1998). He acte ...

as Viktor Kovrov *

Mikhail Svetin Mikhail Semyonovich Svetin (russian: Михаил Семёнович Светин; born Michail Solomonovitch Goltsman; 11 December 1929 – 30 August 2015) was a Soviet, Russian actor. He appeared in more than fifty films. Svetin's room 2 ...

as Foma Ostapych Bryl *

Roman Filippov Roman Sergeyevich Filippov (russian: Рома́н Серге́евич Фили́ппов; January 24, 1936 — February 18, 1992) was a Soviet theater and film actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1987). Selected filmography * ''World Ch ...

as Modest Matveevich Kamneyedov *

Anna Ashimova Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

as Nina Puhova *

Semyon Farada Semyon Lyvovich Ferdman PAR, better known by his stage name Semyon Farada (russian: Семён Львович Фердман, Семён Фарада, born December 31, 1933, Nikolskoye village of Moscow Oblast, USSR — died August 20, 2009 in ...

as The Guest from South * Leonid Kharitonov as Amatin

Production

The film was initially written by brothers

Boris and Arkady Strugatsky The brothers Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky (russian: Аркадий Натанович Стругацкий; 28 August 1925 – 12 October 1991) and Boris Natanovich Strugatsky ( ru , Борис Натанович Стругацкий; 14 A ...

as adaptation of their 1965

science fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...

novel ''

''. But Bromberg turned down the script due to its serious tone and

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

, and the Strugatskys had to rewrite their script as a light-hearted

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

. As a result, the movie bore almost no resemblance to the book besides the setting and several characters' names. History later repeated itself with another film by Sokurov ''

Days of Eclipse ''Days of Eclipse'' (russian: link=no, italics=yes, Дни затмения) (or, '' The Days of Eclipse, Dni Zatmenija, Días de eclipse'') is a 1988 Soviet film directed by Alexander Sokurov. The screenplay is by Yuri Arabov and Pyotr Kadochnikov ...

'' (Dni zatmeniya). The film became a classic Soviet

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

romantic comedy, similar to ''

Irony of Fate ''The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!'' (russian: Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!, literally: The Irony of Fate, or With A Light Steam; trans. ''Ironiya sudby, ili S lyogkim parom!''), usually shortened to ''The ...

'' (Ironiya sud'by) and '' The Carnival Night'' (Karnavalnaya noch).

Film soundtrack

Film soundtrack includes many classical Soviet songs (some of them romantic), written by

Yevgeni Krylatov Yevgeny Pavlovich Krylatov (russian: Евге́ний Па́влович Крыла́тов; 23 February 1934 – 8 May 2019) was a Soviet and Russian composer who wrote songs for over 120 Soviet and Russian movies and animated films. Biogr ...

and

Leonid Derbenyov Leonid Petrovich Derbenyov ( rus, Леони́д Петро́вич Дербенёв, p=lʲɪɐˈnʲit pʲɪˈtrovʲɪdʑ dʲɪrbʲɪˈnʲɵf, a=Lyeonid Pyetrovich Dyerbyenyov.ru.vorb.oga; 12 April 1931 – 22 June 1995) was a Russian poet and l ...

, including: * "A woman's Enigma" ((russian: Загадка женщины) performed by Irina Otieva * "Three White Horses" (Три белых коня) performed by

Larisa Dolina Larisa Aleksandrovna Dolina (russian: link=no, Лариса Александровна Долина, , née Kudelman, Кудельман, formerly Mionchinskaya, Миончинская; born 10 September 1955) is an Azerbaijani-born prominent Rus ...

Как снимали «Чародеи» // ''Dubikvit''
/ref> * "A Song About A Snowflake" (Песня о снежинке) performed by Olga Rozhdestvenskaya and Dobrie Molodtsy band * "Witch-River" (Ведьма-речка) performed by Irina Otieva * "A Song About a Suit" (Песенка про костюмчик) performed by

and

* "Imagine That" (Представь себе) performed by

Aleksandr Abdulov Aleksandr Gavrilovich AbdulovАбдулов Г. Д.
Ферганский г� ...

* "Time to Sleep" (Спать пора) performed by Mikhail Svetin * "Serenade" (Серенада) performed by original cast members * "Centaurs" (Кентавры) performed by Dobrie Molodtsy * "By The Mirror" (Подойду я к зеркалу) performed by

* "You Can't Command Your Heart" (Только сердцу не прикажешь) performed by Zhanna Rozhdestvenskaya and Vladislav Lynkovskiy * "Don't Believe What They Say" (Говорят, а ты не верь) performed by original cast members Music performance by State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography of the USSR.

References

External links

* {{Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Films based on works by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky 1982 films 1982 in the Soviet Union 1980s science fiction comedy films Soviet science fiction comedy films Soviet musical comedy films 1980s Russian-language films Soviet fantasy films Russian fantasy films Soviet television films Odessa Film Studio films 1980s musical comedy films Films based on science fiction novels Films based on Russian novels Films shot in Moscow Films shot in Vladimir Oblast Science fiction television films Films about witchcraft The Devil in film 1982 comedy films