''Shirli-myrli'' (russian: Ширли-мырли, also released as ''What a Mess!'') is a

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

of the early post-soviet era directed by

Vladimir Menshov Vladimir Valentinovich Menshov (russian: Влади́мир Валенти́нович Меньшо́в; 17 September 1939 – 5 July 2021) Centered around a pursued con man, who stole a huge diamond, the movie, among other things, satirizes

chauvinism Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotis ...

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

and other ethnic tensions in the 1990s Russia.

Valery Garkalin Valery Borisovich Garkalin (russian: Вале́рий Бори́сович Гарка́лин; 11 April 1954 – 20 November 2021) was a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. He was awarded the People's Artist of the Russian Federation in 2008 ...

plays multiple roles as identical twins who were raised believing they belong to different cultures and races and used to look down on each other's.

Plot summary

While digging in the

diamond mine There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where dia ...

"Unpromising" in

Yakutia Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),, is the largest republic of Russia, located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of roughly 1 million. Sakha comprises half of the area of its governing Far Eas ...

an enormous diamond was found. It is called ''The Savior of Russia'': officials declare that the sale of the diamond could pay off the national debt and pay for every Russian citizen to take a three-year-long vacation at the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

. While the diamond is being transported to Moscow (by Antonov An-124 ''Ruslan'') it is stolen by the

crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...

Kozulskiy (Armen Dzhigarkhanyan), who is then robbed by professional thief Vasiliy Krolikov (Valeri Garkalin). For the remainder of the film, the plot revolves around Krolikov, a con man raised as a Russian and his two other identical

multiple birth A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...

brothers, one was raised as a Jew to become a world famous musician, another as a Russian Roma to become a chief and a deputy of the parliament. Krolikov is pursued by Kozulskiy's mafia and two ''

militsiya ''Militsiya'' ( rus, милиция, , mʲɪˈlʲitsɨjə) was the name of the police forces in the Soviet Union (until 1991) and in several Eastern Bloc countries (1945–1992), as well as in the non-aligned SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992). The ...

'' officers - Jean-Paul Piskunov (Igor Ugolnikov) and an unnamed lieutenant (Sergey Batalov). At the end of the film it turns out that there is a fourth brother, raised as an African American, making all characters played by Garkalin at least

quadruplets A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...

Cast

as ''Vasily Krolikov'', ''Innokentiy Shniperson'', ''Roman Almazov'' and ''Patrick Crolikow'' *

Vera Alentova Vera Valentinovna Alentova (russian: Ве́ра Валенти́новна Але́нтова; born 21 February 1942) is a USSR, Soviet and Russian actress famous for her leading role in ''Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears''. Biography Vera Alento ...

as ''Carol Abzats'', ''Zemfira Almazova'', ''Lusiena Krolikova'' and ''Whitney Crolikow'' *

Inna Churikova Inna Mikhailovna Churikova (russian: Инна Михайловна Чурикова; born 5 October 1943) is a Soviet and Russian film and theatre actress. Biography Churikova was born in Belebey, Bashkir ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. In t ...

as ''Praskoviya Alekseyevna Krolikova'' *

Igor Ugolnikov Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling * ...

as ''Jean-Paul Nikolayevich Piskunov'' *

Leonid Kuravlyov Leonid Vyacheslavovich Kuravlyov (russian: Леонид Вячеславович Куравлёв; 8 October 1936 – 30 January 2022) was a Soviet and Russian film actor. He became a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1976. Early life Kuravlyov w ...

as ''US Ambassador to Russia'' *

Lyubov Polishchuk Lyubov Grigoryevna Polishchuk (russian: Любо́вь Григо́рьевна Полищу́к; 21 May 1949 – 28 November 2006) was a popular Russian actress. She was born in the Siberian city of Omsk. After school she decided to become an ...

as ''Jennifer, Ambassador's wife'' *

Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyorny Aleksandr Vasilyevich Pankratov-Chyorny (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Панкра́тов-Чёрный; born 28 June 1949) is a Russian actor and film director. He appeared in more than seventy films since 1978. He was aw ...

as ''Ambassador's bodyguard'' *

Mikhail Kokshenov Mikhail Mikhailovich Kokshenov (16 September 1936, Moscow – 4 June 2020, Krasnogorsky District, Moscow Oblast) was a Soviet and Russian actor, film director and screenwriter. People's Artist of Russia (2002). Biography Mikhail Kokshenov wa ...

as ''Ambassador's bodyguard'' *

Valeri Afanasyev The French name Valery () is a male given name or surname of Germanic origin ''Walaric'' (see Walric of Leuconay), that has often been confused in modern times with the Latin name ''Valerius''—that explains the variant spelling Valéry (). The S ...

as ''Anatoly Ivanov'' *

Yevgeni Aleksandrov Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgenii or Yevgeniy (russian: Евгений), also transliterated as Evgeni, Evgeny, Evgenii or Evgeniy, is the Russian form of the masculine given name Eugene. People with the name include: :''Note: Occasionally, a person may b ...

as ''TV journalist'' *

Nina Alisova Nina Ulyanovna Alisova (russian: Нина Ульяновна Алисова) (15 December 1915 in Kyiv – 12 October 1996 in Moscow) was a Soviet theater and film actress. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1950). After her death she was buried in the ...

as ''music-lover'' *

Irina Apeksimova Irina Victorovna Apeksimova (russian: Ири́на Ви́кторовна Апекси́мова, born January 13, 1966, Volgograd, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, RSFSR, USSR) is a Russian stage and screen actress. She became dire ...

as ''Step performer'' and the ''Violinist from Conservatory'' *

Sergei Artsybashev Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honor of Saint Sergius, or in Russia, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and ...

as ''Registry Office Worker'' *

Sergey Batalov Sergey Felixovich Batalov (russian: link=no, Серге́й Фе́ликсович Бата́лов) is a Russian actor. Merited Artist of the Russian Federation. He appeared in over 140 films. Biography Sergey was born on April 19, 1957. He st ...

as ''Detective'' *

Lev Borisov Lev Ivanovich Borisov (Russian: Лев Иванович Борисов; 8 December 1933, Plyos – 15 November 2011, Moscow) was a Russian actor. Brother of Oleg Borisov. He was a People's Artist of Russia.

as ''Mafioso'' * Aleksei Buldakov as ''commander of the

An-124 The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; russian: Антонов Ан-124 Руслан, , Ruslan; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukraini ...

crew'' * Yelena Bushuyeva *

Rolan Bykov Rolan Antonovich Bykov (russian: Ролан Антонович Быков; October 12, 1929 – October 6, 1998) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, director, screenwriter and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Early life R ...

as ''Head of Mafia'' and the ''Brilliant's buyer'' *

Yuri Chernov Yury Nikolayevich Chernov (russian: Юpий Никoлаeвич Чернов; born 24 April 1949) is a Soviet and Russian actor of theatre and cinema. Honored Artist of Russia (1994) and People's Artist of Russia (2008). Biography Yuri was ...

as ''Suitcase carrier'' *

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan Armen Borisovich Dzhigarkhanyan (russian: Армен Борисович Джигарханян; hy, Արմեն Բորիսի Ջիգարխանյան, Armen Borisi Jigarkhanyan; ; 3 October 1935 – 14 November 2020) was a Soviet, Armenian, and Rus ...

as ''Kozyulski'' * Sergei Gabrielyan as ''Ravil Beliletdinov'' *

Yevgeni Gerchakov Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgenii or Yevgeniy (russian: Евгений), also transliterated as Evgeni, Evgeny, Evgenii or Evgeniy, is the Russian form of the masculine given name Eugene. People with the name include: :''Note: Occasionally, a person may b ...

as ''Symphony Orchestra Conductor'' * Maksim Glotov as ''Police Officer'' *

Marina Golub Marina Grigorievna Golub (russian: Марина Григорьевна Голуб; 8 December 1957 — 9 October 2012) was a Russian film, television and stage actress. Most well known for her performances in Russian television program ''Morning ...

as ''Director of the Philharmonic'' * Vladimir Gusev as ''General'' * Arkadi Koval as ''TV Announcer'' *

Tatyana Kravchenko Tatyana Eduardovna Kravchenko (russian: Татья́на Эдуа́рдовна Кра́вченко; born 9 December 1953, Stalino (since 1961 — Donetsk), Ukrainian SSR, USSR) is a Soviet and Russian film and stage actress, People's Artist of Ru ...

as ''Bronislava Rosembaum, geologist'' * Yuriy Kuzmenkov as ''Man with a goat'' *

Anatoly Kuznetsov Anatoly Vasilievich Kuznetsov (russian: Анато́лий Васи́льевич Кузнецо́в; August 18, 1929, Kiev, USSR – June 13, 1979, London) was a Russian-language Soviet writer who described his experiences in German-occupied K ...

as ''Father'' *

Vladimir Menshov Vladimir Valentinovich Menshov (russian: Влади́мир Валенти́нович Меньшо́в; 17 September 1939 – 5 July 2021)Pyotr Merkuryev as ''Meloman'' *

Nonna Mordyukova Noyabrina Viktorovna Mordyukova (Russian: Но́нна (Ноябри́на) Ви́кторовна Мордюко́ва; 25 November 1925 – 6 July 2008) was a Soviet and Russian actress and People's Artist of the USSR (1974). She was the star ...

as ''Registry Office Worker'' * Valeri Nikolayev as ''Step performer'' *

Vsevolod Sanayev Vsevolod Vasilyevich Sanayev (Все′волод Васи′льевич Сана′ев; 25 2, o.s.February 1912 in Tula, Russian Empire – 27 January 1996 in Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet film and stage actor popular in the 1960s–1970s. Sana ...

Boris Smorchkov Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name *:''See'': List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) * Boris I of Bulgaria (died 907), the first Christian ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire, canonized after his ...

as ''General'' *

Oleg Tabakov Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (russian: Олег Павлович Табаков; 17 August 1935 – 12 March 2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Art Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR (1988). Biography Tabak ...

as ''Sukhodrishchev'' * Yevgeni Vesnik as ''Doctor'' * Aleksandr Voroshilo as ''Spectator'' *

Oleg Yefremov Oleg Nikolayevich Yefremov (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Ефре́мов, 1 October 1927, Moscow, Soviet Union – 24 May 2000, Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet and Russian actor and Moscow Art Theatre producer. He was a People's Artist ...

as ''Neighbour''

References

External links

* * Russian comedy films 1995 comedy films 1995 films Films directed by Vladimir Menshov {{1990s-comedy-film-stub