''Old Robbers'' (russian: Старики́–разбо́йники, Stariki-razboyniki, lit. "elderly bandits") is a 1972 Soviet

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

Eldar Ryazanov Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov (russian: Эльдар Александрович Рязанов; 18 November 1927 – 30 November 2015) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, poet, actor and pedagogue whose popular comedies, satiriz ...

, filmed on

Mosfilm Mosfilm (russian: Мосфильм, ''Mosfil’m'' ) is a film studio which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's film monopoly, its output incl ...

. The movie title resembles the name of a Russian children's traditional yard game ''Cossacks-Robbers'' (russian: казаки–разбойники, kazaki-razboyniki).

Plot

Old detective Nikolay Myachikov is being retired by his boss Fedyaev. The official version is that Myachikov has solved no crimes for the last two months, but the real reason is that Fedyaev's boss wants Myachikov's position to go to another man, Proskudin. Fedyaev gives Myachikov a month to show he should not lose his job. Myachikov's best friend, engineer Valentin Vorobyov, is also due to retire but wants to stay on. He suggests to Myachikov that they set up the biggest crime ever and then solve it together so they will be allowed to continue working. Their first idea is to steal a

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

painting from a museum. The plan fails when no one notices that the canvas is missing, believing the note the thieves left saying it has been removed for restoration. Without great difficulty, Myachikov and Vorobyov sneak the picture back. Their next plan is to enlist the help of Myachikov's neighbour, Anna Pavlovna, a bank employee. Their plan to stage a robbery and pretend to recover the loot goes away when an actual robber intervenes. The trio struggle to understand what has happened, how to make restitution, and return to their honest lives.

Cast

Yuri Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He is best known for his roles in Leonid ...

— ''Nikolay Sergeevitch Myachikov'' *

Yevgeny Yevstigneyev Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevstigneyev (russian: Евгений Александрович Евстигнеев; 9 October 1926 — 4 March 1992) was a prominent Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theatre pedagogue, one of the founders of the ...

— ''Valentin Petrovich Vorobyov'' *

Olga Aroseva Olga Aleksandrovna Aroseva (russian: О́льга Алекса́ндровна Аро́сева; 21 December 1925 – 13 October 2013) was a Soviet and Russian actress whose career spanned more than 65 years. Aroseva was better known for her work ...

— ''Anna Pavlovna Suzdaleva'' *

Georgi Burkov Georgi Ivanovich Burkov (russian: Гео́ргий Ива́нович Бурко́в; 31 May 1933 – 19 July 1990) was a Soviet and Russian film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1967 and 1988. He died on 19 July 1990 at the age of 57 ...

— ''Fyodor Fyodorovitch Fedyaev'' * Andrei Mironov — ''Yury Yevgenyevitch Proskudin'' *

Valentina Vladimirova Valentina Kharlampiyevna Vladimirova (russian: Валентина Харлампиевна Владимирова; 22 November 1927, in Vasylivka – 23 March 1994, in Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p ...

— ''Masha, Vorobyov's wife'' *

Yuri Belov Yuri Vladimirovich Belov (russian: Ю́рий Влади́мирович Бело́в; May 27, 1929 – July 23, 2017) was a Russian Soviet realist painter, who lived and worked in Saint Petersburg (former Leningrad). He was a member of the Sain ...

— ''Petya, militsiaman'' *

Valentina Talyzina Valentina Illarionovna Talyzina (russian: Валентина Илларионовна Талызина; born January 22, 1935) is a Soviet and Russian film and stage actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1985). Awarded the Order of Honor (2005 ...

— ''Fedyaev's secretary'' *

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 ...

— ''robber'' *

Nina Agapova Nina Fyodorovna Agapova (russian: Ни́на Фёдоровна Ага́пова; 30 May 1926 – 19 November 2021) was a Soviet and Russian actress.Ruskino.ru.Nina Agapova Life and career Agapova was born in Moscow in May 1926. She graduated f ...

— ''museum keeper'' *

Irina Murzaeva Irina Vsevolodovna Murzaeva (russian: Ири́на Все́володовна Мурза́ева; May 15, 1906 — January 3, 1988) was a Soviet actress of theater and cinema. Biography She graduated from the Lunacharsky Theater College (192 ...

— ''old museum keeper'' *

Lev Durov Lev Konstantinovich Durov ( rus, Лев Константинович Дуров, p=ˈlʲef kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪdʑ ˈdurəf; 23 December 1931 – 20 August 2015) was a Soviet and Russian theatre and film actor who appeared in more than 200 ...

— ''driver of the collector car '' * Boris Runge — ''shoes shop director'' *

Gotlib Roninson Gotlib Mikhailovich Roninson (russian: Готлиб Михайлович Ронинсон; 12 February 1916 — 25 December 1991) was a Soviet actor. He appeared in more than thirty films from 1953 to 1991. Filmography References External ...

— ''doctor'' * Yuri Smirnov — ''locksmith'' * Georgi Kulikov — ''Vorobyov's colleague'' * Viktor Bajkov — ''Vorobyov's colleague'' * Yevgeni Perov — ''Vorobyov's colleague'' * Natalya Sajko — ''Vorobyov's colleague'' * — ''Vorobyov's colleague'' *

Aleksandr Shirvindt Aleksandr Anatolyevich Shirvindt (russian: Александр Анатольевич Ширвиндт, born July 19, 1934) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, screenwriter and voice actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1989). Since 2000 ...

— ''spokesman of the minister'' *

— ''Myachikov's colleague'' * Yuri Yakovlev — ''narrator (voice)''

External links

* * 1972 films 1972 comedy-drama films 1970s crime comedy films 1970s heist films Mosfilm films 1970s Russian-language films Films set in museums Films shot in Lviv Films shot in Moscow Films directed by Eldar Ryazanov Films scored by Andrey Petrov Soviet comedy-drama films Russian comedy-drama films {{1970s-comedy-film-stub