''The First Circle'' (russian: link=no, В круге первом, ) is a 2006 Russian

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

directed by

Gleb Panfilov Gleb Anatolyevich Panfilov (russian: Глеб Анатольевич Панфилов, link=no; born 21 May 1934 in Magnitogorsk) is an internationally acclaimed Russian film director noted for a string of mostly historical films starring his wif ...

, with ten 44-minute episodes. It is based on ''

The First Circle ''In the First Circle'' (russian: link=no, italics=yes, В круге первом, V kruge pervom; also published as ''The First Circle'') is a novel by Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, released in 1968. A more complete version of the boo ...

'', the novel written by

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist. One of the most famous Soviet dissidents, Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism and helped to raise global awareness of political repress ...

Круг — первый, попытка — третья
/ref> based on his experiences in

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

Gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...

. The series was first broadcast in the Russia on Telekanal Rossiya on January 29, 2006.

Plot

Based on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's autobiographical novel and set during the fearful times of Stalin's mass arrests, the series takes place in a

sharashka A Special Design Bureau (, ''osoboje konstruktorskoe bûro''; ОКБ), commonly informally known as a ''sharashka'' (russian: шара́шка, ; sometimes ''sharaga'', ''sharazhka'') was any of several secret research and development laboratories ...

, a prison-laboratory for secret research where Russia's greatest minds are put to government use. While living conditions in this "first circle of hell" are incomparably superior to the Gulag camps, the scientists there face the moral dilemma of cooperating with an inhuman system.Премьера. Монолог в 4-х частях Глеба Панфилова
The action begins when a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official makes an anonymous phone call to the American embassy, trying to warn them about a leak of information that would allow the USSR to build the atomic bomb. In order to identify the traitor, the

KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...

turns to one of the projects at the sharashka. The character of Gleb Nerzhin ( Yevgeny Mironov), a mathematician who chooses the horrors of the Gulag rather than compromise his conscience, is based on Solzhenitsyn himself. The First Circle is a hard but optimistic story about the victory of the human spirit over totalitarianism.

Cast

* Yevgeny Mironov – Gleb Nerzhin *

Dmitry Pevtsov Dmitry Anatolyevich Pevtsov (russian: Дмитрий Анатольевич Певцов) (born July 8, 1963) is a Russian actor, Member of the State Duma from Medvedkovo constituency of Moscow from 2021, member on New People political party. ...

– Innokenty Volodin *

Olga Drozdova Olga Borisovna Drozdova (russian: Ольга Борисовна Дроздова; born 1 April 1965, Nakhodka) is a Russian theater and film actress, director. People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2015). Selected filmography * Queen M ...

– Volodin's wife *

Igor Sklyar Igor Borisovich Sklyar (russian: Игорь Борисович Скляр; born 18 December 1957) is a Russian actor and singer. He has appeared in over 30 films since 1974. He starred in the 1994 film, '' The Year of the Dog'', which won the S ...

– Illarion Gerasimovich *

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 ...

– Gerasimovich's wife *

Albert Filozov Albert Leonidovich Filozov (russian: Альбepт Лeoнидoвич Филозoв; 25 June 1937 – 11 April 2016) was a Soviet and Russian actor. He was a People's Artist of Russia.Kseniya Kachalina Kseniya Mikhailovna Kachalina (russian: Ксения Михайловна Качалина, born May 3, 1971) is a Russian actress. Biography Kseniya Mikhailovna Kachalina was born May 3, 1971. She studied two years at the acting department at t ...

– Potapov's wife * Galina Tunina – Nadya Nerzhina *

Roman Madyanov Roman Sergeevich Madyanov (russian: Рома́н Серге́евич Мадя́нов; born July 22, 1962) is a Soviet and Russian actor. Madyanov's career in cinema began as a child actor when he starred as Huckleberry Finn in ''Hopelessly Lost' ...

– Abakumov *

Igor Kvasha Igor Vladimirovich Kvasha (russian: Игорь Владимирович Кваша; 4 February 1933 — 30 August 2012) was a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. He was a leading actor of Sovremennik Theater. Igor Kvasha was one of the So ...

–

Alexander Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist. One of the most famous Soviet dissidents, Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism and helped to raise global awareness of political repress ...

– narrator's voice * Yevgeni Grishkovetz – Galakhov, writer *

Vladimir Konkin Vladimir Alekseyevich Konkin (russian: Влади́мир Алексе́евич Ко́нкин, born 19 August 1951, Saratov, USSR) is a Soviet/ Russian cinema and theatre actor, who appeared in 45 films.

– Professor Verenev *

Nina Shatskaya Nina Arkadyevna Shatskaya (russian: Нина Аркадьевна Шацкая, April 22, 1966, Rybinsk, USSR) is a Music of Russia, Russian singer and actress, best known for her jazzy take on the Russian Romance (music), romance heritage. Stay ...

– Nina * Maxim Shchyogolev – torturer, episode * Boris Romanov – professor Chelnov *

Yevgeny Stychkin Yevgeny Alekseevich Stychkin (russian: Евге́ний Алексе́евич Сты́чкин; born 10 June 1974) is a Russian actor and director known for his roles in '' God Loves Caviar'' and ''Trotsky''. Biography Yevgeny Stychkin was born ...

– Pryanchikov

References

External links

Film site
*
Movie Info
Russia-1 original programming Films based on works by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Russian television miniseries Films directed by Gleb Panfilov 2006 Russian television series debuts 2006 Russian television series endings 2000s Russian television series {{Russia-tv-prog-stub