''The Twelve Chairs'' (russian: 12 стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a 1971 Soviet

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 ...

directed by

Leonid Gaidai Leonid Iovich Gaidai (russian: Леонид Иович Гайдай; 30 January 1923 – 19 November 1993) was a Soviet and Russian comedy film director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the fo ...

.cinema.mosfilm.ru
/ref> It is an adaptation of

Ilf and Petrov Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Feinsilberg or russian: Илья Арнольдович Файнзильберг, 1897–1937) and Yevgeny Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Katayev or russian: Евгений Петрович Катаев, 1902–1942 ...

's 1928 novel ''

The Twelve Chairs ''The Twelve Chairs'' ( rus, Двенадцать стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a classic satirical novel by the Odesan Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden ...

''.

Plot

Ostap Bender, shortly after arriving in Stargorod, meets Ippolit "Kisa" Vorobyaninov, a Marshal of Nobility who's looking for a set of 12 chairs that belonged to his mother-in-law, who on her deathbed confesses of hiding diamonds in one of them. However, the confession is overheard by Father Fyodor, who is also looking for them. Ostap and Kisa decide to go on the search together, traveling all around Russia and having a series of misadventures.

Cast

Archil Gomiashvili Archil Mikhaylovich Gomiashvili (russian: Арчи́л Миха́йлович Гомиашви́ли, ka, არჩილ მიხეილის ძე გომიაშვილი, March 23, 1926 – May 31, 2005) was a Soviet Georgian th ...

Ostap Bender Ostap Bender (russian: Остап Бендер; in ''The Twelve Chairs'' he called himself Ostap-Suleyman-Berta-Maria-Bender-Bey, in ''The Little Golden Calf'' he called himself Bender-Zadunaysky, in later novels he was also called Ostap Ibragimo ...

(voiced by

Yuri Sarantsev Yuri Dmitriyevich Sarantsev (russian: Ю́рий Дми́триевич Сара́нцев; 7 October 1928 – 24 August 2005) was a Soviet and Russian actor who appeared in numerous films between 1950 and 1999. He is most known for the 1962 s ...

; singing voice by

Valeri 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 ...

; in some scenes speaks in his own voice) *

Sergey Filippov Sergey Nikolayevich Filippov (russian: Сергей Николаевич Филиппов, 24 June 1912— 19 April 1990) was a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor and comedian, best known for his parts in films ''Adventures of Korzinkina'' ...

as Ippolit Matveyevich "Kisa" Vorobyaninov *

Mikhail Pugovkin Mikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Пу́говкин; July 13, 1923, Rameshki, Chukhlomsky District of Kostroma Oblast — July 25, 2008, Moscow) (aged 85) was a Soviet and Russian comic actor named a People' ...

as Father Fyodor, priest *

Natalya Krachkovskaya Natalia Leonidovna Krachkovskaya (russian: Ната́лья Леони́довна Крачковская, née Belogortseva; 24 November 1938 – 3 March 2016) was a Soviet and Russian actress, Meritorious Artist (1998). Belogortseva was born in ...

as Madame Gritsatsuyeva *

Igor Yasulovich Igor Nikolayevich Yasulovich (russian: Игорь Николаевич Ясулович; born 24 September 1941) is a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, film director and pedagogue. Biography Yasulovich was born in the village of Reinsfe ...

as Ernest Shchukin, engineer * Natalya Vorobyova as Ellochka Shchukina, Ernest Shchukin's wife *

Klara Rumyanova Klara Mikhailovna Rumyanova (russian: link=no, Кла́ра Миха́йловна Румя́нова; 8 December 1929 – 18 September 2004) was a Soviet and Russian actress, voice actress and singer. She was active from 1951 to 1999. Her child ...

as Katerina Aleksandrovna, Father Fyodor's wife *

Natalya Varley Natalya Varley (russian: Наталья Владимировна Варлей, born 22 June 1947) is a Soviet and Russian film and theater actress, who became famous in 1966 for her part in the comedy ''Kidnapping, Caucasian Style''. In 1989 she w ...

as Yelizaveta "Liza" Petrovna (voiced by

Nadezhda Rumyantseva Nadezhda Vasilyevna Rumyantseva (russian: Надежда Васильевна Румянцева, 9 September 1930, Potapovo, Smolensk Oblast — 8 April 2008, Moscow) was a popular Soviet and Russian actress. People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1991 ...

) *

Georgy Vitsin Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (russian: Георгий Михайлович Вицин; 18 April 1917 – 22 October 2001) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Biography Vitsin was born in Terijoki, former Finla ...

as fitter Mechnikov *

Savely Kramarov Savely Viktorovich Kramarov (russian: Саве́лий Ви́кторович Кра́маров; 13 October 1934 – 6 June 1995) was a Soviet, Russian and American actor. He acted in at least 42 Soviet films, and later appeared in several mo ...

as one-eyed chess player *

Radner Muratov Radner Zinyatovich Muratov (russian: Раднэр Зинятович Муратов, tt-Cyrl, Раднэр Зиннәт улы Моратов, translit=Radner Zinnät uğlı Moratov; 21 October 1928 – 10 December 2004) was a Soviet and Russian s ...

as first chess player *

Viktor Pavlov Viktor Pavlovich Pavlov (russian: Ви́ктор Па́влович Па́влов; October 5, 1940 – August 24, 2006) was a Russian stage and film actor. Pavlov worked in some of the most popular theatres of Moscow: 1963–1965 - Sovremenn ...

as Kolya, Liza's husband *

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 ...

as chairman Kislyarsky *

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 poet Nikifor Lyapis-Trubetskoy *

Grigory Shpigel Grigory Oyzerovich Spiegel (russian: Григо́рий О́йзерович Шпи́гель; 24 July 1914 — 28 April 1981) was a Soviet and Russian actor and voice actor. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1974). Biography He worked as a pleater at ...

as Aleksandr Yakovlevich *

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 ...

as janitor Tikhon *

Glikeriya Bogdanova-Chesnokova Glikeriya Vasilyevna Bogdanova-Chesnokova (russian: Глике́рия Васи́льевна Богда́нова-Чесноко́ва) (born 13 (26) May 1904 Saint Petersburg 17 April 1983 Leningrad) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film act ...

as Yelena Stanislavovna Bour *

Vladimir Etush Vladimir Abramovich Etush (russian: Влади́мир Абра́мович Э́туш; 6 May 1922 – 9 March 2019) was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor of Jewish descent. People's Artist of the USSR (1984). Personal life Etush was ...

as Andrei Bruns *

Nina Grebeshkova Nina Pavlovna Grebeshkova (russian: Нина Павловна Гребешкова; born 29 November 1930) is a Russian actress. Since 1953 she has performed in more than thirty films. She was married to film director Leonid Gaidai. In 1954 gradu ...

as Musik, Bruns' wife *

Alexander Khvylya Alexander Leopoldovich Khvylya (born Bressem, russian: Александр Леопольдович Хвыля, uk, Олександр Леопольдович Хвиля, ''Oleksandr Leopoldovych Khvylya''; 15 July 1905 – 17 October 1976) was ...

as Vakkhanyuk *

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 ...

as soloist of theater "Kolumb" *

Rina Zelyonaya Ekaterina Vasilyevna Zelyonaya (russian: link=no, Екатерина Васильевна Зелёная); ( — 1 April 1991, Moscow), better known by her stage name Rina Zelyonaya, was a Soviet actress, singer and comedian. She was named Peopl ...

as editor of youth problem magazine "Groom and Bride" *

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 GITIS, Lunacharsky Theater College ...

as guide of furniture craftsmanship museum *Yevdokiya Urusova as Klavdiya Ivanovna Petukhova, Kisa's mother-in-law *

Erast Garin Erast Pavlovich Garin (russian: Эра́ст Па́влович Га́рин; – 4 September 1980) was a Soviet and Russian actor, director and screenwriter. He was, together with Igor Ilyinsky and Sergey Martinson, one of the leading comic ...

as theater critic *

as Varfolomey Korobeinikov (uncredited) *

Rostislav Plyatt Rostislav Yanovich Plyatt (russian: Ростислав Янович Плятт; — 30 June 1989) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1961 and awarded the USSR State Prize in 1982. Biograph ...

as Narrator (uncredited) *

Stanislav Sadalsky Stanislav Yurievich Sadalsky (russian: Станисла́в Ю́рьевич Сада́льский; born 8 August 1951 in Chuvashia) is a Soviet and Russian actor. Selected filmography * ''The Twelve Chairs'' (Двенадцать стулье� ...

as fireman in theater "Kolumb" (uncredited)

References

External links

* * 1971 comedy films 1971 films Films about con artists Films based on Russian novels Films directed by Leonid Gaidai Films scored by Aleksandr Zatsepin Films set in 1927 Films set in Russia Films set in the Soviet Union Films shot in Baku Films shot in Moscow Films shot in the North Caucasus Films shot in Yaroslavl Oblast Films with live action and animation {{1970s-comedy-film-stub Ilf and Petrov Mosfilm films Russian comedy films Soviet comedy films