5 Soviet romantic comedies you can watch ONLINE for FREE
1. ‘The Girls’ (1961)
A young girl named Toska works as a cook at a Soviet construction site. She falls in love with a ladies’ man, just like he does. But, both are too proud and vain to be the first to show their feelings.
The movie’s glorification of the working class and the, now, defunct dream of a “bright future” has not stopped it becoming an all-time classic. An added bonus is the chance to learn about loads of potato-based recipes!
Watch ‘The Girls’ online with English subtitles in our Content hub!
2. ‘Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia’ (1973)
On her deathbed, an elderly Russian émigré confesses to her granddaughter that, during the revolution, she hid treasure under a lion statue in St. Petersburg.
However, it turns out that St. Petersburg is home to a huge number of lion statues. So, to find the one with treasure buried underneath, Italian thieves dig under all of them in turn.
The movie features many special effects, not inferior to Hollywood for the time, including a gas station explosion and a car chase. Without stunt doubles, the actors themselves jumped over a drawn bridge in St. Petersburg and clambered out the window of a multistory building down knotted bed sheets.
Watch ‘Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia’ online with English subtitles in our Content hub!
3. ‘Kidnapping, Caucasian Style’ (1966)
A male student named Shurik goes on an expedition to the Caucasus to learn about local customs and drinking toasts. The locals refuse to give toasts unless Shurik drinks with them and he gets completely drunk. He’s then offered to take part in a highly unusual custom – bride-stealing, which turns out not to be staged.
This beloved Soviet comedy is actually a sequel to ‘Operation Y and Shurik’s Other Adventures’ (1965), both smashing the Soviet box offices.
Watch ‘Kidnapping, Caucasian Style’ online with English subtitles in our Content hub!
4. ‘Office Romance’ (1977)
Lyudmila Prokofyevna is so accustomed to running a large enterprise with an iron fist and an unimaginative dress sense that she seems to have forgotten that she is a young, attractive and still single woman. The intrigue starts when one of her employees asks her out for a bet, hoping to climb the career ladder, but ends up actually falling in love with his boss.
This romantic comedy about office drones topped the Soviet box office in its year of release and is one of the most frequently shown movies on TV today.
Watch ‘Office Romance’ online with English subtitles in our Content hub!
5. ‘The Most Charming and Attractive’ (1985)
Engineer Nadia is past 30 and worried that she is not married yet. Schoolfriend Susanna decides to help her by getting hold of some trendy outfits on the black market and teaching her the methods of "scientific seduction". But, the main thing is self-training, which involves repeating the mantra: "I am the most charming and attractive."
See for yourself how it all turns out in what is one of the most popular comedies from the perestroika era.
Watch ‘The Most Charming and Attractive’ online with English subtitles in our Content hub!