5 Russian movies with a vacation vibe that you can watch for FREE

1 ‘Welcome or No Trespassing’ (1964)

Main character Kostya is expelled from summer camp for swimming across a river in violation of the rules. He doesn't want to go home, imagining how his grandmother will react, so he secretly stays at the camp. Parents' Day is approaching, when relatives get to visit and Kostya's grandmother plans to be there, too. So, his friends decide to help him.

In this black-and-white movie about school holidays, the strict Comrade Dynin, who strictly follows the rules, finds himself powerless against the ingenuity of his students.

2 ‘Kidnapping, Caucasian Style’ (1966)

A man named Shurik travels to the Caucasus to study local customs and folklore traditions. He even becomes involved in a bride-kidnapping ritual, unaware that Nina, a young woman visiting her uncle for the holidays, has been "sold" to the groom in exchange for a flock of sheep and a Finnish refrigerator. Upon learning of the deception, the protagonist decides to rescue her, but Nina is no pushover, either. Together, they arrange for the hapless kidnapper to be “punished according to mountain law”.

3 ‘The Diamond Arm’ (1969)

The main character, Semyon Semyonich Gorbunkov, embarks on his first trip abroad by ship, only to return with his arm in a cast. By a twist of fate, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. While walking through the city, Gorbunkov falls and loses consciousness. When he comes to, he sees jewelry being hidden under the cast. Now, he must help the police expose the criminals.

4 ‘Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia’ (1973)

Six Italians arrive in Leningrad disguised as tourists to find an ancient treasure. The treasure is hidden where "a fountain should be a hundred paces from the lion" – not the best description in a city where predatory figures (statues and real!) are literally everywhere and there's no shortage of fountains, either. It turns out, rather inconveniently, that the guide tagging along with the Italians is actually a police captain who was aware of their plan all along.

This Soviet-Italian comedy, complete with chases, a spectacular escape from a lion through the streets of Leningrad at dawn and a romantic declaration of love on the steps of an airplane, is the ultimate vacation movie!

5 ‘Love and Doves’ (1984)

This is a comedy about a holiday romance that breathes new life into a family. A villager, Vasily, receives a trip to the south: his wife and three children are waiting for him at home in the village. And also, his dove-like companions.

At the resort, the protagonist begins an affair, and he never returns home. Vasily dislikes city life: "somehow, drunkenness got him into a spin," he explains, and decides to return to his family. But it's not so easy. His eldest son threatens to kill him, and his wife threatens to wring the necks of his beloved doves...