The Pokrovsky Gate – A slice of communal living in 50s Moscow

“The Pokrovsky Gate”, musical comedy in two episodes, filmed by Mikhail Kazakov in 1982 and based on the play by Leonid Zorin, won the hearts of the audience and became classics of Soviet cinematography. The brilliant play of the actors contributed, as well, to the success of the movie.

The story takes place in Moscow in the second half of the 1950s. A few people live in the communal apartment nearby the Pokrovsky Gates: a post-graduate student-historian Kostik with his aunty, performer Velurov, and a worker of science Margarita Pavlovna Khobotova with her two husbands: the ex and the future one.

Each of the characters has his own unique personality. Kostik, for example, much more than studying, is engaged in flirting with girls and other pleasures of life. Velurov is a hardened bachelor and lover of strong drinks. Margarita Pavlovna is an imperious and strong-willed woman trying to arrange (or rather control) the life of her ex-husband – Lev Yevgenyevich Khobotov, romantic and sublime person but not very well adapted to everyday life with its problems. The future husband of Margarita Pavlovna, Sawa Ignatievich, is a teacher in an industrial school and a handyman, who immensely respects his future wife and listens to her in everything.

In this small apartment, the heroes quarrel, reconcile, divorce, marry, and sort out their relationships.

The director of the movie shows with humor the life of the creative intelligentsia in a tight communal apartment. Many phrases of the characters became catchy quotes repeated by many Russians.

Today we offer you to watch this comedy online with English subtitles:

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo5PiDzYQCg&t=18s

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKePGRwsP0