The Filming of the Maslenitsa Family Comedy Begun in Krasnoyarsk

The film will be released on March 8, 2027, with the support of the Fond Kino Fund. LEGIO FELIX company is responsible for the film production. General Producers: Ilya Kulikov, Andrey Semenov, Ruslan Sokolov, and Vladimir Permyakov. Director: Mikhail Merzlikin (Shaman). Distributor: Atmosfera Kino.

According to the plot, Polina dreams of studying abroad. Suddenly she gets a chance: if she can introduce a Chinese student to Russian traditions at a Maslenitsa fair, her wish will finally come true. However, before the arrival of her guest from China, Polina breaks her leg and sends her friend Olya, who doesn’t speak a word of Chinese, to replace her. Meanwhile, naughty children try to arrange their grandfather’s personal life at the festival, but for some reason the adults refuse to play by their rules. However, Maslenitsa works wonders—with its joy and pancakes it melts the ice in hearts and reminds everyone that spring begins with the warmth of the people’s hearts.

Film production will take place at iconic locations in the city: Tatyshev Island, the Kamenka art residence, the Kommunalny Bridge, Krasnoyarsk Airport, and other venues. A fairground will be built on Tatyshev Island for the film. The project will involve over 400 extras, including Krasnoyarsk residents and approximately 250 professional performers.

The roles will be performed by: Valentina Lyapina (Eterna, The Frog Princess, Mir! Druzhba! Zhvachka!), Alexander Samoylenko (Kholop, For Palych!), Nikolai Naumov (Heart of Parma, The Magic Plot!), Elena Valyushkina (Challenge, The Last Warrior), Wu Haotian, Diana Milyutina (Molodezhka. New Shift, Fisher, Freshmen), Anton Rogachev (Eterna, The End of the World!), Denis Vasiliev (Inspector Gavrilov, Youth, Rugby!), Oleg Taktarov (Koniyok-Gorbunok, Hunting for Thieves), Anna Kotova (The Dashing Ones, The Anna Nikolaevna Project).

Director Mikhail Merzlikin: “This project is more than a film for me. It’s returning home, to that very fire I couldn’t find a place near as a child. Now, I can not only get warm myself near it, but also share that warmth with the audience.

I’m immensely grateful to our producers for their courage and trust. They believed in this personal, almost confessional story, and now it’s coming to life on set. Even now, looking at the footage, I see what we envisioned. A canvas where Siberia breathes, the snow sparkles in the sun, like on Surikov’s paintings, and the characters endure the trial of the festival to find themselves.

In our difficult times, we need precisely this kind of honest and kind cinema. One that doesn’t hide away from the truth but speaks about the most important things: love, family, and the importance of being together. I believe that after our film, viewers will want to bake pancakes, hug their loved ones, and feel themselves as a part of something big and real. We’re making exactly that kind of film”.

General Producer Vladimir Permyakov: “This is a very significant film for our company. We’ve been working on it for several years. Our film will be released on March 8, 2027, which will be the first day of Maslenitsa week, which also coincides with the International Women’s Day. In honor of this date, we’re preparing a full-fledged Siberian blockbuster, a family film, with unique views of Krasnoyarsk, which have never been seen before in a major motion picture. Krasnoyarsk is beautiful, especially in the evening scenes; the city is full of lights and romance at this time”.

Actor Alexander Samoilenko: “First of all, I was impressed by our young director with his sparkling eyes, who enthusiastically told me about his idea. Then I read the script and really liked the concept. It’s such a good, sweet, and overall wonderful story about budding love, and that’s a feeling which is wonderful at any age. I was incredibly happy when I learned that my co-star would be Lenochka Valyushkina, whom I’ve known for ages and have worked with for so many times before.”.

Actress Valentina Lyapina: “To be honest, I’ve never participated in Maslenitsa festivals, so when I read the script, I loved the way they were described so much that I desperately wanted, firstly, to experience the real Maslenitsa myself, and secondly, to show this holiday to audiences who might also know a little about it. I realized that my generation and the younger generation are little acquainted with this Russian tradition. And yet it is so wonderful”.

Actor Wu Haotian: “The director and actors are wonderful, kind, and it was incredibly pleasant to work with them. Not just the director and actors, but the entire crew is kind and welcoming. My character and I are very similar. For example, four years ago, when I first came to Russia, everything was unfamiliar, I had no Russian friends, I didn’t speak Russian, and it was very difficult. But now I can speak Russian well, I love Russian culture, and I have Russian friends. I think this experience will help me in my work on the role.”.