Ballad of a Soldier (1959): Cast & Plot
Ballad of a Soldier is a 1959 war drama directed by Grigoriy Chukhray, starring Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov, Zhanna Prokhorenko and Viktor Markin. It runs 1 hour 29 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 29m (89 min)
- Director
- Grigoriy Chukhray
- Original language
-
Russian - Studio
- Mosfilm
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Ballad of a Soldier About?
The premise of Ballad of a Soldier without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During World War II, young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov earns a brief leave after a heroic act on the front. Longing to see his mother, he sets out for home, but his compassionate nature repeatedly pulls him into helping strangers he meets along the way, including a kind‑hearted girl named Shura. As he travels through a war‑torn landscape, Alyosha strives to keep hope alive amid the devastation.
Ballad of a Soldier Themes & Keywords
· 49 tags- great patriotic war
- young soldier
- family relationships
- red army soldier
- soviet soldier
- mother
- soldier
- road movie
- falling in love
- world war two
- red army
- russian soldier
+37 more Show fewer
- year 1942
- wartime romance
- army uniform
- medal
- journey
- love
- general
- train
- soap
- tank
- parting
- soviet military
- civilian
- village
- motherhood
- bombing
- military officer
- train station
- war injury
- amputated leg
- handicapped
- adultery
- cheating
- freight wagon
- home front
- freight train
- military leave
- army
- military
- eastern front
- train yard
- mother son relationship
- uniform
- travelling cinema
- going home
- first love
- soap bubble
Ballad of a Soldier Cast & Characters
Vladimir Ivashov leads the cast as Alyosha Skvortsov, with Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura and Viktor Markin as The Soldier with Bandaged Hand (uncredited). Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray; 49 actors are credited in all.
- Director Grigoriy Chukhray
- Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov
- Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura
- Viktor Markin as The Soldier with Bandaged Hand (uncredited)
- Alevtina Rumyantseva as The Girl with Bucket (uncredited)
Also Starring in Ballad of a Soldier
· 45 more- Vera Burlakova The Woman with Baby (uncredited)
- Gennadiy Yukhtin Seryozha Pavlov
- Valentin Bryleev The Soldier, Pavlov's Buddy
- Elza Lezhdey Liza, the Invalid's Wife
- Mariya Kremneva Elizaveta Petrovna, Pavlov's Wife
- Evgeniy Urbanskiy Vasya, the Invalid
- Aleksandr Kuznetsov Gavrilkin, the Train Sentry
- Yevgeni Teterin The Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'
- Vladimir Pokrovskiy Vasiliy Egorovich, Pavlov's Father
- Evgeniy Evstigneev Truck Driver Who Changed His Mind
- Lyubov Sokolova The Woman at Market (uncredited)
- Yuriy Yakovlev Narrator (uncredited)
- Valentina Berezutskaya Alyosha's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Nikolay Kryuchkov The General
- Vladimir Kashpur Ryaboy
- Vsevolod Sanayev Part-bit (uncredited)
Show all 49 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Valentina Ananina Alyosha's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Nikolay Smorchkov The Soldier at Ferry (uncredited)
- Yuriy Dubrovin Pavlov's Buddy
- Valentina Telegina Old Woman Truck Driver
- Tatyana Barysheva Pavlov's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Georgiy Yumatov The Driver
- Lev Borisov The Soldier, Pavlov's Buddy
- Pyotr Savin The Soldier in Trench (uncredited)
- Radner Muratov Alyosha's Train Companion (uncredited)
- Zoya Isayeva The Train Conductor (uncredited)
- Pyotr Kiryutkin Alyosha's Train Companion (uncredited)
- Georgi Shapovalov Soldier-driver (uncredited)
- Elena Volskaya Alyosha's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Aleksandra Danilova Alyosha's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Evgeniy Steblov
- Nina Menshikova Telegraph Office Clerk
- Antonina Maksimova Katerina, Alyosha's Mother
- Semen Svashenko Old Ukrainian
- Leonid Chubarov Sergeant Major Mos'ko
- Marina Gavrilko Ukrainian Refugee (uncredited)
- Aleksey Bakhar The Driver (uncredited)
- Ekaterina Savinova The Train Conductor (uncredited)
- Artur Nishchyonkin Alyosha's Train Companion (uncredited)
- Valentin Abramov Joking Soldier in Train
- Olga Shakhova Resident of the Bombed House (uncredited)
- Valentina Markova Zoya, Skvortsovs' Neighbor
- Sergey Pryanishnikov Pavlov's Neighbor (uncredited)
- Mikhail Dadyko Alyosha's Train Companion
- Mayya Kokhanova Ukrainian Refugee (uncredited)
Ballad of a Soldier Plot Summary
What happens in Ballad of a Soldier from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A middle-aged farm woman walks through her village and gazes down a country road, while a voiceover reveals that her son was killed in the war and buried in a foreign land, underscoring the personal cost of a conflict that touches every doorstep.
On the Eastern Front, nineteen-year-old Private Alyosha Skvortsov, Vladimir Ivashov, performs a remarkable act of self-preservation that looks almost like instinct as he single-handedly destroys two attacking German tanks. A weary commander wants to award him, but Alyosha asks for something humbler: a six‑day leave to see his mother and to repair the leaking roof of their home. His request is granted, and he heads off with a sense of both duty and longing.
Full summary
The whole story of Ballad of a Soldier, scene by scene
Ballad of a Soldier Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Ballad of a Soldier.
How Well Do You Know Ballad of a Soldier?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the 19‑year‑old private who destroys two German tanks?
Ballad of a Soldier Also Known As
24 alternative titles, including “La ballade du soldat” and “A Balada do Soldado”.
- Also known as
-
- La ballade du soldat
- A Balada do Soldado
- 병사의 시
- La balada del soldado
- Die Ballade vom Soldaten
- Balada soldatului
- Ballata di un soldato
- 誓いの休暇
- BALLADA O SOLDATIE
- Ballade vom Soldaten
- Ballada a katonáról
- 士兵之歌
+12 more Show fewer
- Balada o vojákovi
- Historien om en soldat
- Askerin Türküsü
- Балада за войника
- Ballade van een Soldaat
- Ballad om en soldat
- 병사의 발라드
- 兵士的歌謠
- Balada o vojakovi
- Η Μπαλάντα Ενός Στρατιώτη
- Balada unui soldat
- Ballada o żołnierzu
Seen Ballad of a Soldier?
Movies Like Ballad of a Soldier
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Alpine Ballad, Two Soldiers and Soldier Boy.
Ballad of a Soldier FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Ballad of a Soldier, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Ballad of a Soldier?
Ballad of a Soldier runs 1 hour 29 minutes (89 minutes).
When was Ballad of a Soldier released?
Ballad of a Soldier was released on December 1, 1959.
Who directed Ballad of a Soldier?
Ballad of a Soldier was directed by Grigoriy Chukhray.
More films by Grigoriy Chukhray Who is in the cast of Ballad of a Soldier?
Ballad of a Soldier stars Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov, Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura and Viktor Markin as The Soldier with Bandaged Hand (uncredited), among 49 credited actors.
Does Ballad of a Soldier have a post-credit scene?
No. Ballad of a Soldier has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Ballad of a Soldier in?
The original language of Ballad of a Soldier is Russian.
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