Five Brides 2011

Set in the summer of 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, the film follows a group of fighter pilots — Vadik, Artur Smolyaninov, Lyosha, Danila Kozlovsky, Garik, Khoren Levonyan, Vanya, and Misha, Aleksandr Sukhotskiy — who are wrestling with boredom and a longing to return home. Their unit is unexpectedly ordered to stay in Germany, and the prospect of a quick return dissolves into a sense of melancholy as they cope with the slow grind of impermanence and distance.

To ease the ache, they stage improvised flights inside an old gazebo, letting memory, camaraderie, and a splash of fantasy fill the void left by years of conflict. The routine becomes a lifeline, a way to relive the thrill of flying and the camaraderie that kept them going through the war years, all while the landscape of Europe slowly edges toward a fragile peace.

Then comes news that Lyosha is being assigned to a military factory in Smolensk, prompting Vadik to ask him to marry Nastya Svetlana Khodchenkova Karpova using his documents. What begins as a straightforward favor quickly spirals into an unpredictable adventure as Lyosha discovers that almost all of his friends want him to bring back brides for them, each handing over their identification and wedding rings as if this were a shared mission. The plan, meant to be simple, becomes a tangled web of promises, deceptions, and well-meaning lies that threaten to unravel with every new misstep.

Upon his arrival in Smolensk, Lyosha receives a briefing from Major Vykhristyuk, Andrey Fedortsov, on how to charm and blend with the locals. A ride with Zoya Elizaveta Boyarskaya Skvortsova ends with him stuck in the mud, and Zoya mistakenly believes Lyosha is a German spy, taking him to the local commandant. After a narrow escape, Lyosha makes his way to Nastya’s home, only to be mistaken for Vadik and swept into a chaotic wedding that pulls in family and neighbors in a flurry of silly, high-stakes misunderstandings. The town buzzes with activity as villagers push back against the schemes and the old order, while the line between truth and fabrication blurs under the pressures of postwar life.

The misadventures multiply as the group navigates a maze of rules, gossip, and stubborn pride. Lyosha must improvise, choosing between loyalty to his friends and the growing weight of the lies he’s carrying. The comedy gives way to genuine affection as bonds are tested and unexpected alliances form in the most unlikely corners of the countryside. Throughout, the film plays with the tension between memory and reality, tradition and change, airfields and kitchens, capturing the fragility of identity in a society trying to rebuild.

The climax arrives at the airfield, where Lyosha’s bigamist identity teeters on exposure amid a flurry of forged papers, frantic explanations, and a chorus of amused onlookers. In a warm and humorous resolution, he marries Zoya on the hood of a truck, sealing a chaotic but heartfelt union. The pilots are finally reunited with their long-lost wives, set against a backdrop of painted birch trees that evokes a sense of nostalgia and continuity. The final image pays tribute to the generations that came before, blending laughter with a quiet homage to grandparents and the enduring value of companionship in the aftermath of war.