The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers 1968

Set after their earlier escapades, the Elusive Avengers—a tight-knit group of young Red partisans—include Valerka [Mikhail Metyolkin], a former schoolboy; Yashka [Vasili Vasilyev], a devil-may-care gypsy; and two orphan siblings, Danka [Viktor Kosykh] and Ksanka [Valentina Kurdyukova]. They join the Red Army to press the fight against Baron Wrangel’s White Guards, and their latest mission hinges on a crucial document: a plane carries a letter that reveals a map of Crimean fortifications, now in the hands of the White counter-intelligence officer, Colonel Kudasov [Arkadi Tolbuzin]. That map is vital for the Red Army’s assault, so the Avengers are sent on a secret mission to steal it.

The four slip into Yalta on a fishing boat, adopting disguises to slip past the guards. Danka [Viktor Kosykh] takes on the guise of a shoe-cleaner, and Valerka [Mikhail Metyolkin] dresses as a young monarchist nobleman. Meanwhile, the Red agent they were supposed to rely on is arrested by Colonel Kudasov [Arkadi Tolbuzin] and killed while attempting to escape, leaving the Avengers to improvise and rely on their own resourcefulness.

Ksanka [Valentina Kurdyukova] runs into Buba Kastorsky, a popular singer and dancer who helped them in their first adventure, and he offers them a line of help and a glimpse into the city’s mood. Buba speaks of a White officer who likely knows the combination to Kudasov’s safe, a detail the team desperately needs. Valerka [Mikhail Metyolkin] frequents the cabaret where this officer is said to perform, forging a wary alliance with him. But trouble erupts when Danka is recognized and arrested again as Ataman Burnash [Efim Kopelyan] comes to town and identifies him. Yashka [Vasili Vasilyev] turns to the local Gypsies, brushing up on their customs and persuading them to aid in freeing Danka.

Captain Ovechkin [Armen Dzhigarkhanyan]—the White officer who holds the key to the safe—detects Valerka’s true identity and taunts him, intending to take him into custody. But Valerka detonates a pool-ball filled with explosives, blasting his way free and making a direct dash for the Counterintelligence Service headquarters to seize the map. The building is surrounded by soldiers, yet Danka [Viktor Kosykh], Yashka, and Ksanka [Valentina Kurdyukova] distract the guards and clear a path for Valerka to escape with the map.

With the map in hand, the Avengers—now joined by Buba [Boris Sichkin]—make a desperate break for the coast. They flee the city, but a White officer mortally wounds Buba as they scramble onto a boat, leaving a somber note on the cost of their mission and the resolve of the group to press on. The story blends brisk feats of disguise, clever improvisation, and the unbreakable bond of four young misfits who become a resilient force against a larger foe.