The Seven Brides of Lance-Corporal Zbruyev 1971

Yefreytor Kostya Semyon Morozov finishes his conscription as a gifted shot, so skilled that he lands on the cover of the fictitious Skillful Warrior magazine. Suddenly, letters from women all across the Soviet Union flood in, and Kostya selects the seven most promising ones as he dreams of a future wife. His quest unfolds as a lighthearted, observant road trip through a country that shapes and is shaped by the idea of romance, duty, and daily life.

Bride #1: the train stop that isn’t found

The first potential bride slips away when Kostya misses his train stop while a young female train attendant teaches him modern dancing. He doesn’t overreact; he simply keeps moving, continuing his journey with an open, if bemused, gaze at the world that surrounds him.

Bride #2: the dorm girl in Krasnopryadsk

The second candidate lives in a worker’s dormitory in Krasnopryadsk, a city that feels almost archetypal—busy, practical, and full of workers’ warmth. She is portrayed as childish, awkward, and shy, and after spending a few hours with her, Kostya decides to move on, sensing that their rhythms don’t quite align.

Bride #3: the Moscow actress

Next, Kostya encounters a famous actress in Moscow who moves through crowds of admirers with ease. The constant press of fans and the turbulence of an acting life prove too much for him, and he gently steps away, seeking a steadier pace.

Bride #4: the clinical planner

On the way to the next destination, Kostya meets a nurse in a small town near Moscow. She has mapped out a precise future for him—an ambulance driver job, a specific apartment, children—and her meticulous timetable unsettles Kostya. He leaves, feeling that such perfect planning doesn’t leave room for his own evolving sense of life and partnership.

A chance meeting with a priest

Across the rail lines, Kostya encounters a young Orthodox priest who is also seeking a wife. As Kostya shares his story and shows the photos of the seven brides, the priest appears to recognize one of them—bride #7—but Kostya can’t quite see the same clue. In a gesture of sentiment and faith, Kostya gives the priest the letter meant for bride #4, believing they could be a better match, a small act of generosity that binds their fates in a quiet twist.

Bride #5: Galina Listopad

Galina Listopad, a Komsomol leader, works at a sprawling construction site in a new Siberian town. She is lively, bright, and energetic, seeming like the best possible match—until a surprising truth emerges: she is already married. The letter was signed as part of her Komsomol duties, perhaps without her realizing what it implied, revealing how duties and personal longing can blur in the rush of everyday life.

Bride #6: Valentina Olenyova

Next, Kostya visits Valentina Olenyova in a small Siberian village. She is practical, capable, and immediately appealing. They share a night together, and for a moment there seems to be real connection. Yet a careless remark from Kostya wounds her, and she sends him away, a reminder that kindness must be earned and words can carry consequences.

Bride #7: the far eastern impossibility (or is she?)

The final address is a remote outpost in the Far East. There Kostya is greeted by a burly man who claims to be the director of a fur-hunting factory. He confesses that the girl never existed; he wrote the letter himself, and the photo is a retouched image from a famous icon—the reason the priest recognized it earlier. Kostya is needed as a hunter because of his marksmanship, and, discouraged and with nowhere else to go, he decides to stay. This twist reveals a clever loneliness at the heart of Kostya’s quest and the way narratives can be manufactured.

In the end, the story returns to the human scale: Kostya and Valentina find a path to peace, and the film closes on the note that he eventually marries her, confirming that love can endure beyond the clever schemes, misdirections, and social scripts that accompany the search for a life partner.

Throughout the journey, the film balances humor with warmth, showing Kostya’s genuine desire for connection while portraying a panorama of Soviet life—settings ranging from bustling cities to quiet provincial towns, and the everyday people who populate them. The characters—whether the priest who quietly tests fates, the bustling brides who embody different paths, or the man who crafts a fictional bride for a purpose—form a mosaic that reflects longing, chance, and the stubborn hope that one true match might still be found.