Babylon XX 1979

Drama

Runtime

95 mins

Language

Ukrainian

Directed by

Borys Ivchenko

Made by

Dovzhenko Film Studios

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Babylon XX Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Babylon XX (1979). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In the early 1920s, Podolia’s village of Babylon sits under the banner of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, yet life clings to its late Tsarist echoes. The quiet is fractured when Klym Synytsia, Ivan Havryliuk, a Red Navy sailor and Babylon native, returns to push for an ambitious plan: to build a commune and reshape the town along new lines. He makes a dramatic statement in a public act of defiance, destroying the faded statues of the deposed Tsar Nicholas II and his family with grenades, and he shouts the battle cry of the Soviet marines, >Polundra!

Shortly after, the village’s gravedigger and self-styled philosopher, Fabian, Ivan Mykolaichuk, comes back to Babylon, watching the political currents swirl around him. Two brothers, Danko, Les Serdyuk, and Lukian, Yaroslav Havryliuk, weigh their own futures as they plan marriages and, in a practical move, entrust a local orphan, Darynka, Lyudmila Chinshevaya, with caring for their ailing mother. Darynka’s keen awareness pulls her into the center of the danger around her: she notices Bubela, Kostiantyn Stepankov, amassing weapons in a bid to resist a potential confiscation by the new rulers, and she warns Danko and Lukian.

Romance threads into the unrest as Danko pursues Malva, Lyubov Polishchuk, who harbors feelings for Fabian. Yet Fabian himself does not return her affections with the same fervor, fearing that closeness could threaten his sense of sanity in the volatile atmosphere. Malva, determined to join the commune, visits Synytsia at his former manor, only to be met with distrust and rejection. He sends Malva home with the poet Volodya Yavorskyi, Anatoli Khostikoyev, a gesture that sparks Danko’s jealousy and a hunger for revenge. As these personal alliances tighten, the village undergoes a deeper upheaval: Danko and Lukian contend with a looming sense of doom as Bubela’s wealth and militia presence grow more threatening.

Meanwhile, the tale of hidden wealth resurfaces with the discovery that a treasure lies buried beneath a pear tree in Babylon, and the ensuing dig up old Cossack weapons that change the balance of power in the village. Malva’s bond with Yavorskyi grows, a relationship that becomes a flashpoint when Bubela and his kulak militia strike, killing Yavorskyi and leaving Malva pregnant with his child. The romantic gesture intertwines with the political struggle, casting Malva between two worlds as the town teeters on the brink of open conflict.

On the eve of Bubela’s planned assault on Synytsia, Bubela demands a grave be prepared for himself by Fabian, a grim reminder of the murky intersections between personal fate and collective upheaval. The tension erupts on Epiphany night, when the kulaks move to seize the communists, triggering a broader clash that spreads through Babylon. Danko throws in with the kulaks, while Lukian sides with the communists, and Bubela stirs the peasants to riot. Fabian works to hold the line, but the violence overwhelms the town. The skirmish reaches its breaking point as the kulaks retreat and Danko’s attempt to kill Malva inadvertently results in Fabian being struck down instead, underscoring the tragedy at the heart of a community torn by ideology, loyalty, and love.

Babylon XX Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Babylon XX (1979) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Klym Synytsia arrives and topples symbols of the old regime

Red Navy sailor Klym Synytsia arrives in Babylon with aims to build a communist commune. He publicly destroys depictions of Tsar Nicholas II and his family using grenades, declaring 'Polundra!' as a bold statement against the old order. The act signals a dramatic shift for the village.

early 1920s Babylon, Podolia

Fabian returns to Babylon

The village's grave digger and self-styled philosopher, Fabian, returns to Babylon after the upheaval. His reappearance sets the stage for the village’s simmering philosophical and political tensions. He becomes a witness to the changing power dynamics.

early 1920s Babylon

Darynka uncovers Bubela's armament plan

Darynka, a caretaker the brothers trust, notices Bubela quietly hoarding weapons in an effort to kill Synytsia. She informs Danko and Lukian, injecting the plot with a dangerous conspiracy. The knowledge foreshadows the violent clashes to come.

early 1920s Babylon

Danko courts Malva

Danko pursues Malva romantically, hoping to win her affection amid the village’s turmoil. Malva, drawn to the possibility of joining the commune, cares little for Danko’s offer and remains fixated on Synytsia and the commune project. This budding romance will complicate loyalties.

early 1920s Babylon

Malva visits Synytsia's manor and is dismissed

Malva visits the former manor seeking acceptance into the commune, but Synytsia distrusts her motives and rejects her. He sends Malva home with the poet Volodia Yavorskyi, a gesture that stirs Danko’s jealousy. The social friction deepens among the village's factions.

early 1920s Synytsia's manor, Babylon

Malva and Yavorskyi's romance and pregnancy

Malva and Volodia Yavorskyi begin an affair, complicating the already tense political landscape. Malva becomes pregnant with Yavorskyi’s child, binding her fate to both the commune and the poet. Their relationship intensifies the competing loyalties in Babylon.

early 1920s Babylon

Death of the brothers' mother and a buried treasure

Danko and Lukian mourn their mother’s death and attend an elaborate funeral. It is revealed that a treasure lies buried under a pear tree in Babylon, a discovery that hints at hidden wealth and old loyalties. After the funeral, the brothers dig up the treasure and uncover Cossack weapons.

early 1920s Babylon

Treasure discovered and weapons revealed

The dig under the pear tree exposes the treasure and reveals a cache of Cossack weapons. This windfall reshapes the brothers’ calculations about power, wealth, and who controls the village’s fate. The discovery intensifies the conflict between the families and factions.

early 1920s Babylon

Bubela’s militia kills Yavorskyi

Bubela and his kulak militia ambush and kill Volodia Yavorskyi, eliminating the romantic rival who complicates Malva’s loyalties. Malva’s pregnancy ties her fate to the village’s volatile future in ways she cannot escape. The murder escalates the personal stakes amidst political struggle.

early 1920s Babylon

Bubela commissions his own grave

On the eve of an attempted strike against Synytsia, Bubela has Fabian prepare his own grave, a grim symbolic act of his readiness to face death. The ominous task foreshadows the looming confrontation between the kulaks and the communists. The village mood grows dark and tense.

eve of Epiphany Babylon

Epiphany night erupts into violence

On Epiphany night, the kulaks seize the communists, and fighting erupts across Babylon. Danko sides with the kulaks, while Lukian aligns with the communists, splitting the brothers’ loyalties. Fabian struggles to keep order as Bubela stirs the crowd.

Epiphany night Babylon

Final confrontation and collapse of innocence

The riot spirals as Bubela’s provocations push the village toward chaos. Danko attempts to shoot Malva in a desperate bid to quell the turmoil, but the shot instead hits Fabian, ending the two men’s fates in a single moment. The villagers reel from the cost of factional violence.

Epiphany night Babylon

Babylon XX Characters

Explore all characters from Babylon XX (1979). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Klym Synytsia (Ivan Havryliuk)

A Red Navy sailor who returns to Babylon to push for a new communist order. He openly attacks old symbols, distrusts some locals, and acts as a trigger for the village’s political upheaval. His drive to reshape society clashes with wary villagers and the island of tradition that still anchors Babylon.

🪖 Idealist 🧭 Reformer 🧨 Provocateur

Malva (Lyubov Polishchuk)

A central female figure torn between the old world and the promise of the commune. She loves Fabian but seeks membership in the new order, and she becomes pregnant by Volodya Yavorskyi. Her fate intersects with both political and romantic violence as events unfold.

💞 Romantic 🧭 Ambitious 🩸 Tragic

Danko (Les Serdyuk)

A scheming brother figure who pursues his own marriage plans while drifting toward the kulak faction. His jealousy and shifting loyalties propel part of the village into violence, and he becomes a tool in the broader power struggle.

💔 Jealous 🔪 Aggressive 🗡️ Opportunist

Lukian (Yaroslav Havryliuk)

Danko’s brother who harbors his own ambitions and eventually aligns with the communists. He embodies the division in the village between old ties and the pull of revolutionary change.

🤝 Loyalist 🧭 Conflicted 🕊️ Hopeful

Fabian (Mykolaichuk)

The village’s gravedigger and self-styled philosopher, he becomes Malva’s confidant and is drawn into the romance that intensifies the political conflict. He is killed by Bubela’s militia amid the violence of the uprising.

🧠 Intellectual 💔 Tragic 🕯️ Observer

Bubela (Kostiantyn Stepankov)

Wealthy local with a kulak militia who aims to crush the commune and protect his fortune. He incites violence, seizes weapons, and directly killers Malva and indirectly seals Fabian’s fate during the riot.

💼 Elite 🗡️ Aggressor ⚔️ Oppressor

Darynka (Lyudmila Chinshevaya)

An orphan cared for by Danko and Lukian’s mother. She becomes a witness to the turmoil and notices Bubela’s weapon stash, providing crucial information that heightens the plot’s tension.

🌸 Innocent 👁️ Observer 🧭 Witness

Volodya Yavorskyi (Anatoli Khostikoyev)

A poet who escorts Malva and becomes her lover. His relationship with Malva is cut short by Bubela’s violence, illustrating how art and affection are drawn into the political maelstrom.

🎭 Poet 💘 Tragic love 🕯️ Martyr

Babylon XX Settings

Learn where and when Babylon XX (1979) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

early 1920s

Post-revolutionary Ukraine under Soviet rule, the countryside braces for confiscations, class warfare, and political experimentation. Kulaks resist the new regime, wealth and land become instruments of power, and family loyalties are tested by shifting alliances. The era’s violence seeps into everyday life as communes form and collapse amid suspicion and fear.

Location

Babylon, Podolia, Ukrainian SSR

In the early 1920s, the village of Babylon in Podolia lies under the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, with life largely echoing the old imperial order. The coming of a Red Navy sailor launches a charged experiment in building a commune and reordering local authority. The landscape — a former manor, treasure under a pear tree, and old statues — becomes the battleground for ideological and personal clashes.

🏚️ Rural village 🧭 Soviet-era upheaval 🛡️ Commune experiments

Babylon XX Themes

Discover the main themes in Babylon XX (1979). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🪧

Class Struggle

The story pits the push for a Soviet commune against entrenched wealth and traditional authority represented by Bubela and his militia. Old hierarchies persist as wealth, weapons, and land become tools of power. The buried treasure under the pear tree embodies how material advantage fuels conflict and political manipulation.

💘

Love and Betrayal

Romance threads through the village as Malva seeks belonging in the commune while entangled with Yavorskyi and Fabian. Jealousy and desire intersect with political aims, turning intimate choices into risks amid upheaval. Betrayals intensify the danger, culminating in tragic losses.

⚔️

Violence

Epiphany night erupts into a village-wide clash as Bubela incites peasants and kulaks clash with communists. The struggle spills into homes and graves, and the line between killer and victim blurs. Fabian dies, Malva is murdered, and the fight reshapes loyalties as the commune collapses and the village descends into chaos.

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Babylon XX Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Babylon XX (1979). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the early 1920s the remote Ukrainian village of Babylon clings to the ghosts of its imperial past while the banner of the Soviet Republic flutters overhead. The narrow streets and weather‑worn farms are suffused with a quiet that feels both timeless and on the brink of rupture. A thin line of tension runs through daily life, as the promise of a new collective order brushes against the stubborn routines of a community that has known little else. The film moves with a hushed, almost lyrical rhythm, letting the landscape and the lingering echo of old songs speak as loudly as any shouted slogan.

The sudden arrival of Klym Synytsia, a former Red Navy sailor, stirs the uneasy peace. He carries an unshakeable conviction that Babylon can be reshaped into a living commune, and his bold, public gestures signal a daring attempt to overturn the status quo. Opposite him stands Fabian, a gravedigger‑philosopher who has spent his life contemplating mortality and meaning; his return is driven by a quiet hope that reason and compassion might keep the village from spilling blood. Meanwhile, the brothers Danko and Lukian find themselves on opposite sides of the looming ideological divide, each wrestling with personal aspirations and familial duties. Malva, a young woman caught between love and loyalty, navigates her own desires as the social fabric frays, while Bubela, a prosperous landowner, represents the entrenched wealth that resists the tide of change. Even the orphaned child Darynka senses the gathering storm, her keen eyes reflecting the community’s underlying anxieties.

Within this crucible of history and hope, the characters are bound together by shared memories, unspoken fears, and the unmistakable scent of change in the air. The tone remains steeped in both melancholy and simmering optimism, inviting the audience to wonder how far a small village can stretch before its bonds snap. As opposing visions clash, the story promises a meditation on power, belief, and the fragile human heart that strives to find a place amid sweeping upheaval.

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