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Universal International Pictures
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Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Girl in the Kremlin (1957). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In Moscow, plastic surgeon Dr. Petrov transforms the face of dictator Joseph Stalin, Maurice Manson, to the point where he is unrecognizable. After publicly announcing that Stalin has died, his handlers smuggle him away to a hidden hideout. Meanwhile, Lithuanian woman Lili Grisenko Zsa Zsa Gabor has been searching for her twin sister Greta ever since Russian troops invaded their homeland and took Greta to Moscow. To locate Greta, Lili hires private investigator Steve Anderson, Lex Barker, an American with anti-Communist sentiments living in Berlin. Steve soon discovers Greta is working in Moscow.
Steve takes Lili to the home of one-armed spy Mischa Rimilkin, Jeffrey Stone, who reveals that Greta has been working for Petrov. The men also mention Dasha, a prisoner Stalin tortured. Now confined to a mental hospital, Dasha claims that Stalin has been surgically altered and is living clandestinely with Greta as his nurse.
The next day, Lili meets with Steve again and comes up with the idea to force Stalin into action by announcing over the radio that he is alive. Stalin hears the broadcast, which mentions Steve as the one who discovered the scheme. Furious, Stalin orders Igor Smetka, Michael Fox, to kill Steve.
Mischa then brings Steve and Lili to Abensburg, West Germany, where Stalin’s son Jacob lives in secret since the Allies captured him during World War II. On the train, Steve and Mischa note the presence of a nun wearing combat boots. Once in Abensburg, Mischa follows the nun into a church. Meanwhile, Steve and Lili visit Jacob, who hates Stalin.
That night, Steve and Lili kiss. From Lili’s hotel room window, Steve spots the nun approaching, races downstairs and finds a knocked out Mischa. Steve subdues the nun. He also removes the nun’s disguise, revealing Tata Brun. In return for permission to see his exiled family, Tata has also been ordered to kill Steve. The two agree to part without violence.
Mischa, Steve and Lili later study old films of Stalin to learn his mannerisms. Before the screening, Steve spots Igor. Steve orders Lili to return to the hotel and waits with Mischa in the screening room for an attack. Tata eventually arrives with a cab driver who announces that Igor has abducted Lili. Steve notifies the police and agrees to act as bait to attract Stalin’s men. Surrounded by undercover agents, Steve and Mischa walk the streets near the screening room and are attacked. They eventually capture one of the assailants, a Communist agent who previously tortured Tata. Tata tortures the man into confessing that Stalin is in the Greek mountains.
After the agent dies from his injuries, Steve and Mischa travel to the mountains and learn from bistro owner Count Molda, Maurice Manson, that a mysterious group took over a nearby monastery years earlier. Curious, Steve and Mischa sneak into the monastery at night, but are captured by three Russian women and four Russian men, including Molda. They have captured and tortured Tata and later kill him there. They then place Steve and Mischa in a cell near Lili’s.
That night, Greta Grisenko Zsa Zsa Gabor visits and attacks Lili. In the ensuing fight, Greta’s wig comes off, revealing her shaved head. Stalin has ordered the shaving of her head. Meanwhile, the other women whip Steve mercilessly, but he refuses to talk. Steve eventually returns to the cell he shares with Mischa, who uses his prosthetic arm to bludgeon a guard. The two men escape their cell, subdue Greta and free Lili. Together, the three stumble onto a room full of stolen cash and burn the currency in a fireplace. Greta then bursts in and kills Mischa, forcing Steve to slay her.
Steve and Lili are recaptured and taken to Molda, who orders them killed. However, Jacob later enters, shoots Russian henchmen and recognises Molda as Stalin. Jacob orders Stalin at gunpoint into the former’s car. As Steve and Lili follow them in another car, Stalin tries to reason with Jacob, to no avail. Desperate, Stalin shoots at Jacob to make him stop. Jacob steers the car over a cliff and dies with his father.
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Girl in the Kremlin (1957) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Stalin's face altered and hidden
In Moscow, plastic surgeon Dr. Petrov alters Stalin's face to render him unrecognizable. After publicly announcing Stalin's death, his handlers move him to a hidden hideout to keep the ruse alive.
Lili hires Steve to locate Greta
Lithuanian woman Lili Grisenko hires American private investigator Steve Anderson in Berlin to locate her twin sister Greta. Steve's search leads him to Greta's presence and her connection to Moscow.
Steve learns Greta is in Moscow working for Petrov
Steve discovers Greta is in Moscow, employed by Petrov, tying her to Stalin's covert life. The revelation places Greta at the center of the dictator's impersonation scheme.
Mischa and Dasha describe Greta and Stalin's covert life
Mischa Rimilkin reveals Greta has been working for Petrov, linking her to the deception around Stalin. Dasha, a prisoner tortured by Stalin, claims Stalin has been surgically altered and is living covertly with Greta as her nurse.
Plan to reveal Stalin alive triggers hit on Steve
Lili and Steve decide to force Stalin into action by broadcasting that he is alive. Stalin, enraged by the broadcast, orders his henchman Igor Smetka to kill Steve.
Trip to Abensburg; nun on the train
Mischa brings Steve and Lili to Abensburg, West Germany, where Stalin's son Jacob has been living in secret. On the train, they notice a nun wearing combat boots, signaling danger and a hidden agenda.
Steve and Lili meet Jacob; Mischa follows nun into church
In Abensburg, Steve and Lili meet Jacob, a vocal opponent of Stalin who despises his father's regime. Mischa follows the nun into a church, uncovering a shadowy faction at work.
Night confrontation; Tata Brun revealed
That night, Steve and Lili share a kiss before danger arrives. Steve subdues a nun who, after unmasking, is revealed to be Tata Brun, an old ally ordered to kill Steve; Tata agrees to part without violence.
Learning Stalin's mannerisms for the plan
Mischa, Steve, and Lili study old films of Stalin to learn his mannerisms and prepare for the impersonation. Steve spots Igor, signaling that Stalin's agents are on the move.
Igor abducts Lili; baiting the attack
Tata arrives with a cab driver to report that Igor has abducted Lili. Steve agrees to act as bait to lure Stalin's men while Mischa and Steve move through the streets, preparing for a confrontation; they are attacked by undercover agents.
Interrogated man reveals Stalin in the Greek mountains
After torturing a captured assailant, Tata forces him to confess that Stalin is hiding in the Greek mountains, directing Steve and Mischa toward him. The revelation narrows their search to a remote range.
Monastery discovery and Tata's torture
The trio travels to the mountains and learns from Count Molda that a mysterious group has taken over a nearby monastery. They sneak in at night and are captured by its guards, who torture Tata and kill him there.
Greta's attack, Mischa's death, and Greta's defeat
Greta visits and attacks Lili, and Stalin's order to shave her head is revealed. Steve and Mischa escape their cell, subdue Greta, and free Lili, but Greta murders Mischa before Steve ultimately kills Greta.
Jacob's arrival; Molda revealed as Stalin; fatal car chase
Jacob arrives, shoots Stalin's henchmen, and realizes Molda is Stalin. He forces Stalin into his car; the chase ends when both cars plunge off a cliff, killing Jacob and Stalin.
Explore all characters from The Girl in the Kremlin (1957). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Steve Anderson (Lex Barker)
An American private investigator with anti-Communist leanings who travels from Berlin to Moscow and beyond. He is resourceful, stubborn, and willing to take dangerous risks to uncover Greta’s fate. Steve orchestrates plans to force Stalin’s hand and acts as bait for Stalin’s henchmen, showing resolve under pressure.
Lili Grisenko (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
Lithuanian woman who hires Steve to locate her sister Greta. Lili is determined, brave, and fueled by a personal sense of justice. Her pursuit drags her into a web of political intrigue where appearances and loyalties are constantly shifting.
Greta Grisenko (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
Stalin’s nurse who works under his orders and keeps Greta’s true loyalties hidden. Greta is linked to the dictator’s disguise, with a dramatic reveal of shaved hair that signals her complicity in the power play. Her actions reveal the thin line between captive and conspirator.
Jacob Stalin (William Schallert)
Stalin’s son who despises his father’s regime and hides in Abensburg. His presence provides motive for the conspirators and a personal stake in the struggle for power. Jacob’s defiance drives key confrontations and sparks the film’s final tragedy.
Count Molda / Joseph Stalin (Maurice Manson)
A hidden power broker who runs the monastery and the shadow network sheltering Stalin in disguise. Molda embodies how control can hide behind ceremonial or noble façades. He orders violence to protect the regime and manipulates events from the shadows.
Mischa Rimilkin (Jeffrey Stone)
An one-armed spy who aids Steve but is tortured by Stalin’s agents. Mischa is pragmatic, loyal, and willing to take severe risks to obtain information. His experiences underscore the brutal costs of espionage.
Igor Smetka (Michael Fox)
Stalin’s ruthless henchman dispatched to eliminate threats. Igor is a relentless figure of intimidation and violence, embodying the regime’s brutal security apparatus. His pursuit escalates the film’s tension and danger.
Dr. Petrov (Gabriel Curtiz)
Plastic surgeon who alters Stalin’s face, enabling the dictator’s clandestine life. Petrov’s craft is central to the deception and to Stalin’s ability to operate unseen. His actions reveal how medical knowledge can be weaponized in political games.
Dasha (Natalie Daryll)
A prisoner who has endured torture and asserts that Stalin’s identity is altered. Dasha’s testimony fuels the plot’s mystery and demonstrates the regime’s far-reaching abuses. Her perspective highlights the human cost behind the political machinations.
Tata Brun (Alfred Linder)
A former ally turned adversary who dons disguises, including a nun’s outfit. Tata is a hard-edged operative who follows orders to secure access to Stalin’s inner circle. His appearances escalate the peril Steve faces on both sides of the conflict.
Learn where and when The Girl in the Kremlin (1957) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Late 1940s - early 1950s
The events unfold in the early Cold War period after World War II, when espionage and political intrigue dominate life in Europe. The idea of a living Stalin resurrected via radio broadcasts heightens paranoia and power struggles. The journey spans Moscow to Western Europe and back, mirroring the era's global tensions.
Location
Moscow, Abensburg (West Germany), Greek mountains
Moscow is the Soviet capital and a center of political power, where a surgeon's work can alter a dictator’s identity. The plot shifts to Abensburg in West Germany, a hidden exile hub for Stalin’s circle in the postwar era. The narrative also travels to a remote monastery in the Greek mountains, a secret site tied to Stalin’s clandestine network.
Discover the main themes in The Girl in the Kremlin (1957). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Identity
Faces and disguises drive the plot: Stalin's face is surgically altered and key figures assume false roles. Greta and Lili manipulate information to influence events, while others mimic identities to survive. The story questions who is truly in control when appearances mask reality.
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Propaganda
A radio announcement proclaims Stalin is alive, weaponizing media to incite fear and action. The film shows how information can be manufactured, framed, and censored to sway loyalties. Characters debate who controls truth and at what cost.
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Power & Betrayal
Power games unfold across exile, monasteries, and secret networks as Stalin's image is fought over. Betrayal is constant, with allies turning on each other as violence looms. The conflict culminates in tragic losses that redefine family and loyalty.

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Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Girl in the Kremlin (1957). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the icy chill of 1953 Moscow, an atmosphere of dread and secrecy hangs over the city like a permanent winter fog. Within the Kremlin’s shadowed halls, four terrified female prisoners are presented before the iron‑fisted ruler of the Soviet Union. Among them, the striking Dasha is singled out, her defiance met with a humiliating public shaving of her hair—a stark illustration of the regime’s brutal psychology. The state’s reach extends beyond the ordinary, as a skilled plastic surgeon is summoned to perform an unprecedented operation that will render the dictator’s visage unrecognizable, suggesting a world where even the most powerful figures can be reshaped in the dark.
When the covert procedure concludes, the leader vanishes from public view, leaving a vacuum of fear and intrigue that ripples across Europe. The United States’ clandestine intelligence arm dispatches its best operative, Steve Anderson, an OSS agent whose reputation for tenacity is matched only by his uneasy relationship with the emerging Cold War order. Charged with uncovering the fate of the altered tyrant, Anderson steps into a maze of espionage where every ally could be a hidden foe and every whispered rumor may conceal a deeper truth.
Across the border, Lili Grisenko arrives in the West, driven by a desperate personal quest to locate her twin sister, who was taken during the Russian invasion of their homeland. Her resolve brings her into contact with the covert world that Anderson navigates, intertwining personal loss with geopolitical danger. Together, they inhabit a landscape of smoky cafés, secretive back‑rooms, and the ever‑present specter of a leader whose very identity has been erased—setting the stage for a tense, atmospheric thriller that explores how far individuals will go when both the face of power and the faces of loved ones are shrouded in mystery.
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