An Important Role in a Major Movie

Mr Kravchuk, whose films include 'Admiral', released in 2008, and 'Viking' released two years ago, is working on a new film about the Decembrist uprising, due for release in December next year. The producer is Konstantin Ernst, CEO of Channel One Russia.

The film tells the story of the events leading up to the 26^th December 1825, and the leading characters involved with the Union of Salvation. The Decembrists were a group of Russian Empire army officers who were inspired by a mixture of enlightenment philosophy, romantic patriotism, and modernising zeal. Ultimately, the movement was doomed to failure, but it inspired the great literary figures of the time such as Alexander Pushkin and Aleksander Griboyedov, and served as popular focus for debate and dissent well into the later part the 19^th Century.

Tatyana Antsiferova, Alexander Mushtatov, Sergei Arsenyev and Ivan Ilgov took Zabava and Lyric on to the set for a role in a cavalry scene involving Hussars and Decembrist forces, which took four days to film. The most difficult part, according to them, was to keep the horses running in a straight line while pyrotechnics were being detonated nearby. When horses were used in war, they would be conditioned not to react to loud noises.