Wikipedia

Big School-Break

Big School-Break (or Big Break translit. Bolshaya Peremena, Russian: Большая перемена) is a Soviet 1972 TV miniseries in 4 episodes. It was known in the US as The Long Recess, and it is loosely based on Georgy Sadovnikov's novel Walk towards people (Иду к людям).

Big School-Break
Created byGosteleradio
Written byAleksei Korenev
Georgy Sadovnikov
Directed byAleksei Korenev
StarringMikhail Kononov
Aleksandr Zbruyev
Yevgeny Leonov
Rolan Bykov
Lyudmila Kasatkina
Theme music composerEduard Kolmanovsky
Country of originSoviet Union
Original languageRussian
No. of episodes4
Production
CinematographyAnatoly Mukasei
Running time268 min
Original release
Release1972 (1972) –
1973 (1973)

Plot

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Nestor Petrovich Severov, a student preparing to begin his PhD in Russian history, has his ego bruised when his girlfriend, Polina, beats him on their entrance exam, taking the spot he had hoped to secure. Frustrated, he breaks up with her and decides to teach at a night school, where he soon discovers that educating adults, especially those reluctant to learn, is far from easy. He’s assigned as the homeroom teacher of 9th "A"—a diverse group of working-class adults, many of whom are older than he is. His students include the rebellious Grigory Ganja, who consistently disrupts classes, showing little respect for academic effort, and Nelli Ledneva, a student with a crush on Nestor, who awkwardly shares the class with her father, Stepan Lednev. Despite the challenges, Nestor becomes deeply invested in the lives of his students, attempting to navigate their issues with patience and persistence.

The classroom dynamics unfold further as Nestor works to help struggling students find their own paths. Grigory’s misbehavior strains his marriage to his wife Svetlana, a literature teacher at the school, and she eventually leaves him. However, with Nestor’s support, Grigory takes responsibility for his actions, leading to their reconciliation. Another challenging student, Gennady Lyapishev, continuously skips lessons to go dancing, but with the influence of Alexander Petrykin—a strict yet dedicated colleague—Nestor steers Gennady toward self-improvement. Meanwhile, Stepan’s daughter, Nelli, grows embarrassed by her father’s earnestness, even trying to bar him from attending class, though he finds his own way to participate. Eventually, Nestor’s sincere commitment to his students is rewarded not only by their growth but also by Polina’s return, recognizing the maturity and resilience he has gained through his transformative journey as an educator.

Cast

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Production

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Film locations

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The film was shot in Yaroslavl (Central Park, Kotoroslnaya embankment, Damansky Island etc.)[1] and Moscow (Moscow State Pedagogical University).[2]

Music

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External videos
  Black and White

The main song of the film is Black and White (Russian: Чёрное и белое, lit. 'Chyornoe i beloe'), sang by Svetlana Kryuchkova, written by Eduard Kolmanovsky and Mikhail Tanich specifically for her.[3][4]

In the wake of the huge film success, this song became associated with Kryuchkova for many years.[5][6][7]

Reviews

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Despite critical reviews, the film is considered a classic[8] and is often shown on Russian TV channels.

Mikhail Kononov was skeptical about the film. In his memoirs, he wrote: "In the multi-series "Big School-Break", the full spectre of four generations of actors was collected, ranging from popular folk to those who had just graduated from theater schools. I had to justify phantasmagoric situations and an absurd script. A lot has been written about the "Big School-Break", and it was successfully held abroad. Such was the strength of talents in Russia at that time. Any nonsense in their performance looked cute and charming, and most importantly — sincere".[9]

References

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  1. ^ Ирина Ивойлова. (January 2010). "Школьная история" (газета) (11 (5090)) (Российская газета — Неделя ed.): 11. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. 21 {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help). In Russian
  2. ^ "Фильмы, снятые в МПГУ | Главный портал МПГУ". Archived from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  3. ^ Razzakov F. I. "Dossier on the stars. Idols of all generations". — Eksmo-Press, 1999. — p. 174—175.
  4. ^ Видеосюжет: Светлана Крючкова исполняет песню «Черное и белое» In Russian
  5. ^ ""Мы выбираем, нас выбирают": поклонников поразили редкие фото молодой Светланы Крючковой". Домашний очаг (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-11-11. In Russian
  6. ^ Татьяна Уланова (2017-06-21). ""Грех менять облик". Прямая и откровенная Светлана Крючкова". aif.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-11-11. In Russian
  7. ^ "Три развода, клиническая смерть и рак: актриса Светлана Крючкова распланировала свои похороны". www.kp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-11-11. In Russian
  8. ^ Novitskiy Е. Georgiy Daneliya. — The Young Guard, 2020.
  9. ^ "Последние дни Михаила Кононова. Отрывки из его неопубликованной книги". Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
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