The Wings of a Serf

The Wings of a Serf
The Wings of a Serf
Directed by	Yuri Tarich
Written by	Konstantin Schildkroet; Viktor Shklovsky; Yuri Tarich;
Starring	Leonid Leonidov
Cinematography	Mikhail Vladimirsky
Edited by	Esfir Shub
Production; company	Sovkino
Release date	16 November 1926;
Running time	79 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Languages	Silent; Russian intertitles;

The Wings of a Serf also known as Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Крылья холопа, romanized: Krylya kholopa) is a 1926 Soviet silent historical drama film directed by Yuri Tarich and starring Leonid Leonidov, Ivan Klyukvin and Safiyat Askarova.^[1]^[2]

The film's sets were designed by the art director Vladimir Yegorov [ru].

Plot

The Wings of a Serf (1926)

Set in the 16th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the story follows Nykishka, a talented serf and inventor living in the village of the boyar Lupatov. Fascinated by the idea of flight, Nykishka crafts a pair of homemade wings. He shares his dream of flying with his beloved serf, Fima.

Nearby, in the estate of the boyar Kurlyatev, a mechanical clock breaks. During a raid, Kurlyatev captures the ingenious mechanic Nykishka and his beloved Fima, forcibly taking them to his estate. Discovering Nykishka's "devilish invention," Kurlyatev tortures him while seducing Fima by luring her to his chambers.

Lupatov submits a petition to Ivan the Terrible, accusing Kurlyatev of lawlessness. Seizing the opportunity to settle an old grudge, the tsar sends his Oprichniks to destroy Kurlyatev's estate and bring his serfs to the tsar's court at Alexandrovskaya Sloboda.

At the court, the tsar is preoccupied with flax trading and owns a flax-breaking wheel, which unexpectedly breaks. While no one can repair it, Nykishka succeeds. Tsarina Maria Temryukovna asks what reward Nykishka desires for fixing the wheel, and he replies that he wants to build wings to enable human flight.

Intrigued, Ivan the Terrible decides to entertain foreign guests and orders Nykishka to demonstrate his invention. During Bright Week, in front of a crowd, Nykishka successfully flies. However, the tsar declares the invention demonic, imprisons Nykishka, and sentences him to death.

Tsarina Maria, captivated by the serf's beauty, helps him escape. When Ivan the Terrible discovers this betrayal, he storms into Maria's chambers and strangles her. Nykishka dies during his attempt to flee.