Fyodor Bogdanov

Cette première représentation soviétique de Pierre le Grand a ouvert la voie à ce qui allait devenir la ligne post-révolutionnaire concernant les premiers Romanov. Des souverains comme Ivan le Terrible et Pierre le Grand étaient largement admirés pour leur dévouement à la Russie et leur détermination absolue à améliorer sa position dans le monde. Mais l'éloge des derniers Romanov, détestés, était trop en conflit avec les convictions mêmes qui avaient provoqué la révolution de 1917.

Ce film décrit la conquête du tsar russe Pierre Ier sur les Suédois et le complot de son fils Alekseï pour le renverser.

Siberia. 1919 The retreating intervention detachments and the English expedition leave the mines. A snowstorm begins. English engineer Henry and his fiancee Ollan, the daughter of the company director, are lagging behind. After much wandering, the heroes come across the winter quarters of the Russian partisan Vladimir. While waiting out the bad weather, the heroes will be forced to live together for some time. Ollan will be convinced of the worthlessness of his chosen one and the courageous, energetic Vladimir will become her husband. And ahead is spring and painful thoughts: to stay with your loved one in this country or return to your homeland?

The film is based on the biography of Valeri Chkalov (1904 - 1938), a Russian pilot, who set several long distance flight records. Chkalov and his co-pilots Baidukov and Belyakov together had accomplished several non-stop long-distance flights. In June of 1937 Chkalov set the world record, covering 12000 kilometers in 63 hours of non-stop flight from Moscow to Vancouver, Washington, flying over the North Pole.

Katerina murders her husband and her father-in-law. She and her new beau are both sent to Siberia, where the lover almost immediately takes up with a younger woman.