Sofiya Perovskaya (film)

Sofiya Perovskaya
Original Russian film poster
Directed by	Lev Arnshtam
Written by	Lev Arnshtam Yevgeni Gabrilovich
Starring	Alexandra Nazarova
Cinematography	Yu-Lan Chen Aleksandr Shelenkov
Music by	Dmitri Shostakovich
Production company	Mosfilm
Release date	1967 (1967)
Running time	114 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

Sofiya Perovskaya (Russian: Софья Перовская) is a 1967 Soviet biopic film directed by Lev Arnshtam. The film is based on the life of Sofiya Perovskaya, member of Narodnaya Volya, executed for taking part in planning the successful assassination of Alexander II of Russia.

Plot

The film follows the life of Sofya Perovskaya, a young noblewoman and the daughter of the Governor-General of Saint Petersburg, who becomes deeply inspired by revolutionary ideals. Unable to find understanding among her family, she leaves home and joins the populist "Going to the People" movement. Working as a midwife, she witnesses the harsh realities of peasant life, their ignorance, and submission. Her revolutionary activities lead to her arrest during a childbirth session, but she escapes custody by boarding a passing train. Perovskaya develops a deep romantic bond with the young revolutionary Andrei Zhelyabov, who confesses his love for her, and together they commit fully to the cause. As members of Narodnaya Volya ("People's Will"), they embrace revolutionary terrorism and orchestrate a plot to assassinate Tsar Alexander II. Even after Zhelyabov's arrest, Perovskaya takes charge, leading the group to successfully carry out the assassination.

During the attack, the first bomb, thrown by Rysakov, damages the tsar's carriage, while the second, thrown by Grinevitsky, kills both the tsar and Grinevitsky himself. In the aftermath, Perovskaya is arrested and maintains a dignified defiance during interrogations, declaring, "I executed not a man, but despotism." She identifies Grinevitsky when his head is brought to her for recognition and informs the court of fellow revolutionary Gesya Gelfman’s pregnancy, sparing Gelfman from a death sentence. At the trial, Zhelyabov delivers a powerful revolutionary speech, and Perovskaya, steadfast, refuses to request clemency. On the day of the execution, the prisoners, dressed in black and labeled "tsar-killers," are led to the scaffold, where five coffins await.

Cast

• Alexandra Nazarova as Sofiya Perovskaya
• Viktor Tarasov as Andrei Zhelyabov
• Boris Khmelnitsky as Nikolai Kibalchich
• Georgi Taratorkin as Ignaty Grinevitsky
• Vladislav Strzhelchik as Alexander II of Russia
• Yefim Kopelyan as Mikhail Loris-Melikov

External links

• Sofiya Perovskaya at IMDb