Viktor Bychkov Movies

As Finland's withdrawal from World War II draws ever closer, a tentative relationship between an abandoned Finnish soldier, a Lapp woman, and a Russian captain accused of anti-Soviet correspondence offers momentary solace to a trio of lost souls. Dressed in a German uniform and tied to a rock after being branded a pacifist by his fellow soldiers, Finnish sniper Veiko (Ville Haapasalo) attempts to break free before being spotted by Russian soldiers and shot. Peering through the scope on his rifle after finally escaping, Veiko bears witness to the accidental bombing of a Russian envoy carrying a captain accused of collaborating with the enemy. As Anni (Anni-Christina Juuso), a Laplander whose husband is off to war, scavenges for food, she runs across the bombing and finds disgraced soldier Ivan (Viktor Bychkov) clinging to life. Bringing him back to her house to nurse him to health, Anni is shocked when Veiko arrives in search of tools to remove his shackles. As language barriers keep the threesome from effectively communicating, Ivan's suspicions that Veiko is actually a German soldier begin to mount. Veiko and Anni's bond begins to grow, and as the lonely widow seduces Veiko, Ivan's jealousy and suspicions culminate in an attempt to murder the hapless Finnish sniper. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this slapstick Russian comedy Raivo, a young Finnish researcher journeys to rural Russia to observe the hunting customs there. The story begins with a posh picnic attended by elegant people speaking French and eating rare delicacies; it is winter and a few dozen people are waiting for a horn to sound and the hunt to begin. Suddenly a horn is heard, but it belongs to a car. The horn awakens the Fin and soon he is surrounded by the real hunters, a band of high-ranking army officers who are allowed to hunt in a restricted military area. Their idea of hunting involves drinking whole cases of vodka, stumbling about trying unsuccessfully to avoid the many cow pies, and setting off fireworks. Real chaos ensues when a Russian bear cub ambles into a sauna filled with drunken soldiers. Meanwhile, poor Raivo asks, "When do we begin the hunt?" The others are too busy having fun to care and eventually Raivo returns to Finland without having learned a thing about Russian hunting customs. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This beautifully photographed Russian drama set in St. Petersburg centers on Alexander Larin, a Russian native who has spent the last six years living in the US. He went there to escape a relationship before it developed into an unhealthy love triangle between himself, his fiancee Anna, and her lovely daughter Masha. Now a successful businessman, Alexander has returned to bring Masha back with him. Unfortunately, she is already engaged to Mitia, a photographer. Anna, also does not approve of Macha going with Alexander. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The intellectual in this movie has nothing but self-recrimination for his passivity during the time his first wife was dying, and, as an honored member of the elite, visits an insane asylum. There, on a whim, he decides that having a vivid character around the house will help him past his writer's block, so he seeks to have one of the residents released into his custody. The madman he chooses is indeed released to his custory, and is at first quite charming, but soon cuts a destructive swath through the intellectual's apartment and his life, defecating all over the place and raping his wife. This upsets the intellectual's theory that circumstances are what make one mad, rather than anything inherent. Later, when the rampaging guest calms down, he chooses to seduce the intellectual, who gets caught up all too easily in a mad folie à deux. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Liosha (Oleg Borisov) is a veteran gardener who cares for the apple orchard like his late father before him, and he receives letters from all over the country requesting seeds from the ancient orchard. Local authorities question Liosha who willingly sends the seeds at his own expense. His years of dedication to the garden and orchard have turned him into a hermit after he loses his best friend and his wife. When a local commission makes plans to destroy his beloved orchard in favor of a chicken coop, Liosha wages a successful battle against the bureaucracy to save the land. The feature has a definite message of the importance of ecological conservation. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi