"For many years I traveled all over Russia." "I have heard many stories while I was on the road." "I will tell you one of these stories." "The Blizzard" "War of 1812 is ended." "Our soldiers are returning from abroad." "Wonderful times!" "Russian heart beat more with the word "fatherland"." "Russian women have been superb." "They were so happy." "They were ecstatic when met by the winners." "They shouted:" "And throwing caps into the air." "Each soldier could say that he won just for the sake the Russian woman." "At this happy time" "Maria Gavrilovna R. with her mother Praskovya Petrovna lived in the province N." "Maria was the only daughter of Gavrila Gavrilovich R., who made her the sole heir after his death." "She was a rich heiress, and many have tried to marry her." "But Maria Gavrilovna gave a chance no one, although she was not young." "She was already 20 years old." "I signed the bills." " Tell the contractor that he was too hasty." " Daughter... we have a new lodger - an officer." " He came to ask permission." "He's a feldmeister." " Feldeger." " Aparteger." " Apartmeister." "What's the difference." "I agreed without you." "Don't be angry." "Come on." " Colonel Burmin." " Welcome." "Please, come in." "The appearance of the officers in such places was a real triumph." "And lovers in a tail-coats beside them were unused." "All around were surprised of persistence of Maria Gavrilovna, but still waiting for a hero who can defeat this persistent loyalty." "Maria Gavrilovna was cold, but still surrounded by admirers." "But all they had to retreat when in her house appeared wounded hussar with "Order of George"" "and with "interesting pallor", as the thence girls said." "In the autumn here is sad, but in spring and summer here is a paradise." "We are accustomed to a quiet life and not watch the time." " We have many neighbors, but we with Masha..." " Yes, we didn't talk to anyone." "I love the solitude." "I read a lot." "As a true hero of the novel." "As a hero just because I live in the wilderness." "But everything has a good side." "You'll soon go to Petersburg?" "Petersburg is entrance hall, Moscow is maiden's room." "The village is our office." "Decent person should go through the entrance hall, often looking into the maiden's room." "But always he's in his office." "This is my way, too." "Retire and go away to my village." "And you don't care about your rank?" "In Russia, the rank is a necessity." "For example, for stations, because without the rank you won't get the horses." "But the rank of landlord is also duty." "Manage people, the welfare of which depends on us it's more important than control of the army." "Neglect of the peasants is unforgivable." "The more we have rights, the more responsibilities." " Are you bored with my chatter to you?" " Oh, no." "I recluse, but I didn't abandon the world." "I am interested in the interlocutor." "You listen and understand." "This is a rare advantage for our women." "For our same beauties who have an opinion of their mothers before the wedding," " and after the wedding..." " Their husbands?" "Winter is a real event here." "Bells, hunters with dogs." "Because the first snow it becomes brighter and more cheerful." "Burmin seemed quiet and modest, but according to rumors, he was very frivolous." "But it didn't affect the opinion of Maria Gavrilovna, who forgive pranks, which were followed by the courage and passion." " Tell me, when the huntsman will come." " I'll do." "Good morning." " Come in, please." " And where's charming Maria Gavrilovna?" "You came a long time?" "Soon the road again." "Put on a shawl, Masha." "It's windy here." "Praskovya Petrnovna was pleased that her daughter finally find a decent husband." "Your Excellency!" "Excuse me." "Where there's a will, there's a way." "Thank you so much." "Everything is ready, the huntsman waiting for us." "Maria Gavrilovna realized that Burmin really like her." "Probably he realized that it was mutual." "She didn't flirt with him." "And he had no claim to her." "But the poet would have said about them:" ""If this is not love, then what?"" "Come on, Mashenka, our guest is waiting." "Time to choose the groom." "You can't live forever in sadness." "If your father was alive, he would bless you." "I want grandchildrens." "And if I die, too?" "Mammy..." "This colonel is such a prominent." "All girls are crazy about him." "I understand as a mother, that you're the only he likes." "Neighbors said that the wedding will be." "But... back to previous years." "And visit other places," "When many years ago in province Nenaradovo lived Gavrila Favrilovich R." "Hello, Gavrilovich!" "Long time not seen!" "How's your life?" " Everything is fine." " What good!" "This is my wife." "Meet my old friend." "Nice to meet you." "Follow me." "Gavrila Gavrilovich was very hospitable and friendly." "I've heard many good things about your daughter Maria Gavrilovna." "I'll be happy to introduce her to my son." "Very glad." "Now she'll come." "The neighbors always came to him to eat and drink, play cards with his wife." "But some neighbors came because his daughter," "Masha." "Maria Gavrilovna was brought up on French novels and, therefore, was in love." "Her beloved was a poor ensign, who came on vacation." "Drink fresh milk." "Of course, this young man had the same feelings for Maria Gavrilovna." " Eat berries, you do love it." " Tereshka!" " Tereshka!" "Horses are ready?" " Yes?" "Did you need horses?" "I said that I want to go to Nenaradovo." " Yes, you said." " Why they aren't ready?" " They aren't ready." " Go and do them ready!" "Nenaradovo is so close." "Girls go there on foot." " Shut up!" " Understood." " This is our neighbor." " Vladimir." "You need to be on time!" "I told to say that we aren't at home." "We've missed him." "Maria's parents knew about the feelings of the daughter to ensign and forbade her to think about him." "And they host him very badly." "But they had a correspondence." "And each day, met in secret." "What?" "What happened?" "If the parents interfere with our happiness," " we do without them, we'll run away!" " No!" "We'll hide for a while and then back to our parents, they'll be happy to us and will say:" ""Children, we're happy for you!" Of course, they will." "Believe me!" "Do you agree?" " Darling..." " Yes." "I'll love you forever!" "In winter, their meetings are over." "But their correspondence became more active." "They swore each other eternal love, complained of their fate and made some assumptions." "Did you bring a letter?" "Yes." "So we met at the same place, a tree with a hollow." "I came first, and his coachman was late..." "No more details Palashenka." "Give me a letter." "You're so impatient." " It is true that he's handsome?" " Give me a letter." "I really wanna see him." "In every letter, Vladimir Nikolaevich had asked her to be with him, secretly married to him." "Maria Gavrilovna doubted for a long time." "A lot of plans for escape were ineffective." "Finally, she agreed." "And the big day has arrived." "What happened, Mashenka?" " Are you sick?" " No, dad." " Are you sure?" " I really feel good." "I don't want to eat." "Good night." "Mashenka said goodbye to her parents, with touching words." "She excused her actions with passion." "Tereshka!" "Neighbor Dravin agree to be a witness." "I said that we'll also find two others, too." "Here they're." "Hello again, brother!" "Glad to see you!" "Your seconds..." "I mean, the witnesses." "We're at a wedding, not at a duel." "Guardian!" "Schmidt, surveyor." "I'm glad to serve and I accept your offer." "Thank you!" "Ready to risk my life for you." "Thank you." " Dear friends, let me..." " Brother, order to bring wine!" "It reminds me of old times." "Hussar fun." " Well, gentlemen..." " Please." "Let's go." "It was agreed that the witnesses will negotiate with the priest." "He was angry, but Dravin decided to negotiate himself." "I'm not the first time in these battles!" "And Vladimir send horses to Nenaradovo for the bride." "He would come to church in Zhadrino alone." "Prepare the other horses which will be waiting for us." "Friends will be waiting for the bride and groom at the church and will prepare all." "From the church we go to the station and..." " The horses ready?" " Yes." "Go to Nenaradovo and take the fur coat for the bride is not frozen." "I'm going to Zhadrino." "Maybe you need a coachman?" "Zhadrino close, I'll go alone." "One minute." "She finished the letter saying she would wait the time when she could ask her parents for forgiveness." " Where's the groom?" " He'll be waiting for us in Zhadrino" "He was instructed to do so." "Having given Maria Gavrilovna into the hands of fate we'll move from a cart to the groom." "If you were alive, you would bless me." "God will bless us." "Let me go." "Let's go!" "The priest is worried." "This is all illegal." "Come on!" "Horses!" " It seems that the bride has fainted." " Come on!" "The priest doesn't know what to do." "He wasn't the first time to do it." "Moreover, we're paying him, not God." "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "Go!" "Go!" "Where is he?" " Maybe let's go?" " No, we'll wait for him." "What an adventure." "Go!" "Go!" "Go!" "Let's go!" "Come here!" "Come here!" "Now back to Nenaradovo, see what is happening there." "Nothing there." "Palasha," " how Maria Gavrilovna's health?" " How is she feel?" "She'd a headache, but now she's better." "How's your head, Mashenka?" " Good, dad." " Maybe, mom." " Maybe, you just had breathed of smoke?" "The day went smoothly." "But at night, Maria got sick." "Quiet!" "Quickly, go to the city for a doctor!" " A letter?" " Here's it." "When we returned, I hided it." "Your parents were still asleep." "Burn it there." "Letter burned." "The maid of Maria Gavrilovna nobody said nothing, fearing the wrath of her bosses." "The priest, a fake cornet, surveyor, and the rest were modest." "Tereshka never said too much, even if he was drunk." "Thus, the secret has been retained by several people." "Fever." "A very high fever." "It's dangerous." "But God is merciful." "In the house, no one knew about the failed escape." "But Maria Gavrilovna was delirious and told her secret." "But her words were incoherent and her mother could see that she's in love with Vladimir and, perhaps, that love was the cause of her illness." "Snow... snow..." "This isn't a church... this is a dungeon..." "Maria for two weeks was at the edge of a precipice." "Vladimir!" "And then began to recover." "Meanwhile, Vladimir didn't show up in the house of Gavrila Gavrilovich." "Praskovya Petrovna consulted with her husband and neighbors." "And all unanimously decided that..." "Probably, such is fate." "You can't escape from the groom." "Poverty is no vice." " You live with a person, and not with money." " Yes." "Moral proverbs are very useful when we can't justify themselves." "Previously, he always came, and now he's gone." "What can you say?" "I can say that you're scared him." "You met him at home really bad." "Stop lamenting." "I'll call him." "Immediately!" "Right now!" " You can't always think about the past." " I know that you've a good heart." "Where's the paper?" "It was here!" "Hey, Proshka!" "Go to neighbors." " To young ensign?" " Yes, and give it to him." " And tell him, we're waiting!" " Okay." "Forget about me!" "Forget about the unfortunate guy!" "Please, don't do that." "Death... only death..." " it's my only hope!" " Stop!" "Please!" "Terenty, here a person from Nenaradovo." "My boss Gavrila Gavrilovich is waiting for you." "Almost sweat a horse." "Give a response." "Tell that I never go back there." "Go!" "Like a small child." "I did everything that you ordered." "Landlords of Nenaradovo were amazed." "In response to the invitation, they've got a crazy letter." "A few days later they found out that Vladimir had gone into the army." "It was 1812." "They haven't talked about it to Masha." "And she never talked about Vladimir." "A few months later they found the name of Vladimir in the list of fighters who died at Borodino." "God rest his soul." "All were deeply saddened." "Maria is fainted." "Everyone was afraid that she has again started the fever." "But this fainted had no impact." "Then there was another sadness." "Gavrila Gavrilovich died, leaving her heir to all estate." "But the legacy of no comfort to her." "Maria Gavrilovna was in same sadness like Praskovya Petrovna." "She vowed never to part with her." "They both left the Nenaradovo." "And they went to live in the city." "Maria Gavrilovna liked Burmin." "He behaved in a simple and free." "She liked it, but more than soft, pleasant conversation, "interesting pallor"" "she liked his silence." "Her imagination has played, and she was curious." "He liked her, too." "But why he still didn't get up in front of her on his knee and doesn't confessed his love for her?" "Why he didn't do it?" "Maybe because he was shy like true lover?" "Maybe pride?" "Or his habits?" "It was a mystery to her." "She thought about it and decided that because the shyness." "She decided to cheer him up with mindfulness and, perhaps, even with tenderness." " Eger is waiting." "To let him in?" " Yes." "She was preparing for the most unexpected ending." "And she looked forward to romantic words." "Such moments are always difficult for a woman's hearts." "Her actions were a success." "At least Burmin became so thoughtful, and he kept his eyes on Maria, that an important moment it seemed very close." "The first went, do you hear?" "Then our turn." "Good stay for a while." "How's Maria Gavrilovna?" " She's okay, thank you." " Where is she?" "In the garden." "Go to her." "Maybe it's all over today." "Burmin found Maria Gavrilovna near the pond, she was wearing a white dress and had a book." "She was a real heroine of a novel." "How do you feel?" "Good, thanks." "Maria Gavrilovna stopped keep up the conversation to increase the confusion for the sudden declaration of love." "And so it happened." "I was looking for time to open my heart to you." "And I beg a moment of attention." "I love you." "I love you passionately." "I was careless and I have seen and heard you daily." "Now, too late to resist fate." "Your beautiful image now will be agony for me and joy in same time." "But I must reveal a terrible secret." " This will pave the insuperable barrier between us." " This barrier has always been." " I could never be your wife." " I know." "I know that you were in love." "Don't talk." "Don't tell anything, please." "Burmin asks Maria Gavrilovna don't say anything." "But in any case she couldn't tell the story about this alarming winter night." "Which was 3 years ago." "Much has been an enigma to her." "Go!" "Go!" " What do you need?" " Where's Zhadrino?" " Where's Zhadrino?" " Yes!" "It's close. 10 miles away." "Can you find me a horses?" " Do you think I have a horses?" " What about a guide?" " I'll pay!" " Stop it." "My son will help you." "When they came to Zhadrino, it was a daylight." "The church was locked." "There was no one." "It were a big news." "Dear Maria Gavrilovna, don't try to deprive me of my last consolation." "If you agreed to be with me..." "Don't tell anything, please." "I know that you could be mine, but..." "I'm the most unfortunate man." "I'm married." "I'm married for 4 years." "This is an unpardonable fickleness." "In early 1812 I was in a hurry to Vilnius, there was our regiment." "Suddenly, a terrible blizzard arose." "The coachman advised Burmin to wait." "But he didn't listen." "He was in a strange anxiety." "It seemed that someone pushed him into it." "But the blizzard didn't stop." "The coachman went to look for the road, and Burmin left alone." "The blizzard didn't stop." "Suddenly, Burmin saw a light." "He went there, hoping to wait the coachman in the warmth." "Come here!" " Where's the priest?" " In the lodge." "Let he crown them, and we'll prepare a wedding transportation." "Thank God, he came." "The bride wasn't feeling well." "I can start?" "Of course, you can." "You can kiss." "Let's go!" "At that time," "Burmin was so mischievous that he even just sleep after all." "And woke up the next day." "So I can't find the girl, which I was joking." "So cruel." "And which is now so cruelly avenged." "And you don't recognize me?" "Valentina Titova ..." "Mariya Gavrilovna Georgi Martynyuk ..." "Burmin" "Oleg Vidov ..." "Vladimir Mariya Pastukhova ..." "Praskovya Petrovna" "Sergei Papov ..." "Gavrila Gavrilovich Nina Vilvovskaya ..." "Maid" "Yakov Smolenskiy ..." "Narrator" "Original Music by Georgi Sviridov" "Cinematography by Sergei Vronsky Production Design by Yevgeni Kumankov" "Written and Directed by Vladimir Basov"