Based on Boris Akunin's novel 'Azazel' (English title 'The Winter Queen') set in Moscow in 1876. The novel started a long series quite popular in Russia. In 'Azazel' a young police officer - Erast Fandorin - investigates an odd suicide of some rich young man and finds a complex conspiracy, trying to take over most European countries - from Britain to Ottoman Empire - with the best intentions, of course.
Costume
Late 19th century drip absolutely unhinged.
Production
Moscow-to-London period detail surprisingly lavish.
Director
Alexander Adabashyan
Ilya Noskov
Эраст Петрович Фандорин
Marina Aleksandrova
Лиза Эверт-Колокольцева
Ewa Szykulska
Эмма Пфуль
Larisa Borushko
Амалия Казимировна Бежецкая
Marina Neyolova
леди Эстер
Sergei Bezrukov
Иван Францевич Бриллинг
Sergey Chonishvili
Ипполит Александрович Зуров
Oleg Basilashvili
Лаврентий Аркадьевич Мизинов
Dmitriy Burkhankin
Кокорин
Kirill Pirogov
Николай Ахтырцев
Feliks Antipov
Ксаверий Феофилактович Грушин
Yuri Avsharov
Георг
Evgeniy Grishkovec
Ахимас
Aleksandr Soldatov
Кукин
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Akunin's Fandorin novels revived Russian detective fiction in the 1990s, deliberately hybridizing Sherlock Holmes with Russian literary melancholy. This film launched the franchise but critics found it overstuffed.
Sergei Bezrukov (Brilling) became a massive star; his casting here was early-career. The 208-minute runtime was butchered in some markets.
RU
