Zulejka kinyitja a szemét

The series depicts the fates of a group of exiles who were ground down by the millstone of Stalinist terror in the early 1930s and expelled to the remote and inhospitable parts of Siberia. There, if they were lucky enough to survive the harsh beginnings without supplies or support, they would establish a new settlement and lay the foundations for the wood processing industry. The series is far from flawless. At times it is overly melodramatic, disjointed, and rushes forward wildly (the period of the patriotic war is covered in just a few minutes of narration), while at other times it slows down melancholically and indulges in contemplative images of the taiga. Many interesting characters do not get enough space, and the settled village looks too neat, like something from a recruitment brochure for new settlers. What is well done is the casting, with Chulpan Khamatova easily carrying her main role, as well as Morozov in the role of the camp's characterful leader. The bull's-eye is the disgusting portrayal of the Stalinist opportunist played by Roman Maďanov - in him, the pathology of the Soviet 1930s seems to be concentrated. I won't give it four stars, but it is still a decent piece of work and an attempt to come to terms with one of the sore spots of Soviet, or rather Russian, history. Overall impression: 65%. (2021.10.26)