Seven Versts Before Dawn

Plot

In the early days of the Great Patriotic War old Kuzmich from the village of Kurakino guesses that a long war lies ahead. As the village falls under German occupation and repressions intensify, he keeps aloof, arousing suspicions. Following the execution of fellow villagers and accusations of betrayal, Kuzmich agrees to serve as a guide for the German detachment, ostensibly to get a horse and save his family. In reality, however, he is planning a sacrificial deception: through his grandson Vaska, he conveys information about the enemy's route to the Soviet troops. At the critical moment, Kuzmich leads the German mountain troopers into a trap, repeating the feat of Ivan Susanin. At the cost of his own life the old man leads the enemy to perdition, becoming a symbol of the people's resistance.

About Seven Versts Before Dawn

Seven Versts Before Dawn (Russian: Семь вёрст до рассвета) is a 2026 Russian WWII film directed by Alexandr Andreev, telling the story of the heroic deed of the oldest Hero of the Soviet Union, peasant Matvey Kuzmich Kuzmin, during the Great Patriotic War. The film is based on the story The Last Day of Matvey Kuzmin by Boris Polevoy. The script for the film was written by Natalia Shumak and Alexandr Andreev. Marina Selivanova, Ali Uzdenov, Daria Tsiberkina, and Nadezhda Ponarovskaya were producers. The film's cinematographer was Elena Metla. The soundtrack for the film was written by Ivan Burlyayev, Konstantin Novgorodsky, and Nikita Urbansky. Based on real events, it stars Fyodor Dobronravov, Maria Shukshina, Viktor Dobronravov, Artyom Bystrov, Oleg Gaas, and Vyacheslav Chepurchenko. This film was theatrically released in Russia on April 30, 2026, Karo Premier Film Distribution.

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