Russian TV shows have long captivated the vastness of television screens. We are forced to abandon foreign telenovelas, but domestic production is in no way inferior to foreign colleagues. Launched in 2013, the Ukrainian-Russian project “While the Village is Sleeping” very quickly gained love and popularity among fans. One of the topics covered in the series is the Cossacks and the village life associated with it. Launched on Russia TV channel, he gathered a diverse audience, which turned out to be an equally interesting observation for the creators of the series “While the Village Sleeps”. Actors gave more than a year to this project. And not in vain - they deservedly became the favorites of the screen.
Without love, nowhere
Despite the raised themes of the Cossacks, which occurs in Russian TV shows with a certain frequency, an important place is given to romance. A devoted, sensual and all-consuming love story is sustained in the best traditions of world standards of telenovelas. Crossing many obstacles, turning a blind eye to the estates and tribal affiliation, forgetting about inequality of property and social status, it is breaking through to its goal. In many ways, it was precisely such a representation of the love-romantic line that became the prerequisite for the nomination for the “Tefi” series “While the Village Sleeps”. The actors and creators of the project received not just an award, but real audience recognition.
General acquaintance
As a long-playing, the series boasts a variety of acting characters. Some are admired for their kindness and decency. Others, as expected, are endowed with a mass of negative qualities. During the broadcast, the actors of the series “While the Village Sleeps” became painfully familiar to the audience. They are so used to screen images that they can easily tell the story of each of them. All of them are interconnected, many times intersecting in the plot. Someone is really looking for love, but is going through a lot of obstacles, until, finally, it gets it. Someone is trying to destroy a warm relationship, guided by cunning and envy. And someone, in order to appropriate himself is not due, is not afraid of anything.
As you can see, the scriptwriters worked really well, presenting to the audience quite controversial, but extremely interesting characters in the series “While the Village is Sleeping”. The actors who played the main roles went through a tough selection, because for many roles the main condition was the presence of incredible charisma.
We will return to the main actors later, but for now we will get acquainted with the main storyline. The story begins with the main character. The young Cossack Marysya all her life felt like her beloved father's daughter - so much so that any wish was immediately realized. She meets the nobleman Stepan, who arrived in the village with his beloved Alena. She has her own story - intended to become the wife of the unloved, but wealthy Peter Kolevanov, the girl takes to the run, disgracing her family forever. Stepan and Alena rent housing in the village, called themselves brother and sister, and Kolevanov goes after him to return the missus. Once Stepan rescues Marysyu, who instantly inflamed feelings for him. Despite his refusal and devotion to Alena, Marysya will do everything possible to make him his ...
“While the Village Sleeps”: roles, actors, central characters
As we have already found out, the central character with whom the story begins is the girl Marysya. Many events happen to her, but all of them can be combined with one big love for Stepan. Why did he hook her so? It was a real salvation of her life and love at first sight. Marysya strives for one thing - to separate him from Alena and marry herself. She participates many times in a whirlpool of intrigue with other characters, and their common goal is Stepan.
It is unlikely that Stepan, a man with an open and kind soul, knew that one day the salvation of Marysi would turn into a real obsession for him. A cold-blooded girl does everything to marry him. Even being with her, Stepan remains faithful to his only love. Each time, as soon as he wants to reunite with Alena, Marysya is ready to strike back so that this does not happen.
A wealthy merchant Pyotr Kolevanov may seem like a respectable hero. He sincerely loves Alena, but the opportunity to become even richer forces him to marry Olga. But sooner or later he will realize that no wealth will give such happiness as a person with whom he wants to live life. Unfortunately, Alena’s heart belongs to another. A true entrepreneur and fighter, Kolevanov long and hard seeks his fate.
The series includes many other characters, it is impossible to tell about each of them: Gregory, Fedor, Alena, Timofey, Vera, Cossack Bogdan Chaly ... With their own fate, they are all lively, interesting, and are an integral part of the series!
Actors of the series “While the Village Sleeps”
Acquainted with the main characters and a number of minor characters, we saw how diverse the on-screen world of the inhabitants and guests of the village, and how rich the inner world of each of them. But no, even the most professional screen embodiment, will not give visible results without the talent of those who directly created the series “While the Village Sleeps”. Actors, approved for the main roles, instantly woke up famous. Participation in the project determined their further stellar career. To create his hero, everyone gave a piece of himself. Only true professionals do this!
A native of Ukraine Zoryana Marchenko conquered the producers, just as Stepan conquered Marysia at first sight. According to them, with the advent of Zoryana at the casting, it became clear to whom to give the main role to the obstinate Marysy. Vyacheslav Drobinkov, who played Stepan’s “victim of circumstances,” served in various theaters for many years, but “While the Village is Sleeping” is far from his first television work. Ekaterina Olkina, who embodied the image of Alena, has long been familiar to the audience by her roles in many domestic films. And Dmitry Nazarov, who played the loving father of Gregory, in addition to being an experienced actor, also liked the chef from the sitcom “Kitchen”.
Among the other actors who played many minor characters, one can name Dmitry Arbenin, Alexander Mokhov, Olesya Zhurakovskaya, Vladimir Goryansky, Daria Egorova, Natalya Sumskaya, George and Anatoly Khostikoev and many others. All of them incredibly harmoniously composed a magnificent acting ensemble.
A happy ending is ahead, but for now - audience love
Each character will find their destiny, and the series will reward loyal fans with a good ending. The series’s loud premiere and dynamic storytelling showed him an example of how strong love can be at times. And how stupid so as not to value your happiness. The history of Cossack culture, recreated against the background of village life, added to the project's special flavor. The actors of the film “While the Village Sleeps”, like the characters embodied on the screen, became close and understandable for the audience, in which everyone could find a reflection of their life.