Series at all times gathered in front of TV screens a large audience of viewers. For a long time, Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican and American films held the palm. There were very few Russians, and interest in them was small. But that all changed when the serial episode "The Engagement Ring" was released.
Even the beloved "Santa Barbara", the American telenovela, extremely popular in Russia in the 90s, did not have such popularity. The actors of the “Engagement Ring” very quickly became recognizable and loved by millions of fans, viewers.
Ordinary people - familiar passions
Brazilian and Mexican passions are, of course, a good thing, but the Russian audience has long wanted to watch films about the lives of ordinary people with ordinary problems and joys. Compare yourself not with exotic overseas heroes, but with your countrymen. The heroes of the film can easily live with you in the same city, courtyard, staircase, in the stairwell.
Their problems resemble yours, and joys seem so familiar. How to cope with a series of betrayals and disappointments? How can a provincial not just survive in Moscow, but find love and become happy? After all, it is known that this city does not believe in tears. The recipe for happiness is simple enough - good in response to hatred and anger, understanding and forgiveness in exchange for betrayal and falsehood.
The series "Wedding Ring"
The film is the first Russian telenovela. The premiere took place in Ukraine in 2008, and a year later, Russian viewers saw it. Viewing ratings broke all the records that existed before. The genre of the film is a melodrama with elements of drama and mysticism. The mixing of genres increased the interest of viewers several times.
Initially, there were 200 episodes in the series, but by popular demand of the audience another 200 were shot, and then 400. Now there are 820 episodes in the film. The series was somewhat delayed, but he keeps his attention until the final credits.
At the Tefi 2011 awards ceremony, the film received a prize in the Teleroman nomination.
New Cinderella Story
Stories about Cinderella with a happy ending always attracted the attention of a female television audience. This film is another short story about a provincial girl who came to a big city. How many of them have already been! How often their dreams and hopes were broken about the brutal reality of life!
The main character, having arrived in Moscow, does not even imagine what difficulties await her. Nastya is a kind and naive girl, trying to help everyone she meets. But not everyone favors this lovely girl, she is very annoyed by many with her sincerity and purity.
Love, joy, but at the same time, disappointments and betrayal of loved ones await the girl. But no matter what happens to her, she continues to trust and help people. To anger and hatred responds with warmth and tenderness.
Will Nastya find her happiness? Will this story have a happy ending? Watch the movie "The Wedding Ring".
Interesting Facts
1. More than eight hundred actors auditioned for the role of the protagonist Igor Gritsenko. But when Alexander Volkov came to the studio, the role was given to him.
2. The main character Nastya wanted to play 32 actresses. One of the applicants was Elena Pirogova, who played the main role in the film "Broad River".
3. In one of the series of the film, the singer Nikolai Baskov starred, he did not have to get used to the image, because he played himself.
4. Thanks to the filming of the film, the young actress Alina Kiziyarova became famous. After this work, she got the main role in the series "Secrets of the Institute of Noble Maidens."
5. At the age of 6, Juliana Kulikova played in the series the daughter of the protagonist.
Summary
The story begins in a train that goes to Moscow. Fate brings three people together. Perhaps they would never have met if not for this trip.
Nastya, who is 19 years old, is traveling to Moscow to help her mother, Vera. She carries with her the ring that her father once gave her mother. But academician Kovalev does not even suspect that he has an adult daughter.
Olga, Nastya’s neighbor in the compartment, is not much older, but much more experienced in everyday affairs. A girl from the province goes to the capital to find a wealthy husband or lover.
Igor Gritsenko is a young successful doctor. After the mother’s funeral, he goes to Moscow to avenge the death of his parents. Nastya and Igor get to know each other. If they met under other circumstances, perhaps this would be the beginning of a beautiful romance. But everyone has their own problems.
After the train arrives, the passengers disperse in different directions, and three people part, who so far do not even imagine that they will meet again soon, and their destinies are closely intertwined.
About filming a movie
Director Dmitry Goldman and producer Dmitry Belosokhov tried to shoot the film in various cities of Russia: Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl and Lipetsk. In addition to the actors, about 130 people worked on the film.
On average, one episode was shot per day, its duration was 45 minutes. The working day was very long: filming began at 6 in the morning and ended at 11 in the evening. About thirty episodes were filmed per month. On the set every day there were more than 70 people. The actors of the "Wedding Ring" say that the shooting was very difficult, but it was interesting to work.
Julia Pozhidaeva and Alexander Volkov
Actors for the role of the main characters were selected for a very long time. The creators of the series wanted to find new faces. And they succeeded.
Quite by chance, Alexander Volkov got the main role . The actor was not even on film samples. He came to the studio to ask for his brother, he was a driver and wanted to find a job. The creators of the film immediately disappeared all questions about the main character when they saw Alexander Volkov.
Volkov was born in the village, just like his hero Igor. Graduated from VGIK them. S. Gerasimova. He played in the theater, starred in films. One of the most memorable roles is Maxim Zharov in the film "The Return of Mukhtar."
Yulia Pozhidaeva, having played the main role in the series "Ondine", was liked by the audience with her style of play and excellent appearance. With the heroine of the series "Wedding Ring" she is related in that Julia, like Nastya, grew up without a father, her mother raised her. True, Nastya’s father did not know anything about his daughter, and Julia’s father left them with his mother.
Having brilliantly graduated from the Shchukin school, she began acting in TV shows. They brought Julia acting experience, money and fame. Accustomed to doing any work in good faith, Julia does not believe that soap operas are second-rate films.
Sweet and kind, she reminds her heroine, but the girl herself says that Nastia is too heavy in character. Julia Pozhidaeva does not like to share details about her personal life, she gives interviews reluctantly. Home and family are sacred to her, there is no place for outsiders.
Actors of the "Wedding Ring"
Let's talk about other artists. Actress Alina Sandratskaya, who plays the role of Olya Prokhorova, one of the central ones in the film, is not at all like her heroine. Olga, who has gone through a difficult school of life by the age of 20, dreams of wealth, for the sake of this she is capable of meanness and betrayal. Alina, a girl from an intelligent Moscow family, has a good education and upbringing. But, despite this, she was very interested in acting in a film. Playing a negative character, she tried to add positive qualities to him, and she succeeded. During the filming of the series, an important event took place in the life of the actress: she married a bank employee.
Among the huge number of actors who played in the film, I want to single out a few people.
Alina Kiziyarova, playing the wife of Yuri Stolyarov, really liked not only the audience, but also the directors. The role has become a kind of pass to the world of cinema.
Alexander Nikitin played in the series of the brutal oligarch Yuri Stolyarov. The actor coped with his role perfectly: despite his beautiful appearance and natural charm, his hero is indignant at the rude attitude towards his wife. Alexander Nikitin starred in more than 20 films, the directors respect him for the fact that he does not refuse even the smallest roles.
Among the actors who starred in the series, there were those who decided to leave long before the end of the filming of the film. One of them is actor Yuri Baturin.
Engagement Ring Book
The film was so loved by the audience that in 2011, Maria Vilchinskaya wrote the book “Engagement Ring. To Moscow! To Moscow!" based on the first fifty episodes of the series.
Numerous fans of the book note the original author's style and the full disclosure of the images of the main characters of the series "The Engagement Ring". The disadvantages of this book include only one thing: it ends too quickly.
Viewers reviews
Series about ordinary people with their joys and sorrows, ups and downs have always been and will be interesting to people. The actors of the “Engagement Ring” have become family and loved by millions of people not only in Russia, but also in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus.
Critics praised the series for an unusual, interesting plot, but scolded for a large number of episodes. The shortcomings of the film also include the frequent replacement of actors.
Many people who watched the series noted that the film gives hope, teaches to value fidelity, devotion, and treat warmly family values.
If you like to watch stories full of melodramatic twists and unpredictable plots, as well as meeting your favorite characters for months, this series will not disappoint you.