In spring 1967 Vasily Shukshin visited his mother in Srostki. It was at this time when local TV studio filmed a documentary about the city of Biysk, called Our city. Shukshin received an invitation to the set, which he eagerly accepted. Every day, early in the morning, the studio sent a car to Srostki to pick him up. According to the memoirs, Shukshin was always in a working mood. Hardly a day passed with him saying, ‘I cannot go today’, although he had such right as he worked with the studio voluntarily.
Our city tells the story about the past, present, and future of Biysk. Shooting was managed by Klindukhov, the director, and Vladislav Koverdyaev, the cinematographer. The script was written by Mark Yudalevich, a poet from Barnaul.
Filming took place in a studio’s pavilion, where interior of a flat had been set up, including a TV set, a bookshelf, and a table. Furthermore, Shukshin got filmed in AB district, where he — according to the script — narrated about contemporary apartment buildings replacing potato fields, which used to occupy the place.
Shukshin was asked to tell the following about the city: “This year marks my acquaintance with ‘big life’… If life with all its infinite scale used to end outside the village for me, now I see that it is not that simple. Perhaps, I would start with this… Then I would probably tell about the people… And I would also like to learn a little bit of the city’s history, which is large and ancient’.
Besides, filming took place in the office of Gorispolkom Chairman Leonid Garkavy. A dialogue scene was filmed here, which included demonstration of photos of the newly built bridge and drawings by Yuri Mileyko, depicting latest and planned buildings of the city. The documentary focused on a new subdistrict under construction, AB district, and other historic locations that expanded Biysk city limits.
Fedor Klindukhov, who directed the film, noted the following in his memoirs about Shukshin, ‘He didn’t talk much on the set, and refrained from interfering in directing. We did not feel the pressure of his authority. Moreover, he was embarrassed of his authority. During the entire month of shooting [he] was extremely professional”.
Museum archive contains a draft of his speech made for the film, as well as a storyboard plan. Shukshin, Klindukhov, and Koverdyaev became real friends, and visited Srostki together multiple times.
Our city tells the story about the past, present, and future of Biysk. Shooting was managed by Klindukhov, the director, and Vladislav Koverdyaev, the cinematographer. The script was written by Mark Yudalevich, a poet from Barnaul.
Filming took place in a studio’s pavilion, where interior of a flat had been set up, including a TV set, a bookshelf, and a table. Furthermore, Shukshin got filmed in AB district, where he — according to the script — narrated about contemporary apartment buildings replacing potato fields, which used to occupy the place.
Shukshin was asked to tell the following about the city: “This year marks my acquaintance with ‘big life’… If life with all its infinite scale used to end outside the village for me, now I see that it is not that simple. Perhaps, I would start with this… Then I would probably tell about the people… And I would also like to learn a little bit of the city’s history, which is large and ancient’.
Besides, filming took place in the office of Gorispolkom Chairman Leonid Garkavy. A dialogue scene was filmed here, which included demonstration of photos of the newly built bridge and drawings by Yuri Mileyko, depicting latest and planned buildings of the city. The documentary focused on a new subdistrict under construction, AB district, and other historic locations that expanded Biysk city limits.
Fedor Klindukhov, who directed the film, noted the following in his memoirs about Shukshin, ‘He didn’t talk much on the set, and refrained from interfering in directing. We did not feel the pressure of his authority. Moreover, he was embarrassed of his authority. During the entire month of shooting [he] was extremely professional”.
Museum archive contains a draft of his speech made for the film, as well as a storyboard plan. Shukshin, Klindukhov, and Koverdyaev became real friends, and visited Srostki together multiple times.
