Published on: 2026-10-05
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Everyone remembers their teacher — the one who believed, supported, and helped them see something important in themselves. For Teacher’s Day, celebrated on October 5, we have gathered five films Gorky Film Studio, subordinate to the Moscow Department of Culture, where the school and the teacher become the heart of the story. Each film — from the poignant ‘We’ll Live Till Monday’ to the touching ‘First Grader’ — reveals different facets of the profession: authority, support, the ability to understand and inspire. Let this selection be a warm gift for Teacher’s Day and a reason to remember how much a mentor means in life.
“First Grader” (1948): school as a space of respect
The story of capricious Marusya, who comes to school and encounters the rules for the first time: be neat, don’t be late, help others. The wise teacher gently shows that discipline is not strictness, but respect for people. For the post-war period, this was an important educational message: school is a place where a child learns to be part of society, and the teacher is the one who carefully introduces them to this world.
The screenplay by Yevgeny Schwartz gives the film a special magic: even everyday scenes are acted out like little parables. Some episodes were shot in the real Moscow school No. 201 named after Zoya and Alexander Kosmodemyansky to maintain authenticity.
Director Ilya Frez prepared thoroughly: he visited schools, talked with teachers and children, and made sketches. In the filming studio, they recreated a real classroom — with a lined blackboard, new desks, an aquarium, and real ink. The girls did not pretend to write, but actually formed letters with a pen, and the teacher gave them real grades. Young Natasha Zashchipina immersed herself so organically in the lead role that the director hardly gave her any acting instructions. The most difficult challenge for her on set was simply to sit still.
The role of the teacher Anna Ivanovna was played by Tamara Makarova, and the girls-actresses during the filming addressed her only according to the script — Anna Ivanovna, not knowing her real name. After the premiere, held on March 22, 1948, Natasha Zashchipina was declared the first among the prodigies ever seen on screen, and Faina Ranevskaya called her a little miracle.
“The Oddball from Fifth Grade B” (1972): Growing Up Through Care
Another gem from Ilya Frez, based on the story by Vladimir Zheleznikov. The restless and imaginative Borya Zbanduto, as a punishment for his antics, becomes a counselor for first graders. What initially seems like a punishment turns into the main lesson of kindness and responsibility. This film is about growing up through action: not through moralizing, but through real small deeds, because that is how true upbringing works.
The search for the actor to play Borya was long. When Ilya Frez mentioned in a newspaper that the “eccentric” had not yet been found, he was flooded with letters from teachers and parents with recommendations. Ultimately, the role went to 12-year-old Andrey Voynovsky — physically awkward and completely unlike a typical hero, but it was precisely this naturalness that became his main asset. A lively girl who performed Carmen’s aria excellently was vying for the role of first-grader Nina, but Frez chose the quiet, modest Rosa Agisheva — she lived this role and resembled her character: she was also afraid of dogs and loved her grandmother very much. Interestingly, Rosa later became a teacher.
The filming took place in Moscow and Vilnius and lasted seven months. In the mornings, the children were picked up from classes, and in the evenings, they were taken home. The film features “The Song of Future Friends” by Yan Frenkel with lyrics by Mikhail Lvovsky — its melody is recognizable from the very first bars even by those who do not remember the film’s title. The film was awarded the USSR State Prize in 1974 and received prizes at festivals in Alma-Ata and Gijón, Spain.
“We’ll Live Till Monday” (1968): About Conscience and Truth
The famous drama by Stanislav Rostotsky covers just three days in the life of a ninth-grade class and their history teacher Ilya Semyonovich Melnikov. This is not a school comedy, but a serious conversation about conscience, truth, and how difficult it is to be honest with both students and oneself. The film portrays the school as a place where generations and values collide, and the teacher is not just a transmitter of knowledge, but a person who sets moral guidelines.
The screenplay by Georgy Polonsky, written as a diploma project at the Higher Screenwriting Courses, was originally titled “Crane in the Sky.” Goskino considered the topic too sensitive and was preparing to ban filming, but the director of the Gorky Film Studio, Grigory Britikov, took a risk and allowed the work to begin — and the film was shot in a record three and a half months. The shooting took place at an active Moscow school No. 234 (now No. 1380) in the Severnoye Medvedkovo district, and in some scenes, muffled voices of teachers from neighboring classrooms can be heard. Vyacheslav Tikhonov initially refused the role of Melnikov, considering it petty and bland, and the screenwriter Georgy Polonsky found the actor too young and handsome for the hero, calling him “a blossoming Marlon Brando at the classroom blackboard.” To avoid this impression, age makeup was applied to the actor.
Irina Pechernikova also had doubts about her role in the film. At first, she thought it would be a stereotypical propaganda movie. But after reading the script, she became passionate about the work. Rostotsky cast his wife Nina Menshikova as the strict Russian language and literature teacher. Interestingly, the film “We’ll Live Till Monday” was their only collaboration.
For the first time, the film was shown in a hall full of teachers — at the All-Union Congress in Moscow. After the screening, the audience stood up and began chanting: “Well done!” In 1969, the film won the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Film Festival, and at the school where the filming took place, a museum dedicated to the film is now open.
A Big Break. Following the trails of films about school made in MoscowWhen you are understood: how the school where “We’ll Live Till Monday” was filmed lives today
“The Last Failing Grade” (1977): recognizable everyday life
A good school comedy by Boris Naschekin about typical student problems: failing grades, inattentiveness, attempts to fix everything. Sixth grader Misha Andreev loses interest in studying and is ready to repeat the year: his parents are on an expedition, his older brother is at a competition, and there is no one to either discipline or help him. But a chance encounter with young scientists from a neighboring research institute changes everything: Misha discovers a new world where knowledge is not about grades, but the key to real discoveries. Unlike more serious films, here the emphasis is on humor and relatable situations: pranks, help from classmates, a teacher who not only gives grades but tries to understand the child.
The film contains many everyday details that bring the story to life: real school corridors, typical dialogues, even the design of the wall newspaper. This helped the audience immediately see themselves in the characters and notice how a teacher’s attention and patience can change even the most hopeless situations.
The roles were played by Yevgeny Gerasimov, who portrayed Misha’s older brother, Lyudmila Ivanova, known to millions of viewers for her role as Shura in “Office Romance,” and Anatoly Grachev — the neighbor-scientist who finds an unexpected approach to the boy. The premiere took place on May 31, 1978, and the film was watched by almost five million viewers. According to the plot, it is precisely the outsider — neither a parent nor a teacher — who helps the child believe in himself, and this conveys an important idea: a mentor can be any adult who cares.
“Chizhik-Pyzhik Returns” (2023): a new chapter in school history
The first film from the Gorky Film Studio since 1995 directly aimed at young viewers. Fifth-graders Dana and Leva from Yekaterinburg come on a school excursion to Saint Petersburg and witness the theft of the famous Chizhik-Pyzhik monument on the Fontanka River bank. According to legend, if you make a wish and land a coin on the pedestal, it will come true. And Leva really wants his parents not to divorce. Dana, an aspiring blogger dreaming of a million subscribers, sees the theft investigation as a chance for a sensational story. The kids decide to find the thieves, and the search turns into a detective adventure on the streets of the Northern capital.
The leading roles were played by Alexandra Babaskina and Misha Myalo — both, despite their young age, already had filming experience. Director Elina Suni recalled that it was necessary to build sincere, trusting relationships with the child actors: “A child cannot sculpt any characters; he can only be himself.” The film also featured Inga Oboldina, Sergey Migitsko, and the legendary Svetlana Nemolyaeva, with cameo appearances by popular bloggers Diana Aster and Ekaterina Golysheva. Saint Petersburg became one of the main characters of the film: Palace and Senate Squares, the Fontanka embankment, courtyards and rooftops — the city is shown from magnificent and sometimes unexpected angles.
This film shows that the school theme at the Gorky Film Studio is not fading into the past but gaining a new resonance: the same values — friendship, courage, responsibility — are expressed in a modern language. And although the plot centers on the adventures of children, it is still supported by the very foundation that every child receives from an adult in life, whether a parent, mentor, or teacher.
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