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Recommended because this Lonely Planet video serves as a great introduction to two former Soviet republics in Central Asia. With host Ian Wright, the viewer is taken on a ride in an old Red Army helicopter, joins in evening entertainments including ram butting and wrestling, meets an eagle trainer, and participates in a horse trek meeting nomadic shepherds. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (tel: 614-292-8770, or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Lonely Planet for $20.

Recommended because this program looks at the legend and the traces of Genghis Khan as well as the people and culture of his descendants, whose lives are barely changed since the Mongol horde burst out of Central Asia in the 13th century to ride as far as the gates of Vienna and permanently change the face of most of Asia and Europe (54 minutes). This film is available from Films for the Humanities for $90.

Recommended because the Aral Sea used to be one of the world’s largest and most productive inland bodies of water until a Soviet plan to turn Central Asia into the greatest cotton-producer on Earth destroyed it. Now mostly a sterile lake amidst a desert poisoned by decades of fertilizer and pesticide runoff, the Aral Sea, itself ruined, is ruining the lives of all who still live near it. This program is recommended because it details the irreversible damage to the ecosystem and the resulting health problems being faced by the remaining inhabitants of the region. “The Aral Sea and the tragic plight of its people is not a freak, isolated event, but a crisis that is just slightly ahead of its time,” says host David Suzuki (54 minutes). Available for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $150.

Recommended because across the Tian-Shen mountains lies the region inhabited by Kazahks, descendants of the Mongols, former rulers of the great Mongol empire. In the West Land are the very horses used by Ghengis Khan and his men (55 minutes). Part of the series, “The Silk Road.” Available from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this is a very good documentary on the history of Czechoslovakia from the Soviet invasion of 1968 to the election of Vaclav Havel in 1989 (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a fine documentary on Czech history beginning with the Prague Spring and ending with the Soviet suppression (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a biographical account of Anton Chekhov, Russian short-story writer and dramatist who lived from 1860 to 1904. His most famous works include The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a biographical account of the novelist and playwright and founder of Socialist Realism. Gorky was born in 1868 and died in 1936. His most famous works include Mother, The Lower Depths, In the World, and The Gorky Trilogy (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a classic short story by Chekhov that has been made into an excellent film. This is the story of a man and a woman, both already married, who fall in love while vacationing in turn of the century Yalta. Directed by Josef Heifitz, stars Iya Savvina and Alexei Batalov (black & white, 89 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this is the cartoon version of the Russian fable by the same name. A handsome and kind prince must overcome numerous obstacles to reverse the spell that has transformed a princess into a frog. Directed by M. Tsekhanovskii. Also included on this tape is “V nekotorom tsarstve.” Collection number 37 in the Soyuzmul’tfil’m series. In Russian. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); not clear if it is still available commercially.

Recommended because this animated film is part of the “Rabbit Ears” series of children’s stories and is a video version of one of the most popular Russian fairy tales. In particular, Firebird is a Russian legend about an archer named Ivan and his inseperable companion, the Horse of Power. When Ivan brings a golden feather from the Firebird to the Tsar, he is ordered to present the entire bird, or lose his life. Then he is commanded to retrieve the princess Vassilisa from the end of the earth so that the Tsar might marry her. When the archer Ivan falls in love with the princess, he and the Horse of Power must find a way to thwart the Tsar. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, original music by Mark Isham, animation done in Russia (30 minutes). In English. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a biography of the late 19th century writer. Directed by Sergei Gerasimov, stars Nikolai Eremenko and Marina Ustimenko (103 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $60.

Recommended because this video examines Russian history from the early nineteenth century to the present through the eyes of some of its major writers, including Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pasternak, Blok, Akhmatova, and Solzhenitsyn. Availibility: May be borrowed free of charge from Indiana University’s Russian and East European Studies Institute.

Recommended because this is a faithful rendition of the Dostoevsky novel, produced in Russia. In Russian with English subtitles, but the latter are white and at times are difficult to read (black & white, 220 min). Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this is the film version (on video) of the Peter Tchaikovsky opera based on the work by Alexander Pushkin. Directed by Roman Tikhomirov, with Bolshoi Theatre and Opera staff, cast includes Ariadna Shengelaya as Tatiana (sung by Galina Vshnevskaya) and Vadim Medvedev as Onegin (sung by Yevgeni Kibkalo). Filmed in Leningrad and the surrounding countryside (108 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a good Mosfilm version of Pushkin fairytale. Presents authentic 12th century Russian costumes and weaponry. Story of medieval prince’s attempt to rescue his love who has been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer (two parts) (140 min). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), but no longer available commercially.

Recommended because this documentary video provides various perspectives on Anna Akhmatova (1888-1966), Russian poet adored by her countrymen and called by them “the soul of our time.” Her life and work bridged the country’s Tsarist and Revolutionary periods. Refusing to lend her prestige to Stalin’s rule, she was expelled from the Soviet Writers’ Union and for years suffered desperately. This program presents an overview of her life and work by Irene Moore, a founder of the American Stanislavsky Theater, who recites Akhmatova’s poetry in Russian; and two academics who have written extensively on Akhmatova: Samuel Driver, professor at Brown University, and Irene Kirk, professor at the University of Connecticut. Also featured are many photographs of Akhmatova and her world. Kirk, one of the last Westerners to see the poet alive, tells of their meeting and of Akhmatova’s secret book in her Moscow library where she kept notes of things she wanted to remember (28 minutes). In English. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $90.

Recommended because this is a biographical account of Aleksandr Blok, poet and dramatist, and greatest of the Russian symbolists. He lived from 1880 to 1821. His most famous works include The Twelve, Scythians, Verses about the Lady Beautiful, and Homeland (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is an American-style crime/action film with lots of swearing, graphic violence, and some sex. The story of two Polish secret policemen under the communist system who are forced to adapt to the new reality of post-Communist Poland. One becomes an ordinary policeman, the other gets involved in a narcotics-trafficking gang. Despite their now radically different lifestyles, the two men remain friends — at least for a time. Directed by Wladyslaw Pasikowski (108 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50.

Recommended because this is an excellent introduction to this Central European country. In this video, the hospitable people of Poland welcome you to their friendly country. You will journey to Warsaw, the capital, filled with newly restored historical buildings. In Castle Square, gaze at the Royal Castle and Sigmund’s Column, the symbol of the city. Tour Cracow’s Wawel Hill, the ancient seat of Polish kings, and enjoy Polish folklore in the Tatras Mountains. Bask in the sun at Gdansk and experience the splendid serenity of Bialowieza Forest — Europe’s last virgin woodland. Pause in commemoration at the Auschwitz memorial. Glide down the picturesque Dunajec River, then visit the monastery of Jasna Gora, where millions of Poles make an annual pilgrimage to see the famed Black Madonna (55 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Amazon.com for $25.

Recommended because arguably, no European country has suffered more throughout its history than Poland. This program captures some of the intensity behind Catholic worship in Poland, where the Church has been one of the main factors in preserving a sense of Polish identity. Interviews with Solidarity activists recall the Church’s struggle in the 1980s, in particular the martyrdom of the young Father Popielsku. The program also looks at the role of the Church in the political life of post-Communist Poland. (30 minutes, color). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90. Bill Wolf Last Modified: 04/08/2004

Recommended because it tells the story of how nonviolent power overcame oppression and authoritarian rule in Poland. In August 1980, workers at the Gdansk shipyard went on strike. Their main demand, free trade unions, was unprecedented in a country where communist party supremacy did not allow the existence of any independent organizations. Lech Walesa, a wily 37-year-old electrician, was the chief negotiator for the workers, who avoided the mistakes of earlier strikes by maintaining strict nonviolent discipline — and by occupying their shipyard, to deter a violent crackdown by authorities. The strike quickly spread to factories and workers throughout the country, magnifying their leverage. Their persistence paid off as government granted most of their demands. A new union was born named “Solidarity” (31 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apprarently out of print.

Recommended because this is a great historical documentary on late-Twentieth Century Polish history. The focus is the strike at the Lenin Shipyard to protest Communist rule and the deteriorating Polish economy. Also, the growth of Solidarity under Lech Walesa is described (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is Andrej Wajda’s hallucinatory portrait of a group of Polish patriots who flee the Nazis through the sewer system of a war-devastated Warsaw. No country suffered more than Poland in the Second World War and this film captures both the great heroism of the Poles in that struggle as well as the tremendous human cost of the war for Poland (96 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25.

Recommended because this is a series of ten minute films highlighting Poland’s history, traditions, cultural heritage, architecture, and landscape. Directed by Wojciech Sarnowicz. In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Part 1: visits Gniezno, Pszczyna, the Pieniny and Beskidy mountains and the Eagle Nest trail between Cracow and Czestochowa (95 minutes)

Part 2: visits Warsaw, Cracow, the Wieliczka saltmine, Malbork, Torun, Wroclaw, Lodz and Szczecin (90 minutes).
Part 3: visits Czestochowa, Zamosc, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Gdansk and Gdynia (90 minutes).

Recommended because this PBS production is a very good history of Poland in the Twentieth Century. Narrated by Roger Mudd, it combines historical footage with interviews of people who participated in the described events. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Struggles for Poland, Vol. I: Once Upon a Time, 1900-1923

Volume One documents through archival films, interviews and stills, how the vision of two Polish leaders, Josef Pilsudski and Roman Dmowski, along with a series of major events, provided the necessary catalysts for Poland to regain its sovereign status after years of domination by foreign powers (55 minutes).

Struggles for Poland, Vols. II & III: 0 Dawn, 1921-1939; Different World: Poland’s Jews, 1919-1943

Volumes II and III describe Poland’s struggles to establish a government following the ratification of the new Polish constitution in 1921, and shows how political infighting led to the establishment of a military regime based on right-wing totalitarianism and officially sanctioned anti-Semitism. While workers and peasants struggled against this regime from within, Poland faced even greater threats from its aggressive neighbors, Stalin’s Soviet Russia and Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

Struggles for Poland, Vols. IV & V: Occupation, 1939-1945; Friends and Neighbors, 1939-1945

Volumes IV and V document the atrocities perpetrated against the Polish people during WWII. Special segments of this episode also set in relief the role and activities of the Polish Underground; the creation of the Soviet-inspired Communist resistance; and the 280,000 members of the Home Army in Warsaw, which led to an ill-fated uprising against the Germans in 1944.

Struggles for Poland, Vol. VI & VII: Bright Days of Tomorrow, 194Slavic and Eastern Europe-1956; Sweepers of Squares, 1956-1970

These parts describe Poland’s first decades of Soviet domination, which began with the Soviet “liberation” of Poland from Nazi rule at the end of the Second World War.

Struggles for Poland, Vols. VIII & IX: In This Life, 1900-1979; The Workers’ State, 19Middle East-Present

Volumes VIII and IX chronicle the rise of Solidarity, the workers’ movement that eventually led to the overthrow of the pro-Soviet socialist government.

Recommended because this is the story of a woman and her mother who are ethnic Germans from the Masurian Lakes region in what was Germany (East Prussia) before 1945, but what became Poland after the war ended. The film portrays ethnic tensions between Germans and Poles, and also gives insight into the history of the Masurian Lakes region from just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War to just before the collapse of communism in Poland in the late 1980s. Clearly the prime purpose of the film is to show that Germans, along with Poles, were victims of World War II. Directed by Magdalena and Piotr Kazarkiewiczowie (115 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Polart for $40.

Recommended because this is the first in the trilogy of the most popular Polish film comedies: the adventures of two families, the Pawlaks and the Karguls (the other two films are “Take It Easy” and “Big Deal”). This film is set just after World War Two when the Pawlaks and the Karguls have moved from their poor little village in the eastern borderland of Poland to the Western Regained Territories. There they settle as neighbors, only to carry on the longstanding dispute they had while living in eastern Poland. The controversy had begun 40 years earlier when Kargul’s cow strayed into Pawlak’s field. Although they could make peace and work together in moments of common danger, these reconciliations never could be sustained — until their children grew up and fell in love with each other. Directed by Sylwester Checinski (78 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $40.

Recommended because this documentary provides a review of Soviet leaders preceding Gorbachev and an examination of Glasnost and Perestroika (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu). Apparently out of print.

Recommended because this film chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Janusz Korczak, pediatrician and author, to protect a group of abandoned Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War when the Nazis occupied Poland (black & white, 118 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because made in the center of political events surrounding it, this film merges documentary footage of the Solidarity strike into a fictionalized drama of a disillusioned radio producer (Marian Opania) who is ordered to Gdansk to undermine the reputation of one of the leaders of the worker revolt. Directed by Andrzej Wajda (152 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a historical film set in Warsaw in 1872. Based on the novel by Boleslaw Prus. Story of love and the tragedy of unfulfilled desire and ambition. Wealthy, ambitious middle-aged merchant is overwhelmed by obsessive and destructive passion for Izabela Lecka, who is intrigued by his strong personality but cannot fully appreciate him. Directed by Wojciech Has (159 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50.

Recommended because With Fire and Sword is a historical drama about great passions: love, hate, envy, and lust for power, shown against the backdrop of momentous historical events. In the mid-17th century, at the start of the film’s action, Poland was arguably the largest, most democratic, most tolerant country in Europe. However, the tragic civil war brought about the gradual decline of the once glorious republic. Based on the trilogy by Nobel prize winner Henryk Sienkiewicz (also in the same trilogy are “Colonel Wolodyovsky” and “The Deluge.” Directed by Jerzy Hoffman, this is a powerful movie (182 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60.

Recommended because this is a fine seven-part history of the Soviet Union which combines documentary film footage and interviews with participants in important historical events. Introduced by Robert Conquest with Geoffrey Hosking as historical consultant. Each film is about 54 minutes long. Produced in the United Kingdom. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Volume I: Revolutionaries. Russia to the October Revolution in 1917

Volume II: Winners & Losers. The Civil War to Lenin’s Death in 1924

Volume III: Class Warriors. Collectivization and Industrialization

Volume IV: Enemies of the People. Great Purges of the late 1930s

Volume V: Patriots. The Soviet-Nazi War, 1941-45

Volume VI: Survivors. From 1945 through the Khrushchev Era

Volume VII: Prisoners of the Past. From Brezhnev to Gorbachev

Recommended because part of the “Video Visits” series, this well-made travelogue not only vividly shows the diverse Russian landscape and major Russian cities, it effectively integrates Russian culture and history into the film as well. Highly recommended for classroom use as an introduction to Russia (60 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu) or may be purchased from Access Russia for $25.

Recommended because here Russian architecture is examined, with a focus on St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo. The program also looks at the writings of Gogol, who revealed the human suffering behind Russia’s “Facade of Power.” His Dead Souls first inspired 19th-century political radicals, then Soviet dissidents, and still influences Russian artists today (60 minutes). Part of the “Face of Russia” series.

Recommended because icon painting, the first Russian art form, has survived and flourished during Russia’s many times of troubles, including the devastating anti-clerical decrees wrought by Communism. This segment reveals the spiritual ideas that have animated Russia for 1,000 years and witnesses recent restorations of churches and monasteries from Kiev to the Kremlin (60 minutes). Part of the “Face of Russia” series.

Recommended because this is an excellent film version of the Tolstoy novel. Five years in the making, this grand adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic won the 1968 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. With its cast of thousands and virtually unlimited budget, it vividly portrays Russia during the Napoloeonic era from 1805 to 1812, including the spectacular Battle of Borodino. Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, stars Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Ludmilla Savelyeva, Sergei Bondarchuk (as Pierre), and Anastasia Vertinskaya (403 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $100.

Recommended because this series of videos on Russian classical music composers provide excellent introductory biographies. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu) or each tape may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Modest Mussorgsky : In English. Biography of noted Russian composer who lived from 1839-1881 and whose best-known works include “Picutres at an Exhibition” and “Night on Bald Mountain” (30 minutes).

Sergei Rachmaninov :In English. Biography of the great Russian composer and pianist who lived from 1874-1943, and who left Russia in 1917, never to return (30 minutes).

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov :In English. Biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1844 to 1908, and creator of such masterpieces as Scheherazade and the Russian Easter Overture (30 minutes).

Alexander Scriabin : In English. Biography of Russian composer who lived from 1872 to 1915 (30 minutes).

Peter Tchaikovsky : In English. Biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1840-93, and whose most famous works include “The Nutcracker,” “1812 Overture,” Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”) (30 minutes).

Recommended because the Russianness of Russian music derives from folk song and the music of the Orthodox church, the characteristic modes, the sounds of bells, the unison a cappella voices of the Russian liturgy, sources not mined until Glinka laid down the foundations of a Russian school of music, almost single-handedly. This program traces the cultural history of Russia from the 17th century, covering the cultural role of the tsars, the building of St. Petersburg, the enthusiasm for France (cut short by the Napoleonic invasion), and the role of Pushkin and, above all, of Glinka. Musical contents include sections of Glinka: A Life for the Tsar, Kamarinskaya, Cherubimskaya; the so-called Rostov Action (53 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90.

Recommended because Savoniha belongs to the “Old Believers,” a sect of the Russian Orthodox Church that was exiled to Siberia many centuries ago. 95 years old, she witnessed Stalin’s anti-religious campaign, losing her father — one of the main spiritual representatives of the Siberian Old Believers (30 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is one of the all-time best examples of Soviet Socialist Realism on film, this movie gives the official Stalinist version of how the Soviets defeated the Germans in the Second World War. Contains rare portrayals of Stalin as the “Great Leader” wished himself to appear. Also featured is the story of a young Russian couple and how their lives are dramatically affected by the war. The model steel worker becomes an exemplary soldier and the school teacher is captured by the Germans and forced into slave labor. The film starts in the “happy” days just before the German invasion of June 22, 1941, portrays the battles of Moscow and Stalingrad, and ends only after the Soviet capture of the Reichstag in Berlin, and Stalin’s triumphant entry into the city where he appears before a jubilant and adoring crowd in the film’s final scene (approximately 3 hours). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a film set in post-Soviet St. Petersburg. The story begins as a young soldier returns to civilian life by working with his older brother as a hired assassin. This film has become a cult classic in Russia. It is very good for getting a glimpse at the darker side of life in post-Soviet Russia, a life that is replete with drugs, gangsters, violence, and a lack of a sense of purpose (i.e., the changes that cause many older Russians to want to return to the “good old days” of communism when life was more orderly, there was less crime, and one did not see gangsters dining in restaurants or speeding by in foreign luxury cars. Even though this film portrays the “New” Russia, one should not think that this movie portrays “typical” life in Russia in the late 1990s. Directed by Aleksei Balabanov (95 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $80.

Recommended because this is a dramatization of the horrors of the Nazi-Soviet war in Belorussia which some have likened to Schindler’s List in terms of its sobering impact. The destruction and human suffering in the USSR caused by the Second World War was on such a huge scale that it is difficult to comprehend; but no area of the former Soviet Union was more devastated by the war than Belorussia. This film graphically portrays the carnage and physical ruin that occurred there (131 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25.

Recommended because this is a documentary on Russian folk lore. Eighty years ago, Soviet authorities began a systematic effort to destroy Russian religious and cultural traditions in order to secure loyalty to the state. Today, a handful of folklorists are in a race against time to uncover and preserve true Russian culture. Traveling though the countryside, often at their own expense, students and scholars are visiting elderly villagers, recording their songs, dances and stories and collecting traditional costumes. Russia: Hidden Memory takes viewers on a journey through remote areas seldom visited by outsiders. As a dedicated Russian folklorist, Galina Sysoeva teams with American folklorist, Deirdre Paulsen, to search out the few survivors who remember the “pure” rituals and celebrations that were performed for centuries and capture them for future generations (56 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this romantic comedy was probably the most popular movie in Russia during the Brezhnev era (sold 75 million tickets) and winner of the 1980 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. In Moscow in 1958, three small-town girls have just arrived to pursue their dreams. Ludmila is determined to land a rich boyfriend, Tonya settles for a stable marriage to a working class man, while Katerina gets pregnant. She will eventually make it to the top twenty years later. In the process, this realistic movie will help American students see that life under Soviet socialism was not all drab and dull and that in many ways, it was similar to life in the West. But it also shows well Russian culture, for example life at a country “dacha,” a shish-kabob picnic in the woods, Russian drinking habits, Russia’s more traditional values when it comes to relations between men and women, and much more. In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25.

Recommended because this program examines how the Russian city of Gorky (now renamed Nizhny-Novgorod) has adapted to a free-enterprise system. We see public reaction to the auction of government property, and the opening of private markets. Class divisions became apparent in interviews with the Russian nouveau riche, the Mafia, and average citizens. Ordinary people, tired of waiting for economic benefits promised through privatization, support Communist political candidates who promise renewed state control and a return to traditional Russian values. The city is shown as being torn apart by violent tensions and antagonisms that exist between the advocates of reform and Neo-Communists (55 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because the musical era that began at the turn of the 20th century was filled with turbulent change: virtuoso performers like Scriabin and Heifetz emerged from the conservatories, and one world-class composer followed another. In many ways, the Composer’s Corner of Leningrad’s Lavra Cemetery sums up the story of Russian music, but Rachmaninov and Stravinsky lived abroad, showing that Russian music had entered the Western world on its own terms. Stravinsky and Schoenberg turned out to be the giants of their time, pushing music towards further and further limits. Musical contents include sections of Rachmaninov: Second Piano Concerto; Scriabin: “Po

Recommended because this is a portrait of nine year-old Sasha who goes to a special school for the performing arts in St. Petersburg. This film follows Sasha in his daily activities, from the time he gets up in the morning, through his day at school and including sights of his city. An introduction to the geography and culture of St. Petersburg as shown through the life of a school boy (15 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because Joseph Stalin held absolute power over the Soviet Union for 29 years. His legacy arguably surpasses even Hitler’s — he sent over 20 million of his own countrymen to their deaths! This comprehensive portrait revisits the life of Stalin through Soviet archival film and a collection of interviews. Biographers Robert Conquest and Edvard Radzinsky explore his disastrous reforms, including the collectivization of agriculture and his massive purges. Former interpreter Valentin Berezhkov offers a first-person view of the dictator, while purge victim Dr. Janusz Bardach talks about his time in the Gulag. And Mikhail Gorbachev explores the rise, rule and legacy of the most infamous of all his predecessors. Here is a history of one of the most important, compelling and hated men in history. USA (50 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from International Historic Films for $20.

Recommended because set during the Mongol domination of Russia, this film is director Andrei Tarkovsky’s critically acclaimed biography of the 15th century Russian monk and icon painter. Despite the poor technical quality of the film, it is recommended because many critics consider this movie to one of the ten best of all time (black & white with color sequence, 185 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a classic early Soviet film which commemorates a mutiny aboard a Russian warship anchored at Odessa, Russia, during the Revolution of 1905. Great for getting a sense of the Soviet perspective on 1905, the precursor to the successful communist revolution in 1917. As a bonus, the “Odessa Steps” scene is one of the most widely discussed sequences in film history. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein (black & white, 66 minutes). Silent with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this film is set in 1937 (at the height of Stalin’s “Terror”) in a country home just outside of Moscow. The film shows how the victims of Soviet repression came from all segments of Russian society. A very good film, but also quite complex, and it may be above the heads of most secondary school students. Winner of the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Russian-French co-production (134 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a three-part series (each segment is described above) which provides an in-depth look at the troubled history of a part of the world that has served as a linchpin and tinderbox for much of the 20th century. The programs use rare archival footage to trace events from 1900 to the fall of Communism and the rise of democracy. 3-part series, 5Slavic and Eastern Europe-59 minutes each. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or Keisel.1@osu.edu) or the three tape set may be purchased from Films for the Humanities $345.95.

Recommended because this video is intended to acquaint students in grades Slavic and Eastern Europe-8 with life in the new “Russia.” The program introduces the country once known as the Soviet Union through the eyes of four teenagers from Moscow, Kiev (Ukraine), and St. Petersburg (15 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this documentary looks at the social disaster that came along with the construction of a power plant in the city of Balagansk under the orders of the Soviet Union’s Communist planners during the early ’60s. Residents were sold on the project through propagandist news reporting, but the reality fell far short of the dream. The relocated residents found their new land had inferior soil, leading to farm production shortages, lack of water and other serious problems. In English. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for free loan from Indiana University’s Russian and East European Studies Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because set in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1954, “Tito and Me” is the comical story of pudgy, 10-year old Zoran, who lives in an overcrowded apartment with this artist parents, aunt, uncle, grandmother, and horrid cousin Svetlana. Zoran is a quirky child who, to this parents’ dismay, adores Yugoslavia’s charismatic leader Marshall Tito more than he does his own family. In the rare moments when Zoran is not dreaming about Tito, his thoughts are filled with Jasna, an awkward 12-year old orphan girl. When Jasna says that she is going away for two weeks on a walking tour of Tito’s homeland, Zoran is inspired to win an essay contest at his school in order to accompany her on a journey in his hero’s honor. Although the tour turns out to be a disaster of itchy rashes, rainy nights and ghosts in palaces, Zoran discovers the strengh of true friendship, and the importance of his love for his family (104 minutes). In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (tel: 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this video (in English) is a Peabody award-winning documentary that traces the war in the Balkans, from its beginnings in 1987 to its escalation in 1990 to its uneasy, American-brokered and United Nations- enforced peace in 1995. You’ll meet the conflict’s leaders and its war criminals. Learn how the policy of “ethnic cleansing” was initiated. Watch the shelling and running battles between the warring factions. Hear survivors’ tales of atrocities and massacres. And witness the heartbreak of a country and people torn apart by war (5 hours, three cassettes) irst Cassette: Episode One: The Cracks Appear; Episode Two: Descent into War (100 minutes). Second Cassette: Episode Three: The Collapse of Unity; Episode Four: The Gates of Hell (100 minutes). Third Cassette: Episode Five: No Escape (50 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu). It can also be purchased from the Discovery Channel for $50. Be aware of the fact that there is an online Discovery Channel lesson plan to accompany this video.

Recommended because this is a documentary focusing on the capital city of Serbia. Produced by Donya Schimansky, narrated by Mary Gaydos. In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (tel: 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu), but is apparently out of print.

Recommended because this documentary shows how the Communist system was overthrown in Romania, including the events at Timisoara that led to Romanian dictator Ceausescu’s fall (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this program traces the history of Eastern Europe from the reign of Franz Josef to the rise of Hitler and the beginnings of the Second World War. Topics covered include the war for Macedonia pitting Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece against the Turks; political manipulation of the Balkans by Russia, Austria, Britain, and France; domination of Serbia; the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; the fall of czarist Russia; the Hungarian Revolution of 1918; rise of the Communist Party; birth of the Czechoslovakian Republic; the Treaty of Versailles; the rise of Marshal Pilsudski in Poland; formation of the United Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; and the Munich Conference (55 minutes). This video is the first part of the “Eastern Europe: Political Powder Keg” series described below.

Recommended because this is an investigation into the 1999 NATO war against Yugoslavia over Kosovo. Focus is on how the war was prosecuted from the NATO perspective, with special attention given to the diplomatic infighting among NATO officials, both civilian and military, including Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark. In the process, the story of the political constraints, internal divisions, and miscalculations that shaped the war in the Balkans is revealed (120 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); also may be purchased from ShopPBS for Teachers for $70. Be aware of the fact that there is a great website which supplements this documentary.

Recommended because this is one of the very few documentaries on newly independent Slovenia, recently part of the former Yugoslavia. Regimes have fallen all across Europe and the Soviet Union. Laibach’s music, theater and art keep burning the enduring values lost to communist and capitalist states East and West. But their vision of Utopia as the exact negative of totalitarianism drew flak in ex-Yugoslavia, Europe and America and their challenging montages of totalitarian imagery and brute rock and disco rhythms aroused both anger and guilty pleasure. Paradoxically, the Laibach issue seeded the democratic debates that led to the declaration of Independent Slovenia, forcing their critics to revise their opinions of this most controversial group (60 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute. Apparently not available commercially.