Cheryomushki is a Soviet musical comedy-drama based on Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1959 operetta Moscow, Cheryomushki. Set in post-war Moscow, it follows four couples hoping to escape their cramped homes by moving into new apartments in the Cheryomushki housing estate. Young architect Lida Baburova and her father are among the new residents. However, their hopes are threatened when building manager Barabashkin and corrupt official Drebednev manipulate apartment allocations for their own benefit. The residents join forces to expose the corruption and reclaim their homes, leading to a joyful musical ending. The film uses humour and music to highlight Moscow’s housing shortage and bureaucratic corruption.
Herbert Rappaport was an Austrian-born Soviet writer-director. After assisting G. W. Pabst, he moved to the Soviet Union in 1936 and worked at Lenfilm. His films include Professor Mamlock, Musical Story and Cheryomushki, based on Shostakovich’s operetta.
Lenfilm Studio
