Seven Versts Before Dawn

Starring

Fyodor Dobronravov

Mariya Shukshina

Victor Dobronravov

Timofey Kochnev

Artyom Bystrov

Oleg Gaas

Vyacheslav Chepurchenko

Sergey Kempo

Incoming Editorial Team·Verified April 30, 2026

In the early days of the Great Patriotic War old Kuzmich from the village of Kurakino guesses that a long war lies ahead. As the village falls under German occupation and repressions intensify, he keeps aloof, arousing suspicions. Following the execution of fellow villagers and accusations of betrayal, Kuzmich agrees to serve as a guide for the German detachment, ostensibly to get a horse and save his family. In reality, however, he is planning a sacrificial deception: through his grandson Vaska, he conveys information about the enemy's route to the Soviet troops. At the critical moment, Kuzmich leads the German mountain troopers into a trap, repeating the feat of Ivan Susanin. At the cost of his own life the old man leads the enemy to perdition, becoming a symbol of the people's resistance.