In ancient times of famine and Tatar raids, the satirist Yuras Bratchik appears to the people in the guise of Christ, and the people believe in a miracle. The cunning monk Bosyatsky decides to use this event. Arrested by order of the Cardinal, Yuras and his friends - "apostles", disguised and dressed in appropriate clothes, are brought to the people. The hungry people begin to beg for bread, and Yuras leads the crowd to the bins of the rich. Having escaped from the Cardinal, Yuras and his friends take refuge in a convent. With the help of the people they defeat both the attacking Tatars and the Cardinal's army.
Direction
Bychkov and Skvortsov balance sacred iconography with peasant farce.
Costume
The fake-apostle disguises are gloriously threadbare and convincing.
Director
Vladimir Bychkov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during the Khrushchev Thaw, this slipped through as 'folk humor' while skewering religious authority and class structures simultaneously.
Lev Durov's performance as Yuras was reportedly based on traveling Ukrainian bandura players—wandering performers who blurred sacred and secular songs.
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