Pushkin is everywhere in Russian culture — even in film. In February 2025, another movie about the poet’s life will premiere: Prophet: The Story of Alexander Pushkin by director Felix Umarov. Why is Pushkin one of Russia’s most important literary figures? We wrote about that quotes. Today, let’s take a look back at all the films that have told the story of his remarkable life. We’ve counted 11 of them — and they’re perfect to watch on Pushkin Remembrance Day.
Films About Pushkin’s Life in Chronological Order
- The Life and Death of Pushkin (1910). Directed by Vasily Goncharov. A silent film showing scenes from the poet’s life up to his final days after the fatal duel. The the first movie about Pushkin's life. Made before the revolution. Fully preserved.
- The Poet and the Tsar (1927). Directed by Yevgeny Chervyakov and Vladimir Gardin. A silent full-length feature about the conflict between Tsar Nicholas I and the poet.
- The Poet’s Youth (1937). Directed by Abram Naroditsky. The first sound film about Pushkin, released on the 100th anniversary of his death. It tells the story of his early years at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.
- And I Am with You Again… (1982). Directed by Boris Galanter. Focuses on Pushkin’s life in St. Petersburg and the constant surveillance he lived under.
- The Last Journey (1986). Directed by Leonid Menaker. Based on Mikhail Bulgakov’s play Alexander Pushkin. The film asks if the tragedy of the duel with Dantes could have been avoided.
- Day of the Full Moon (1998). Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov. A mosaic of stories about different people. One features a fictional meeting between Pushkin and a girl from the Kalmyk steppes.
- Russian Ark (2002). Directed by Alexander Sokurov. A unique one-shot film about Russia’s cultural legacy. Pushkin appears among the figures who shaped the country’s history.
- Pushkin: The Last Duel (2006). Directed by Natalia Bondarchuk. A cinematic investigation into the events leading up to Pushkin’s fatal duel and the aftermath.
- 1814 (2007). Directed by Andres Puustusmaa. A murder mystery set in Tsarskoye Selo during Pushkin’s years as a student at the Lyceum.
- Savе Pushkin (2017). Directed by Philipp Korshunov and Pavel Mirzoev. A time-travel teen comedy where Moscow schoolkids try to stop the duel that ended Pushkin’s life.
- The Poet (2025). Directed by Felix Umarov. A new take on the life of the great poet — from his school days to his final duel. Premieres February 14, 2025.
Enjoy!
Ready to dive deeper into Pushkin’s world? Take our Pushkin quiz.
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