By the Call of the Heart

The heroes got married shortly before the start of the war. In the summer of 1941, Grigory went to the front, was wounded and evacuated along with the hospital. Attempts to find her husband were unsuccessful. Tamara went to the front line as a medical instructor, then graduated from the artillery school and became a platoon commander. And later I found out that Grigory was picked up by villagers and, having changed his oath, he remained waiting for the arrival of the Soviet Army. Realizing his mistake, Grigory realized that only with blood he could atone for his guilt - and reached the front line, no longer afraid of death. Soon Tamara received a notification of his death. After the war, she remarried and was happy, like many in the post-war years. And only the unexpected return of Gregory for a while made her doubt the legitimacy of this happiness.

Directed by Sulamif Tsybulnik, Halyna Shyhaieva, By the Call of the Heart leans on a strong ensemble — Olga Bityukova, Yuriy Grigorev, Dmitriy Brusnikin — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about war titles of 1986.