Smoke of the Fatherland

The Great Russian scientist, famous politician and poet M.Lomonosov is severely ill. Understanding that there is not much time left for him to live, he decides to visit his beloved small native town. Taking a coach, he heads for the motherland of his ancestors. A shaky road raises thoughts and reminiscences about his days of youth, about the time when he was young and unknown, how he made first steps on his long way of the truth comprehension. He recollects early death and funeral of his mother, the repeated, and not very successful marriage of his father, hatred of stepmother, care of godfather, who gave him the books of Peter the Great, wandering monk, who taught him the fundamentals of science, Latin, and, of course, his first love.

Directed by Yaropolk Lapshin, Smoke of the Fatherland leans on a strong ensemble — Mikhail Zimin, Andrey Nikolaev, Pyotr Velyaminov — 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 history titles of 1980.