The Fellows From the Kanonersky Island

Two friends, Valya and Slava, come up with an interesting game for the kids in their neighborhood—called "sea crew"—and an old abandoned shed serves as their "ship." But the game is just a game, and the kids want to participate in something real. Then they receive a letter from an older friend — the virgin lands where he is heroically working are short of tractors. Here it is, a real job — they need to collect scrap metal to build a tractor! What's more, the kids decide to raise a sunken barge from the bottom of the Neva River...

Directed by Mikhail Shapiro, The Fellows From the Kanonersky Island leans on a strong ensemble — Valentin Efimov, Lev Borisov, Vladimir Osobik — 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 adventure titles of 1960.