Abducted Bride's Hidden Retreat: Mzymty Beach, Ahtsu Gorge Revealed
In 1966, the Krasnodar region provided the backdrop for the filming of the beloved Soviet comedy, "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style" (1967). However, contrary to its title, most of the film was not shot in the Caucasus region as one might expect. Instead, the stunning landscapes of Crimea served as a visual stand-in for the Caucasus.
The film's screenplay was penned by Yakov Kostykovsky and Maurice Slobodsky, while Leonid Gaidai took the helm as director. The film's ensemble cast included Alexander Demyanenko as Shurik, Natalia Varley, Georgiy Vitsin, Yuri Nikulin, and Evgeniy Morgunov, among others.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film features Shurik (Alexander Demyanenko) tumbling into a mountain stream in a sleeping bag, a moment that was captured in the valley of the Mzymta River. Meanwhile, the scene of Natalia Varley laughing heartily was achieved through a playful prank by her co-stars who comically scratched their bellies.
The filming process was not without its challenges. A dispute arose over the name of a character, Comrade Saakhov, which was considered an insult to a party secretary named Nikolai Saakov. This led to a delay in the filming. Additionally, during filming, Natalia Varley nearly ran over her co-stars due to a faulty brake in an old red German car, "Adler Trumpf".
The film's title, "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style", caught the attention of no less than Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He watched and enjoyed the film at his dacha, which led to it being given the highest category and shown in 50 Moscow cinemas.
After the success of "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style", Natalia Varley, who was an acrobat from the circus, did not return to the circus. Instead, she went on to star in various movies. Today, she is a published author, having graduated from the Maxim Gorky Literary Institute in Moscow.
Despite the film's title, the majority of the filming for "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style" took place near Alushta, Crimea, with only a few scenes shot near Sochi. This misconception likely stems from the film's title, which evokes images of the Caucasus region, but the actual production was primarily based in Crimea.
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