Russian literature is famous around the world and has many TV adaptations. We don’t always have time to read thick volumes so it is also a great way to get to know Russian literature. Here we have four TV-series based on Tolstoy and Bulgakov novels that worth watching!
War and Peace (2016)
A six-part BBC adaptation based on a famous novel by Leo Tolstoy. The novel has many interpretations, but BBC one is the newest, and this is a good one! The plot focuses on Russian society during the war with Napoleon in 19th century. The series have 6 episodes, starring Paul Dano as Pierre Bezukhov, Lily James as Natasha Rostova, James Norton as Andrei Bolkonsky.
A Young Doctor’s Notebook (2013)
A British dark comedy based on Mikhail Bulgakov short stories with the same name, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm. The story takes place in a fictional hospital in a fictional remote Russian town called Muryevo during the Russian Revolution (1917). The main character is a young doctor who has just graduated from the university and has to deal with the real medical practice.
Anna Karenina: Vronsky’s Story (2017)
Eight-part adaptation of the novel by Leo Tolstoy with the same name. “Anna Karenina” has many adaptations, both Russian and foreign, so you probably has seen at least one. A 2017 version tells the story from Vronsky perspective that is a curious view on the famous plot. The series turn out to be quite polemic, however, it is always good to have a fresh adaptation! Starring Russian actors: Elizaveta Boyarskaya as Anna Karenina and Maksim Matveyev as Alexei Vronsky.
The Master and Margarita (2005)
A Russian 10-series adaptation of the most famous Mikhail Bulgakov novel. This is a complex story written in the Soviet period and beloved by many Russians. “The Master and Margarita” is a satirical dark comedy with supernatural elements that takes place in USSR before the Second World War. At the same time, it focuses on Christian philosophy with the storyline that takes place in biblical Jerusalem. It’s a story that is hard to describe in a few words, so we recommend watching it! Starring famous Russian actors such as Anna Kovalchuk, Aleksandr Galibin, and Oleg Basilashvili.
