The historical series “Arsenyev” premiered in Vladivostok, with the first two episodes shown to viewers in Primorsky Krai. The screening was timed to coincide with September 10, the birthday of Vladimir Klavdievich Arsenyev, whose name is inextricably linked with the Russian Far East. People’s Artist of Russia Yevgeny Mironov plays the lead role in the project; he also served as the series’ artistic director and contributed to the script.
The project was created by the Rossiya TV channel and the Okko online cinema with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Government of Primorsky Krai; Sberbank served as a strategic partner. A significant portion of the filming took place in Primorye, the region where Arsenyev’s real-life expeditions took place.
The premiere program kicked off at the V.K. Arsenyev Museum-Reserve of the History of the Far East, a symbolic location: the institution has borne the explorer’s name since 1945 and houses his memorabilia and archives. A press conference with the project’s creators and a screening of a film about the filming took place there. Among the meeting participants were the Governor of Primorsky Krai Oleg Kozhemyako, director Dmitry Kiselev, screenwriter Ilya Tilkin, producer Alexander Novin, actors Viktor Verzhbitsky, Yulia Khlynina and Ondasyn Besikbasov.
Yevgeny Mironov emphasized that working on the series was a deep immersion into the life of a man who remained true to his work in difficult times:
We worked on the series for five years: three years writing the script, a year filming, and another year of editing and computer graphics. I was very upset that so little is known about Vladimir Arsenyev in the country, but he is a man who personifies these places.
Director Dmitry Kiselev noted the complexity and fascination of the task:
I had to immerse myself in the taiga, understand all the complexities and peculiarities of the expeditions of that time. Since the series is historical, it was important not only to find an external resemblance to real historical figures, but also to get into their character.
Ondasyn Besikbasov, who played Dersu Uzala, also felt a special responsibility:
I have probably seen Akira Kurosawa’s film “Dersu Uzala” more than a hundred times. When I was offered this role, I was nervous: I wanted to find my Dersu. It is important that our story comes out 50 years after Kurosawa’s film, and should introduce new generations of viewers to this story.”
The main screening took place at the Okean cinema. An immersive program was prepared for guests, conveying the atmosphere of the era: in front of the building, a Cossack camp, an Udege village with a shaman, and an early 20th-century social salon featuring lively romances were recreated. The spaces revealed different facets of the world Arsenyev explored. At the premiere, Governor Oleg Kozhemyako, who was the project’s ideological inspirer, announced the establishment of the Order of Arsenyev in the region and ceremoniously presented the first award to Yevgeny Mironov.
The series “Arsenyev” will tell the story of the explorer’s life and expeditions, combining a historical basis with a large-scale artistic presentation, including modern graphics and a detailed reconstruction of the era.
