Lieutenant Kizhe (1934) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1934 · 83 mins · Russian

Loading streaming availability…

Directed by

Alexandr Faintsimmer

Starring

Erast Garin, Mikhail Yanshin, Nina Shaternikova, Boris Gorin-Goryainov, Sofiya Magarill, Mikhail Rostovtsev

A military scribe’s copying mistake turns the Russian phrase “the lieutenants, however” into the name “lieutenant Kizhe.” When the Tsar reads the erroneous report, he demands to meet the nonexistent officer. To avoid his wrath, the courtiers fabricate Kizhe as a royal scapegoat, setting off a comic series of deceptions.