The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed () is a 1979 Soviet five-part television-film directed by Stanislav Govorukhin and starring singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky in one of his final screen appearances alongside actor Vladimir Konkin. The script, written by Arkady and Georgy Vayner, is based on the plot of their novel .
The setting is post-war Moscow. An investigation into the "Black Cat" gang is carried out by officers of the anti-banditry division of the Moscow Criminal Investigations Department, headed by police captain Zheglov. The film's plot echoes the real story of the Krasnogorsk gang of Ivan Mitin, who were involved in robberies, assaults, and murders in Moscow and the Moscow Oblast in the early 1950s.
Filming took place in 1978–1979 at the Odessa Film Studio and in Moscow. The film's premiere, timed to coincide with Police and Internal Affairs Servicemen's Day, occurred on 11–16 November 1979 on Soviet Central Television. The press received the film positively, praising the acting and directorial work while noting the moral issues presented in the story, primarily associated with the ethical confrontations between Zheglov and Sharapov. Among the film's critics, the Vayner brothers, who disagreed with directorial decisions, asked to have their names removed from the credits. Later, at the brothers' initiative, their names were re-added.
While the film did not receive any awards, its creators received honorary certificates from the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Vysotsky received three posthumous awards for playing the role of Captain Zheglov: in 1981, a special diploma and a jury prize at the 9th All-Union Film Festival in Yerevan; in 1987, a USSR State Prize; and in 1998, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Prize. Vladimir Konkin was also awarded the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Prize in 1999 for his role as Sharapov.
The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed became a cult film in the USSR. Alongside Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973), it shaped popular culture for several generations of Russian-language viewers. Lines from the film have become commonplace catchphrases and aphorisms. The series was released in the West as The Age of Mercy, after the original novel by the Vayner brothers on which it is based.
Plot
The story takes place in Moscow from August to November 1945.
First part Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Sharapov (Vladimir Konkin) is a young reconnaissance officer who has just returned from the front. He is assigned to serve in the Moscow Criminal Investigations Department (MUR) and meets the head of the anti-banditry department, Captain Gleb Zheglov (Vladimir Vysotsky), and other officers. On his first day of service, Sharapov joins an active undercover operation against the elusive Black Cat that goes wrong when a policeman dies before his eyes.
In addition to hunting for the Black Cat, Zheglov's department handles a variety of cases. During a shift, they are the first to arrive at another crime scene: a young woman, Larisa Gruzdeva, has been murdered and robbed, and the case falls to them. Zheglov is certain that the crime was committed by Larisa's husband, Dr. Ivan Gruzdev (Sergey Yursky). During a search of his rented apartment, the pistol used to kill Larisa is found.
Second part The task force arrives at the scene of a robbery in progress at a food warehouse by the Black Cat gang. The bandits manage to escape and Sharapov misses one of the criminals: a man wearing a military uniform and an Order of the Patriotic War.
In addition, Zheglov and Sharapov continue to investigate the murder of Larisa Gruzdeva. All evidence points to her husband being the murderer, but Sharapov begins to doubt that the investigation is on the right track.
While on duty, Sharapov meets junior sergeant Varvara Sinichkina (): the two take a foundling boy to an orphanage, and a romantic interest develops between them.
Among the representatives of the criminal world that Sharapov meets during a raid is the prostitute Manka Obligatsiya (Larisa Udovichenko). The bracelet of the deceased Larisa is found on her hand. Thanks to the information received from Manka, Zheglov and Sharapov track down the thief Kirpich (Stanislav Sadalsky); in a conversation with the officers, he mentions the name of a bandit unknown to them — Fox.
Third part The capture of Fox (Alexander Belyavsky) is now one of the team's main tasks. During a search of Verka the milliner, in whose apartment Kirpich won Gruzdeva's bracelet from Fox, other things belonging to the murdered Larisa are found. Zheglov stations two officers in the house to ambush Fox. However, the carefully thought-out plan is thwarted by Fox's insolence and the cowardice of policeman Solovyov. Nevertheless, the investigation continues. At the Bolshoi Theater, Zheglov and Sharapov detain the thief Ruchechnik (Yevgeny Yevstigneyev) and his partner Volokushina (Yekaterina Gradova), who reports that Fox has a "contact phone". Sharapov receives additional information regarding Fox, such as a description of his appearance, from Fox's former mistress, Ira Sobolevskaya (Natalya Fateyeva), who is also a friend of the murdered Larisa. Sharapov begins to suspect that Fox is the same bandit he missed during the warehouse robbery, which means that Larisa's murder is connected to the Black Cat gang.
Sharapov and Varvara are getting closer while tensions are starting to build between him and Gleb. Despite Gleb's experience and his unquestionable authority, Sharapov doubts some of his methods of conducting investigative work, which leads to conflicts.
Fourth part Sharapov decides to double-check the facts obtained on the day of Larisa Gruzdeva's murder. Rechecking the testimony, he discovers that the gun, which is the main evidence against Gruzdev, was probably planted in his rented apartment. At the same time, other details are revealed that point to Gruzdev's innocence. Zheglov, while generally accepting Sharapov's arguments, nevertheless insists on the need to continue to detain Gruzdev since his release may alert the real murderer. Meanwhile, the officers develop a plan to capture Fox in the Astoria restaurant. The entire task force, posing as vacationers, spends time in the restaurant when Sharapov recognizes Fox. Fox senses an ambush and tries to escape, but he fails to evade the pursuit. During the police lineup, Zheltovskaya, Gruzdev's new wife, reports that she had seen Fox before: he had appeared in their house disguised as a plumber on the day of Larisa's death. Gruzdev is released, but Zheglov, convinced that "there is no punishment without guilt," refuses to apologize to him.
Having taken the fingerprints of the driver Yesin, Fox's accomplice, who was killed during the arrest, reveals that he killed Vasya Vekshin, who was trying to get in touch with the Black Cat gang. Fox's connection with the gang has been proven, but he himself, adhering to the concept of "thief in law", refuses to cooperate with the investigation.
Sharapov and Zheglov develop an operation to introduce Sharapov into the Black Cat gang disguised as a petty criminal who allegedly met Fox in a pre-trial detention center.
Fifth part According to Zheglov's plan, Sharapov, posing as thief Vladimir Sidorenko, must contact Fox's mistress, Anya. However, the plan unexpectedly misfires: Sharapov is captured by members of the gang and, having broken away from the operatives following them, is brought to the lair of the Black Cat gang. Speaking to the gang leader, hunchback Karp, nicknamed Gorbaty (Armen Dzhigarkhanyan), Sharapov manages to convince the gang of his own "criminal past" and that they need to rescue Fox, who will be delivered the next day to the store they robbed earlier to conduct an "investigative experiment".
Unexpectedly, among the gang members, Sharapov recognizes his front-line comrade, penal soldier Sergei Levchenko (Viktor Pavlov). Levchenko, who sees through Sharapov's ruse and recognizes that he is luring the gang into a trap, nevertheless does not give him up. At night, Levchenko invites him to leave the lair. Sharapov refuses and suggests that Levchenko leave himself, but he also refuses.
Meanwhile, Zheglov, realizing that "the meeting place cannot be changed," begins to prepare the store for the bust. It is successful: Sharapov is saved, and the Black Cat gang is neutralized. However, Levchenko, taking advantage of the moment, tries to escape. Despite Sharapov's protest, Zheglov shoots Levchenko and kills him, not at all regretting that he "killed a bandit."
After the bust, a depressed Sharapov goes to the maternity hospital, but learns that someone adopted the foundling he once delivered. He goes to Varvara, who greets him at the window, holding the baby in her arms.
Cast Vladimir Vysotsky as Vladimir Konkin as Sergei Yursky as Ivan Gruzdev Viktor Pavlov as Sergey Levchenko Natalya Fateyeva as Ira Sobolevskaya Leonid Kuravlyov as Valentin Bisyaev ("Val'ka Kopchyony") Svetlana Svetlichnaya as Nadya, Larisa's sister Aleksandr Belyavsky as Evgeny Fox Yevgeny Yevstigneyev as Pyotr Ruchnikov ("Pet'ka Ruchechnik") Armen Dzhigarkhanyan as Karp ("Gorbatyiy") Valeriya Zaklunna as Klavdiya, Karp's girlfriend Zinoviy Gerdt as Mikhail Bomze, Sharapov's neighbour as Varvara Sinichkina (voiced by ) Yevgeny Leonov-Gladyshev as Vasily Veshkin, the operative murdered in the first episode Ivan Bortnik as "Promokashka", bandit Larisa Udovichenko as Mariya Kolyvanova ("Manka Obligatsiya") Stanislav Sadalsky as Konstantin Saprykin ("Kostya Kirpich") Yekaterina Gradova as Svetlana Volokushuna, Ruchechnik's accomplice Vladimir Zharikov as Tyagunov, bandit Aleksandr Abdulov as Loshak, bandit driver Natalya Krachkovskaya as singer in the restaurant
Production Literary screenplay and director's statement Meeting Place was based on the novel The Era of Mercy, written by Arkady and Georgy Vayner in 1975. The plot is loosely based on true events but has almost nothing to do with the deeds of the real Black Cat gang. The real members of this gang — mostly teenagers — were detained in the late 1940s after an unsuccessful apartment burglary. Nevertheless, the myth of elusive criminals who left drawings of cats existed in post-war Moscow for quite a long time. The Vayner brothers borrowed only the group's name and symbols from this story. The Krasnogorsk is much closer to the gang in the novel. According to Georgy Vayner, "although Sharapov is a collective image, he also has a prototype — Volodya Arapov, who later became the head of the MUR department. He participated in the capture of the famous Mitin gang, which we personified as the Black Cat." The storyline connected with the arrest of Ivan Gruzdev is also inspired by real events - his prototype was the candidate of medical sciences Yevgeny Mirkin, who was arrested in 1944 on suspicion of murdering his wife. Only after the verdict was passed did evidence emerge that Mirkin was innocent.
There are different versions associated with the idea of the film adaptation of The Era of Mercy. According to Arkady Vayner's memoirs, after the release of the book, he and his brother gave several copies to close friends. Among them was Vladimir Vysotsky. After reading the novel, Vysotsky told the Vayners that it was a ready-made basis for a future film in which he would like to stake out the role of Zheglov for himself. Stanislav Govorukhin stated a different interpretation of the events, claiming that it was he who recommended Vysotsky to read the Vayners' work.