Overview

A two-part East German documentary tracing Russia’s transformation from the Tsarist Empire to the Soviet Union, from the 1917 October Revolution to the achievements of the space program. Directed by Andrew Thorndike and Annelie Thorndike, the film assembles extensive archival footage to chart political upheaval, ideological consolidation, and technological ambition in twentieth-century Russia. Produced by DEFA and first broadcast on East German television in 1963.

Top Cast

Wolfgang Heinz

(narrator)

Günter Grabbert

(narrator)

Fred Düren

(narrator)

Günther Simon

(narrator)

Horst Drinda

(narrator)

Lotte Loebinger

(narrator)

Wolfgang Langhoff

(narrator)

H

Helmut Müller-Lankow

(narrator)

W

Walter Niklaus

(narrator)

Yuriy Yakovlev

(Russian version narrator)

George Coulouris

(English version narrator)

Mark Dignam

(English version narrator)