The filming of the famous movie did not take place, as many think, in a village near Moscow, but in the Republic of Karelia, in a small town located at the northernmost point of Lake Onega. The resort scenes were filmed in Batumi, and part of the filming took place in the pavilions of Mosfilm.

Filming Locations:

Vasya's House

In the Movie

Scene where All scenes in and around the house, as well as scenes in the dovecote.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the city of Medvezhyegorsk on the banks of the Kumsa River, Karelia. The original house was demolished after a fire in 2011, but a local resident decided to restore the house and dovecote at the original filming location on his own. Now this place can be visited to admire a replica of the filming site. By the way, the veranda and dovecote were built specifically for the filming; originally they were not part of the house.

Resort Cafe

In the Movie

Scene where Vasya and Raisa Zakharovna stroll around the resort.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the cafe "Fantasia" or as locals called it, the octopus, which was abandoned in 2000 and completely lost its beautiful appearance. But recently it was restored and reopened, preserving its 1975 appearance. Now anyone can visit it and even have a cup of coffee there. By the way, the menu at the cafe is not very extensive, and it's worth going for nostalgia and recognizable photos.

The Sea

In the Movie

Scene where Vasya, still in his suit, opens a door and finds that it now leads not to the yard, but to the sea. He falls out of it straight into the sea and emerges from the water already undressed and immediately starts swimming. The scene was filmed in autumn; the water temperature was only 14 degrees Celsius, so the actors pretend to be hot, but in reality they are on the verge of hypothermia.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on a pier in the city of Kobuleti on the Black Sea coast, 20 km from Batumi. This was one of the few trips the film crew made outside the city. They chose this spot to film Vasya's swimming scene in one take without cuts. He was supposed to fall out of the door and then surface without clothes in a single shot. They built a door on the pier, and divers were stationed underwater who removed the actor's clothes only on the third take, once nearly strangling him with his tie.

Oriental-Style Cafe

In the Movie

Scene where Vasya and Raisa visit an oriental-style cafe, where they drink coffee and continue their conversations, during which Raisa "broadcasts" and Vasya just listens. This time the conversation is about progressive Filipino medicine, with all the details of the operations performed.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at a cafe that was called "Oriental Sweets" during filming, now renamed "Coffeetopia Batumi". The establishment is located in the central part of the city, not far from the coast on Rustaveli Avenue. Since then, it has been renovated, but the overall style of the establishment has been preserved, although unfortunately the stained glass windows were removed.

Dolphinarium

In the Movie

Scene where Raisa and Vasya have conversations about the paranormal and science fiction. They are so engrossed in this and each other that they pay almost no attention to the dolphin performance, just as they do to other tourist attractions.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the dolphinarium in Batumi. In the 1970s, it was one of the best dolphinariums built in the Soviet republics. And one of the best in the country. Currently, the dolphinarium has been heavily rebuilt, but it still operates and is open to visitors.

Gym

In the Movie

Scene where Vasya Kuzyakin and Raisa go to a gym, where they exercise on rather strange-looking machines, while not even wearing sportswear. As if to emphasize that they are not interested in what is happening, but only in their conversation with each other. In this location, Raisa talks about telekinesis and humanoids.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the city of Yessentuki, in the building of the Zander Institute of Mechanotherapy. This is where research on the rehabilitation of people after injuries and operations and physical exertion took place, within which a rather unusual "park" of exercise machines was developed. They were once appreciated even by celebrities - Chaliapin, Stanislavsky, and many others.

Botanical Garden

In the Movie

Scene where Raisa and Vasily, as part of a tourist group, visit the local botanical garden, but at first they lag behind the group and walk arm in arm far behind, and then they are completely alone, making their way through bamboo thickets, although, of course, walking off the paths is strictly prohibited.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the Botanical Garden located north of the city; you have to take a separate 9-kilometer excursion to get there. The garden was founded in 1912 and consists of a large number of tropical and subtropical plants, which would have been extremely interesting for the average tourist in the 1970s.