In the fall of 2004, the center of Nizhny Novgorod was temporarily transformed: all cars manufactured after 1995 disappeared from some streets. Rumors immediately spread about a large-scale operation by tax authorities. The situation escalated when short-haired men in leather jackets and tracksuits with stripes began appearing on the streets, and gunshots were heard somewhere. However, there was no reason to panic — director Alexei Balabanov was filming the movie «Dead Man's Bluff», immersing the city in the atmosphere of the wild 90s. The film later gained cult status. It starred Russian cinema stars of different generations — from Dmitry Dyuzhev and Alexei Panin to Viktor Sukhorukov and Nikita Mikhalkov. All of them played roles of bandits, crime bosses, and corrupt policemen. Balabanov was closely connected with Nizhny Novgorod — in his youth, he studied as a translator at the Gorky Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages. One of the first scenes in the film was the episode in the morgue, where a character nicknamed the Executioner is about to torture a victim, but instead of interrogation, it all ends in a bloody shootout. The morgue scene was filmed not in a real pathology department, but in the historic building of the Kovalikha Baths — an architectural monument of the 19th century in Nizhny Novgorod. The director decided not to use a real morgue so as not to psychologically traumatize his film crew.

Filming Locations:

Doctor's House

In the Movie

Scene where Seryoga and Simon leave the doctor's house; they came to him on the orders of Sergei Mikhailovich so that the doctor would start paying for protection. But during a random shootout, the Doctor dies, and they take all the goods and go to their car, where a bandit tries to rob them.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the courtyard on Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street. The "Doctor's House" is now renovated, but during the filming it was in a suitable condition for the 90s. A graffiti reminds of the filming, painted on the brick wall, depicting the film's characters with the heads of Chip and Dale from the Disney cartoon.

Koron's House

In the Movie

Scene where Baklazhan stays in the apartment waiting for Bal and Koron, who went to the store for cigarettes and drinks. During their absence, Seryoga and Simon arrive at the apartment looking for the "goods". They don't get an answer from Baklazhan about the goods and decide to start torturing him to return the goods and rat out his accomplices.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in a two-story wooden house from pre-revolutionary times on Provianstkaya Street. This house was chosen in part for its terrible external condition, entrance, and the apartment itself inside. At the time of filming, no one had lived in the premises for over a year due to its dilapidated state. But the house has a rich history; it used to be a hotel for wealthy guests, and part of a fountain still remains in the courtyard, now serving as a pedestal.

Water Pump

In the Movie

Scene where the young bandits Sergei and Simon (by passport — Semyon) drive around the city. Simon had a wild night and tells his friend he is very thirsty. Sergei stops at a water pump, gets out of the car, and scoops cool water with his palm. Simon, without leaving the car, refuses to drink from this "contraption."

In Reality

The scene was filmed on Maxim Gorky Street at an old drinking water pump. Local residents often stopped here to quench their thirst. However, over time, the pump was removed, and the buildings nearby were demolished. Now, almost the entire area is built up with new high-rise buildings, and what was once a familiar element of city life has become part of history.

Street Near the Lawyer's Office

In the Movie

Scene where Seryoga and Simon come to the lawyer, where they exchange the "goods" for a suitcase of money, but as they leave the building, they run into an armed gang consisting of Koron, Bal, and Baklazhan. They take the suitcase of money and drive away in a car. Sergei and Simon shoot after the car, but it quickly drives off.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on Ilyinskaya Street, which is interesting because it is located on top of a hill, and the road goes down, creating an interesting and unusual view. The building where the lawyer's office was located is now the Volga District Medical Center.

Cop's House

In the Movie

Scene where Sergei and Simon come to the cop to find out who robbed them. They meet him on the street as he is coming from the store and offer to talk in his apartment. Going up, they conduct an interrogation with torture and find out that it was he who tipped off the robbers.

In Reality

The scene was filmed near a house on Fedorovsky Embankment; judging by the high-rise building in the background, the Cop comes from a house on Krutoy Lane, and they enter the 6th entrance. Now it looks a little different — a small entrance group was added. The house was chosen as fairly simple but decent, where a low-ranking policeman could indeed live.

Stadium

In the Movie

Scene where three not-so-lucky bandits — Koron, Bal, and Baklazhan — sit at the stadium and smoke. The place for such an activity is, to put it mildly, not the most usual. One of them notes with pleasure how nice it is to have a cigarette after a workout. Baklazhan immediately corrects him, reminding that smoking after sports is harmful, but despite this, he takes a drag along with the others.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the Vodnik Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, which opened back in 1950 and has since become one of the oldest sports arenas in the city. The stadium was built in Soviet times and was originally used for sports and local competitions. Over time, the stadium became somewhat outdated and did not receive major renovations, which added to its characteristic "Soviet" authenticity.

Soda Machine

In the Movie

Scene where Simon, who refused to drink from the water pump, drives up to a vending machine and buys himself carbonated water with syrup. Showing his defiant nature, he does not put the cup back, as was customary, but throws it onto the road after drinking the beverage.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at 61 Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street; at that time, there was still a soda machine there, but later it, along with the structure it was installed in, was demolished. Now there is a bus stop there. For a while, the soda machine had a sign saying "Starred in Dead Man's Bluff."

McDonald's Parking Lot

In the Movie

Scene where Sergei and Simon arrive at McDonald's, and while Simon goes to place an order, Sergei meets an old acquaintance — Kaban. Kaban says that being involved in racketeering, working for Sergei Mikhailovich, and living in Nizhny Novgorod is no longer the best idea, and it's time to move to the capital and engage in real business.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at a real McDonald's restaurant, not far from Gorkovskaya metro station. Only the signs had to be changed to the old style, as the design had changed by the time of filming. Now, the restaurant "Tasty and That's It" still operates in this building.

Sergei's Office in Moscow

In the Movie

Scene where Sergei and Simon sit in a solid Moscow office with a view of the Kremlin. Sergei has become a State Duma deputy, and Simon is his personal assistant. Together they own a company dealing in securities trading. Secretary Katya enters the office; she used to be a waitress at the bar they often visited.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in one of the rooms of the Rossiya Hotel, whose windows faced directly onto the Kremlin, providing the very view we see in the frame. The hotel was chosen solely for its location, as the director wanted to emphasize how close the former bandits were to the Kremlin. The hotel has now been demolished, and Zaryadye Park is located on its site.

Morgue

In the Movie

Scene where the pathologist nicknamed the Executioner holds his victim in the morgue — a cold room with tiled walls, metal tables, and pale dead bodies. The man is tied up and sits motionless, his eyes full of horror. The Executioner stands nearby, in a perfectly clean white coat, as if preparing for ordinary work, not torture. He speaks calmly, almost monotonously, detailing how he will slowly and painfully kill his victim.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the premises of the Kovalikha Baths. This is one of the oldest bathhouses in the city, which for decades served as an important part of the daily life of citizens. Filming in a real morgue was abandoned so as not to traumatize the film crew. Instead, the baths were chosen — their interior with tiles and stone loungers turned out to be surprisingly similar to the atmosphere of a morgue. Actors portraying corpses were laid out on the loungers.