The film was shot in the Urals: in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions. The script required an authentic cave, and they found one in the Kyshtym mica mine. Lake Sugomak near the town of Kyshtym also served as a backdrop for some scenes. And the remarkable house made of trash, which even got its own character poster, is a real residential building from the village of Murzinka in the Sverdlovsk region.

Filming Locations:

Lyokha's House

In the Movie

Scene where Lyokha (Maxim Stoyanov) returns home. Several children are playing near the gate, trying to pocket a piece of the house. The fact is that the hero's house is unusual: it looks like a work of modern art rather than a residential building. It is entirely covered with bottles, old cans, tires, wrappers, and toys. The children call the hero a trashman, laugh at him, and run away.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the village of Murzinka near Novouralsk. This is a real landmark of the settlement, and the place where the building stands is called the Mountain of Fools. Alexander, the owner of the house, did not plan to make it like this. His father built an ordinary garden house using whatever materials he could get in the 1990s, and decorated it with ordinary household items. The unusualness of the space perfectly suited the film's concept.

The Cave

In the Movie

Scene where Lyokha and Yana (Alena Miroshnikova) run from pursuers through the forest. They find a cave where they can hide. Yana asks Lyokha to take out all metal objects from his pockets. They hug and Lyosha disappears.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at an abandoned mica mine in the vicinity of the town of Kyshtym. The filmmakers needed a cave untouched by humans for the key final scene of the film. The landscapes around the mica mine are very cinematic, so these eco-trails also made it into the frame.

Snow Field

In the Movie

Scene where Lyosha carries Yana on his back. They cross a huge snow field. They need to hurry because angry pursuers with dogs are running after them. They have axes, shovels, and pokers in their hands; only pitchforks and torches are missing.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on Lake Sugomak west of the town of Kyshtym in the Chelyabinsk region. The snow-covered lake became an ideal location for filming the heroes' escape. It symbolizes the border between the old and new worlds, and by crossing it, Lyosha says goodbye to his former life; he will not return.