10 best Russian TV series

1. Liquidation

2007 year.
Detective.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 8, 4.

In post-war Odessa, a gang led by a mysterious Academician is in charge. Even his henchmen do not know the leader, but this does not prevent him from organizing robberies of military warehouses. Head of the Criminal Investigation Department David Gotsman is trying with all his might to catch the criminals.

This is a rare case when absolutely everything in the project was successful. First, a great acting ensemble has been assembled. Nobody doubts the talents of Vladimir Mashkov for a long time, but even Mikhail Porechenkov, whom many disliked for his monotony, plays with all his heart in "Liquidation".

Secondly, there is a really well-twisted plot, reminiscent of the TV movie "The meeting place cannot be changed."

But most importantly, a lot of Odessa dialect and humor have been inscribed in history, which perfectly defuses the situation. The series has already sold out for quotes, and those who have not seen it yet can only be envied.

2. Ekaterina

year 2014.
Historical drama.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 2.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna decides to marry her nephew Peter III, so that later she herself will raise from his son a worthy heir to the throne. Among the prospective brides is the young Sofia Frederica. She is destined to become Catherine the Great.

Costume dramas are a great topic for Russia with its rich history and outstanding personalities. Of course, this show can play in a big way like the Air Force Crown. But in "Ekaterina" there is an excellent entourage, and most of the actors are well chosen.

Clichés spoil the impression a little, but historical films cannot do without them. It's just that in Russian projects they are more noticeable to our viewer.

3. An ordinary woman

2018 year
Drama, crime.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 8, 1.

Marina is 39 years old, and she is the most ordinary woman. He runs a small flower shop, brings up daughters from her husband, a surgeon. But the rest of the time Marina works as a pimp.

In this series, an ordinary family drama was combined with a real crime story in a very unusual way. The plot is written in an interesting and dynamic way, there is a fair amount of black humor.

Some viewers may be confused by Anna Mikhalkova in the title role, but here she really is in her place. And the moments where doubts arise in her play can be easily attributed to the heroine's duplicity.

In addition, in the role of her loved ones, Evgeny Grishkovets and Tatyana Dogileva are very pleased.

4. Major

year 2014
Detective, psychological thriller, drama.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 0.

Igor Sokolovsky is the son of an oligarch who grew up without a mother. The hero has a law degree, but he never tried to work.

After Igor's fight with the policeman, the father decides that it is time for his son to start a new life. And he sends him to work in the Department of Internal Affairs, where, of course, they are not happy with the son of the oligarch. But it is precisely this event that will make the younger Sokolovsky a real person.

With the advent of "Streets of Broken Lights" (now they are more remembered as "Cops"), series about the police rained down on Russian screens one after another, often simply copying each other. But Major is different from them.

Here is the story of the collision of two social strata, and ambiguous characters. Not without cliches, but the heroes still look like living people with their own merits and demerits.

In addition, Major is surprisingly well filmed: the series was the first Russian project bought by Netflix for screening. And the rights to the remake, according to producer Alexander Tsekalo, were acquired by a large American studio.

5. Thaw

year 2013.
Drama, melodrama.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 9.

Young cameraman Viktor Khrustalev decides to direct a film based on the script of a deceased friend. But for this he will have to work on the set of the comedy "The Girl and the Brigadier". At the same time, he meets the novice director Myachin, who must make his dream come true. The only problem is that both are in love with the same girl.

Valery Todorovsky recalls that he got the idea for the series after meeting with the creator of Mad Men Matthew Weiner. He said that his famous project is based on the memories of his father's work. Then Todorovsky also decided to shoot a series about the environment in which he grew up.

"Madmen" did not work out of this, but it turned out to be a sincere and nostalgic, perhaps a little toy story, where you can find many references to prototypes of heroes.

6. Method

2015 year.
Detective, thriller, drama.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 5.

Investigator Rodion Meglin is used to working alone. He perfectly knows how to calculate maniacs, think like them. But he is given a young intern, Yesenia. And at a certain moment she thinks: since Rodion understands criminals so well, could he himself be one of them?

There are echoes of Dexter, Luther and True Detective in this project. Previously, in Russian TV series about police officers, no one dared to add so much noir and depression to the plot. This is really not easy: there is a risk of going into caricature.

The "method" is primarily saved by the play of Konstantin Khabensky. His character really looks like a man on the edge. And the topics in the series are raised quite non-standard for Russian projects.

Sometimes only the background fails: episodic actors and not the best scenery. But all the attention is drawn to the main characters, and the shortcomings of the film are quickly forgotten.

7. Chernobyl. Exclusion Zone

year 2014.
Mysticism, fantasy, horror, thriller.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 7, 5.

Eight million rubles are missing from the apartment of the protagonist's parents. Together with his friends, he tries to catch the thief. And he writes down a message for them, where he says that money can be found in Pripyat not far from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Upon arrival at the place, strange things begin to happen to the heroes, and then they completely fall into the past.

The main thing that can be confusing in the first episodes is the mediocre play of the young actors. Alas, it should be admitted that they do not always cope with emotional moments. But with each episode it is noticeable less and less.

First, the actors themselves are gradually getting used to the characters. Secondly, the dynamism and unpredictability of the story makes you forget about most of the shortcomings.

The plot is really twisted. There are strange phenomena in the spirit of "Stalker", and time travel, and even an alternative future. Sometimes the special effects are not enough: the budgets of our series are not too large yet.

8. The Master and Margarita

2005 year.
Drama, mysticism, satire.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 5.

A multi-part film adaptation of the famous novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. A classic story about Yeshua and Pontius Pilate, the master who wrote a book about them, and his mistress Margaret. And about the visit of Woland and his retinue to Soviet Moscow.

The main problem of the series is purely television filming with the simplest techniques instead of special effects. Sometimes the action is more like a TV show than a modern TV series. But for a classic theme, this is perfectly acceptable. Moreover, the authors interestingly distinguish between the pale world of people and the bright color scheme of supernatural events.

Filmed with a clear love of the original, the show has an all-star cast that will delight almost everyone.

9. Through my eyes

year 2013.
Fantastic thriller.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 6, 9.

In a secret laboratory, scientists are conducting experiments to transfer a person's soul to another carrier. But the experience does not go according to plan, and the patient turns into a formless bundle of energy.

This series appeared a couple of years before the famous "Hardcore" by Ilya Naishuller and was filmed according to the same principle. Each episode is shown through the eyes of a certain character and reveals his role in what is happening.

But the main advantage is dynamism and confusion. The story at the junction of science fiction, detective and thriller does not let you get bored even for a minute. Even Western projects are often criticized for being too sluggish. But the plot "Through My Eyes" is assembled piece by piece, like a puzzle. It is very interesting to follow him.

10. Gogol

2017 year.
Detective, mysticism, horror.
Duration: 6 episodes.
IMDb: 5, 8.

The clerk Nikolai Gogol goes with investigator Yakov Petrovich Guro to the village of Dikanka to investigate strange crimes. There, the heroes encounter supernatural forces: witches, mermaids, but most importantly - with a ghost rider who regularly kills young girls.

"Gogol" was shown in cinemas in the form of three full-length films. But it's essentially a six-episode television series. Its main advantage is simplicity.

The quality of filming is still inferior to Western counterparts, but the boldness of the project deserves respect. The authors did not hesitate to discard the "great legacy" and make Gogol the hero of a strange fantasy story in the style of "Sleepy Hollow". At the same time, connoisseurs will find many hints of the works of the classics.