THE EVENING BEFORE MIDSUMMER'S DAY

A film version of Nikolaj Gogol’s novel of the same name from the novel cycle „Večera na chutore bliz Dikan’ki“ (published in 1831/32). Poor stableboy Petrus‘ agrees to a pact with the devil to win the heart of the beautiful Pidorka, daughter of a peasant. To be able to raise an enchanted treasure on Midsummer’s eve he has to load a heavy blood guilt onto himself. This blood guilt makes him insane. After the wedding to Pidorka he loses his memory, gets depressive and is being plagued by delusions. When on Midsummer’s eve of the following year Petrus‘ gets his memory back he loses his treasure and Pidorka who becomes a nun.The film was hindered by the Soviet censorship well into the „Perestrojka“-period.