National security agent

In 1998, the authors of «The Streets of Shattered Lanterns» worked out an outline of a second «people’s series» based on the creative concept of a domestic «James Bond», a Russian super-agent capable of neutralizing the most elusive criminal and whiling away the inter-mission time in the arms of a next beauty, who falls for him, needless to say, at first sight. The new project was to become the second most successful Russian TV series, ‘The Streets…’ being the first.

Unlike his celebrated British colleague, national security agent Lyokha Nikolayev does not idolize any personal belongings («Omega», if it is a watch; a smoking jacket above all outfits, etc.) and knows nothing about «gadgets» (shooting fountain-pens, invisible limos, and other gimmicks). He does everything by himself and, unlike gentleman and snob Bond, takes the gangsters almost with his bare hands, relying solely upon his own strength and a little bit of luck. Behind him is considerable life experience: childhood and adolescence spent in Ligovka, Piter’s most hooligan-ridden district; then there was Afghanistan, and the unfinished studies in a theatre institute. Possessing the actor’s gift of impersonation, Lyokha, with the help of make-up and an appropriate costume, can fool anyone. Now he is a wino, next he is an art critic; his disguise changes so often that even those who know his game may at times have no telling what he is up to.

It is also important that national security agent Lyokha Nikolayev is in fact no superman or superhero. His character is very distant from Hollywood stereotypes. You could say he is just a guy living next door, whose Russian recklessness may get him into trouble, whose behaviour is not always «right», who would not mind a shot of vodka and may even disrupt a case through his laxity (already in Part 1 Nikolayev, a lover of women and motor-bikes, is given the sack for a breach of discipline: getting an eyeful of another chick, he missed the criminal). Nevertheless, he is ever ready to take the responsibility and go to the end in any situation (the end being a victorious one, as a rule). He is the risk-taking kind, and he is reckless, manly, bold, noble, and honest. He can be relied on. This is why he is entrusted with the task of protecting life and peace of his fellow countrymen.

Of course, in his duel with bandits he is helped by the colleagues – his partner and friend Krasnov (Krasko), his supervisor Tikhomirov (Yakovlev), and his boss Tarasov (Tolubeyev).

The genre of the «Agent» was defined as «ironical action»: humour, practical jokes and masquerade in the film go together with the no-nonsense men’s action proper; there are much more fights, chases and captures in the «Agent» than in «The Streets of Shattered Lanterns».

Lyokha Nikolayev’s part became a breakthrough for young St. Petersburg actor Mikhail Poretchenkov, who is today one of the brightest stars of the Russian cinema and the nation’s sex-symbol. The «Agent» also brought fame to another notable local actor, Andrey Krasko.

In their second series, the authors of «‘The Streets» tried to avoid the «slips» of the first («The Streets» were criticized for «unevenness» resulting from many different directors shooting different parts). In the «Agent», the «unity of style» for a long time had been the responsibility of artistic director Dmitry Svetozarov, who also directed almost half of the parts.

Since the launching of the project, about 100 parts of the «Agent» have been shot.

The parts of the «National Security Agent», Sequel 5 (the last to date), were shot in 2003-2004.

CREW

• Andrey Chernykh (Film director)
• Andrey Schepochkin (Film director)
• Dmitry Svetozarov (Art Director, Film director)
• Alexander Kapitsa (Producer)
• Vitaly Aksenov (Film director)
• Vladimir Vardunas (Script)
• Igor Ageyev (Script)
• Andrey Sigle (Composer)
• Andrey Ivanov (Composer)
• Tatyana Dorozhkina (Art Director)
• Olga Maneyeva (Producer)

CAST