MAER became the communication partner of the movie "Wicked City"

The premiere screening of the historical drama "Evil City" took place on January 28 at the Oktyabr Cinema Center on Novy Arbat in Moscow. Communication partners of the picture was the media holding MAER. The epic tale of the strength of the Russian people, heroism and choice in the face of imminent disaster is more than just a reconstruction of historical events.

"The story of how the small Russian town of Kozelsk stood in the way of the whole Mongolian army led by Khan Batyi, moving to Russia, caught me by its integrity, the diversity of characters, their bravery and sacrifice, and, if we talk about the form of the script, its multi-figure structure and multi-tasking. I love those kinds of structures. They are challenging in terms of directing and interesting in finding solutions, both artistic and production. I've had historical projects before, but this is the first time I've made such a complex picture of a huge scale. I wanted to plunge into this era, develop, invent and shoot this significant, interesting and impressive story," says the film's director Konstantin Buslov.

The project team paid special attention to historical accuracy. The events of the film are based on the real chronicles of the defense of Kozelsk. The defenders of the city, led by the young prince Vasily - who, according to chronicles, was only 12 years old - stubbornly opposed the Mongols. They tried to take the city for two months. The locals managed to make additional fortifications and turned Kozelsk into a real fortress.

"My hero is a monk who became a warrior. At first he does not even particularly enter into dialogs with people. But then he gathers a retinue to stand up for the defense of the city, and motivates people by his example. In a situation where the city is doomed, this is the only right way. Because people cannot be forced to sacrifice their lives to fight for truth or for faith. They can only decide it themselves," says Alexei Guskov, who played the role of Ratsha.

Media holding MAER acted as a communication partner of a large-scale historical picture, information campaign started on January 16 in dozens of Russian cities from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, for two weeks the clips will be seen more than half a billion times.

"Evil City" - a movie about the courage of Russian warriors, the resilience of the Russian people. And, of course, about true love. It is symbolic that the picture is released at the very beginning of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. The history of our ancestors is an example for us today. How to defend our interests, our land. How not to give up and believe! It is in the cultural code of our media holding to support such Russian projects! We started sending out digital invitations to the premiere of "Evil City" on January 16, and more than 18 million people will see them within a month," said Konstantin Major, General Director and owner of MAER Media Holding.

For the filming of the picture created about 1000 original costumes, and the city of Kozelsk was built from scratch, were erected not separate streets, as is often practiced in movies, and 40 full-fledged buildings made of stone and wood.

"It's interesting how the perception of scale has changed over the centuries. The city of Kozelsk, which was once considered significant and played a huge role in history, today looks like a small farmstead compared to giant modern megacities such as Moscow. However, its significance remains unchanged: it is the place where a small community put up a heroic resistance and wrote its name in history. And Kozelsk remained not just a point on the map, today they make a movie about it", - said the actress of the movie "Evil City" Polina Chernyshova.

The basis of the movie was not only heroic battles, but also human stories, and, of course, love. In Vesnyana, the daughter of a blacksmith, a brave and freedom-loving girl, falls in love with Lyutobor, the tensman of the Kozelsk druzhina.

"I believe that he is an absolutely honest man. Before he lays claim to Vesnyana, he ends his relationship with Daria. He doesn't even think of fooling either of them. Yes, he may be overdoing it somewhere, but everything he does, he believes in it and he does it for a higher purpose. And for him the main thing is to be faithful to the end and the woman he chose, and the Motherland, "- says Vladimir Lyubimtsev about his character.

"Vesnyana is a girl strong, independent and at the same time feminine and tender. She fights for her ideals and those she loves. Her struggle is a confrontation not only with her enemies, but also with her own destiny. By getting into her character, I even adopted some of her traits. Her inner strength and determination are inspiring. I think every woman could use these qualities," - emphasized actress Leonela Manturova, talking about her heroine.

The film "Evil City" will be released in wide distribution on January 30. The project team is sure that every viewer will be able to find a part of themselves in an honest and lively movie.