The Red Queen (miniseries)
| The Red Queen | |
|---|---|
| Krasnaya koroleva | |
| Starring | Ksenia Lukyanchikova |
| Country of origin | Russia Ukraine |
| Original language | Russian |
| Production | |
| Production companies | FILM.UA Group Shpil Studio |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel One Inter |
| Release | 2015 – 2015 |
The Red Queen (Красная королева, Krasnaya koroleva) is a twelve-episode biographical drama produced in 2015 by the Kyiv-based FILM.UA Group in partnership with Moscow’s Shpil Studio for first-run broadcast on Russia’s Channel One and Ukraine’s Inter.[1]
Synopsis
The narrative re-imagines the life of Soviet super-model Regina Zbarskaya—fictionalised here as Zoya Kolesnikova/Regina Barskaya—tracing her escape from provincial Vologda after a domestic tragedy in 1953, through fame on European catwalks, to her eventual psychological collapse.[2]
Production
The series was directed by Alena Semenova from a screenplay by Elena Boyko and Maria Bek, photographed by Alexander Smirnov and designed by art directors Yuri Grigorovich and Alexander Tolkachyov.[2] Although the action is set largely in 1950s–1970s Moscow, principal photography took place on the FILM.UA back-lot in Kyiv, with additional exterior work in Saint Petersburg and the pavilions of VDNKh that once housed Soviet fashion-house exhibitions.[3]
Cast
- Ksenia Lukyanchikova as Regina Barskaya (the character is inspired by Regina Zbarskaya)
- Artyom Tkachenko as Lev Barsky
- Boris Shcherbakov as a senior Party functionary
- Anatoly Rudenko as Viktor
Awards and reception
Critic Caitlin O’Conner praised the “kick-in-the-gut ending that lays bare the cost of beauty under a strict Soviet regime”.[4] Ukrainian Detector Media argued that the lush costuming and nostalgic set-design risked romanticising the late-Soviet period, framing the drama as part of “a Russian television trend of portraying the USSR in pastel, almost Edenic tones”.[5]
Internationally the miniseries won the Silver Screen Award for Best Television Series at the 49th US International Film & Video Festival in Los Angeles in 2016.[3] At Ukraine’s national Teletriumf awards the same year, it received nominations for Best Drama Series and Best Actress.[6] In April 2017 the drama took Best Series and earned Ksenia Lukyanchikova Best Actress at the inaugural International Film Festival “17 Moments…” in Pavlovsky Posad, Russia.
References
- ^ Afanasyeva, Anna (8 January 2017). "Смотрящие сменили лидера". Коммерсантъ (in Russian).
- ^ a b Chunikhina, Maria (14 March 2016). "О чём сериал «Красная королева»?". Аргументы и факты (in Russian).
- ^ a b "The Red Queen – awards". WTW Films. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ O’Conner, Caitlin (5 December 2017). "38 period dramas you can stream right now on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu". Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ Dolygenkova, Inna (14 October 2015). "Про «Червону королеву», жертв анорексії та зґвалтування". Detector Media (in Ukrainian).
- ^ "Оголошено номiнантiв Нацiональноï телевiзiйноï премïi Телетрiумф 2016" (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2022.