Lermontov. Doomsday

On a quiet morning in Pyatigorsk in July 1841, Mikhail Lermontov and Nikolai Martynov — friends just days earlier — are now heading toward a deadly duel. As the hour approaches, those around them try to stop the inevitable, but wounded pride drives both men forward. The film follows the final, tense moments leading up to the poet’s fateful encounter on Mount Mashuk.

The film was made in and around Pyatigorsk, including the slopes of Mount Mashuk — the very place where the real duel between Lermontov and Martynov took place.

The actor playing Lermontov is best known as a stand-up performer, making his first major dramatic appearance on film. This unexpected casting adds a raw, unpredictable energy to the character.

A story told within a single day. Rather than presenting a full biographical portrait, the film concentrates entirely on the poet’s final day. This tight structure creates an intense, almost claustrophobic sense of inevitability.

Director Bakur Bakuradze treats the Pyatigorsk setting as more than background. The mountains, wind, and shifting light become emotional counterparts to the turmoil leading up to the duel, giving the film a meditative tone.