Three Plus Two

Three Plus Two

Company type	Film production
Industry	Film
Founded	1963
Headquarters	Moscow and Riga , Soviet Union
Products	Films
Parent	Gorky Film Studio, Riga Film Studio

Three Plus Two, also known as 3 + 2, is a 1963 Soviet romantic comedy directed by , adapted from a play by Sergei Mikhalkov. The production was a collaboration between Moscow’s Gorky Film Studio and the Soviet Latvian Riga Film Studio.

Plot summary

Set during the mid-1960s in Crimea, the story follows three friends from Moscow—Roman, a veterinarian; Vadim, a diplomat; and Stepan, a physicist—who embark on a camping trip along the Black Sea shore. Their peaceful retreat is disrupted when two women, a circus trainer and an actress named Zoya and Natasha, arrive asserting ownership of the campsite. What begins as a conflict over territory ultimately leads to mutual understanding.

Filmmaking details

The movie was produced in both widescreen and fullscreen formats, necessitating each scene to be captured twice.

Crimea location details

The principal filming occurred in Novy Svet, Crimea, which was then part of the Ukrainian SSR.

Other locations

Scenes featuring the tent and Volga cabin were shot at Riga Film Studios, where screen tests were also conducted.

Sequences involving large cats took place at the Leningrad circus. Actress Natalya Fateeva performed close interactions with tigers; however, most of these shots were omitted due to safety concerns about the visible leash held by the tiger trainer.

Farmyard scenes showing Roman caring for cows were filmed in Moscow.

The cars

03-45-лдд: The vehicle driven by the men is a first-generation GAZ Volga, “Star” series, manufactured between 1959 and 1961.

18-15-лдг: The women’s automobile is a ZAZ-965 “Zaporozhets,” produced in 1960 or 1961.

Both vehicles bear registration plates starting with (лд), indicating Leningrad origin.

The music

A recurring tune titled "Let them talk," performed by the male characters on guitar and featured during the closing credits, is sung by Aida Vedishcheva alongside Gennady Nilov. The film’s musical score was arranged by Raimonds Pauls.

Cast

• Natalya Kustinskaya portrays Natasha, an actress.
• Natalya Fateyeva plays Zarema "Zoya" Pavlovna, an animal trainer and circus performer.
• Andrei Mironov appears as Roman Lyubeshkin, veterinarian.
• Evgeny Zharikov acts as Vadim, a diplomat fluent in English.
• Gennadi Nilov embodies Stepan Ivanovich Sundukov, a Doctor of Physics and Mathematics.

Uncredited roles include Oganesyan as a restaurant waiter and some crew members appearing in extended widescreen cuts. Certain sources also mention uncredited actors portraying classic horror characters in flashback sequences.

Language used

The film predominantly uses Russian dialogue, with limited English lines mostly delivered by Vadim to reflect his diplomatic profession. These English phrases are clearly articulated within context. It remains uncertain whether actor Evgeny Zharikov spoke English fluently or memorized his lines phonetically.

Popular culture

Portions of the movie were filmed in Crimea’s famous champagne district, with production staff accommodated at Prince Golitsyn’s chateaux. Inspired by this connection, ISSI wine group released commemorative red and white wines in 2016 featuring labels illustrated with scenes from the film depicting the couples.

A guesthouse and restaurant named “Three plus two” operates in the village where filming took place, offering views of iconic locations such as Hoba-Kaya headland and Novosvetovskaya Bay seen in the movie.

The prominent boulder near Stepan’s fishing spot has been christened the "Sundukov stone" in tribute to his character. Although modest compared to Crimea’s dramatic coastline features, it remains one of the few original beach landmarks identifiable from the film.