[2] It starred Oleg Basilashvili as Andrei Buzykin, a married English-to-Russian translator in Leningrad who is going through a mid-life crisis and struggling to stand up for himself in his tangled relationships with his wife, mistress, neighbors, and co-workers.

The cast included such notable Soviet performers as Yevgeny Leonov, Natalya Gundareva, Marina Neyolova, Borislav Brondukov, Nikolai Kryuchkov, and Galina Volchek.

For instance, he unwillingly joins his Danish colleague, Professor Hansen, on morning runs and is manipulated by his former classmate Varvara, who exploits his talent while meddling in his personal affairs.

As his family dynamics unravel, Buzykin’s daughter, Lena, and her husband leave on a two-year work trip without consulting her parents, devastating Nina.

Andrey, now determined to stand up for himself, confronts Varvara at work, denies a lazy student a pass, and even bluntly refuses to shake hands with a colleague he dislikes.