The song was written by composer Nikita Bogoslovsky (1913-2004) and poet Vladimir Agatov who wrote text on his music.

In the film, Bernes played a soldier who recalls his wife and baby while singing the song at night.

[3] Due to its popularity, the song was subsequently recorded for the RCA Victor label (#26-5037) by the vocalist Sidor Belarsky in collaboration with the orchestral accordionist John Serry and the Mischa Borr Orchestra in 1946.

[4] Dark Is the Night has been described as "a gentle lyrical song imbued with a feeling of homesickness and expressing devotion to one's beloved" which helped "reveal the personal side of army life, indiscernable in the roar of warfare".

In 2005, the song became a main motif and title of the Israeli film "Dark Night" by Leonid Prudovsky.