How Dark the Nights Are on the Black Sea (Russian: В городе Сочи тёмные ночи, romanized: V gorode Sochi tyomnye nochi, lit.

In the city of Sochi, the nights are dark) is a 1989 Soviet romantic comedy film directed by Vasili Pichul.

[1] The story takes place across various cities, including Moscow, a northern provincial town, and Sochi.

The main protagonists are Lena, a 24-year-old former student (played by Natalia Negoda), who was abandoned by her lover and is trying to rebuild her life, and Stepanich, a 45-year-old plumber (played by Alexei Zharkov), who is a seasoned con artist skilled at gaining people’s trust and disappearing with large sums of money.

The narrative also includes their acquaintances, colleagues, and family members, whose paths continuously intersect.