Primary Russia (Russian: Русь изначальная, romanized: Rus iznachalnaya) is a 1985 Soviet historical epic film directed by Gennady Vasilyev.
Amid the chaos, rebels free several prisoners condemned to public execution, including Malchus, a freethinker and philosopher with Manichaean beliefs.
However, he is noticed and freed by Demetrius, a scheming priest who demands Malchus’s assistance in missionary work among the pagan tribes known as the Rossichi.
The Rossichi succeed in fending off the brutal invasion, but their leader, Vseslav, falls victim to a Byzantine emissary’s treachery and is poisoned during peace negotiations.
Following Malchus's counsel, the new leader of the Antae, Ratibor, gathers an army and storms the Byzantine frontier fortress of Topir, the empire’s gateway.