Starring director saw basically young actors. Tatyana Babenkova appeared in the lead role - Polina Lebedeva, Artem Krylov played Count Dmitry Kchertsky, Vladislav Abashin - Count Andrei Kchertsky, Ivan Dobronravov - Boris, Ksenia Razin - a friend of the main character.
Of course, the director risked very much, making a bet on young people. But he is sure: the viewer is interested in seeing new faces and, perhaps, feel deeper to the story, feeling her heroes without a plume of the roles played by them earlier. "It's how to read a new book!" - Says the director himself.
Ivan Dobronravov (left) and Artem Tkachenko very organically reincarnated in the characters of the era of Nicholas I
The shooting of the "free diplomas" lasted more than a year and took place in Moscow, Moscow region, Torzhok and the Tver region. Decorations served as preserved old estates and other historical places of Russia. But many interior objects were built in pavilions. As for the streets of St. Petersburg of the time, then this task the authors of the film decided simply. They joined the episodes filmed on the "grated" streets of the old trading, and footage in the unique homemade scenery "Mosfilm" film studio.
For the creators of the film it was very important to recreate the historical atmosphere of Russia of the XIX century. Specialists have done a lot of work. They studied old documents, paintings of that time and other artifacts. As a result, more than 300 suits were created for the main characters and for high-speed actors. Even to buttons on uniforms do not find fault. They are "the right", and in the double-headed eagle, the wings are omitted on them. It did not work out real, so I had to cast them in St. Petersburg.
The main role in the series was played by a young, but already popular actress Tatyana Babenkov (in the center)
"The most difficult in the shooting process is to believe in the fact that you see in the frame," the director himself says about its methods. - On the "free letter" with me and actors it happened. "