Themes from the novel

Burnt by the Sun

Nikita Mikhalkov

In Griboedov the twelve writers talk with much jealousy of Latunsky's dacha in Perelygino. The dacha is an essential element in the life of Russians. Still today it is to many of them the only way to find rest and recreation.

In the much appraised picture Утомлённые солнцем (Utomlyonnye Solntsem) by Nikita Sergeevich Michalkov from 1994, better known by its French title Soleil Trompeur we can see colonel Kotov (Nikita Michalkov himself) with his family - his wife Maroussia, his little daughter Nadia and some grandma’s, grandpa’s, uncles and aunts) in their dacha in 1936. They are visited by Dimitri, an old friend who once was in love with Maroussia, but who is now working for the secret police. At the end of the movie, Kotov will go with Dimitri , knowing that he will never return. With Nikita Mikhalkov as Kotov, Ingeborga Dapkunaite as Maroussia, Nadia Michalkov, the ral daughter of the director as herself, and Oleg Menchikov as Dimitri.

The film was awarded with the Grand Prize of the Jury in Cannes (1994) en won an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film (1995).