"Leha Van-Gogh": a sharp social comedy about a demobilized soldier is being filmed in Nizhny Novgorod.

      On August 12, 2026, 18:33 Culture and Leisure NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Inna Koroleva In Nizhny Novgorod, filming has begun for the series "Lyokha Van-Gogh" (16+). A correspondent from NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" visited the set in the city center, where work on the pilot episode is in full swing. The eight-episode situational comedy will tell the story of a conscript soldier's return to civilian life. The main character, Lyokha, dreams of opening a chain of barbershops called "PolubOKS," but on his way to achieving his dream, he faces misunderstanding from his loved ones, a conservative business community, and his own straightforwardness, which is not always appropriate.

      "Comedy is the most understandable genre for most people, and the entry threshold for this content is lowering. To reach as wide an audience as possible, we chose comedy," said the project's screenwriter Mikhail Lomakin.

      Mikhail was inspired by army humor—not only from already known films but also from live videos shared on social media.

      "I was interested in transferring that humor into civilian, everyday life and seeing how it connects with society," the screenwriter admitted.

      The idea for the series did not come out of nowhere. General producer Dmitry Mosolov, head of the "Otvaga" group of companies, which has been helping veterans, volunteers, and their families for many years, shared that the concept has been in development for about three years.

      "We have long wanted to make a move in the media space," Dmitry confessed. "Now our resources have allowed us to do this. This is not a 'hurray-patriotic' series, but a socially relevant comedy. Our task is to create folk heroes, like real guys."

      According to the producer, one of the main ideas of the project is to show that helping veterans is a personal choice for everyone. And Lyokha, according to the creators' vision, is the quintessence of the best masculine qualities. When asked about the unusual title "Lyokha Van-Gogh," Mosolov replied with a smile: "I think you'll see that in the pilot episode."

      Special attention was paid to casting. Casting director Oksana Berkasheva admitted that she was looking for something more in the main character than just the image of a demobilized soldier:

      "I felt that he should be, despite being a demobilized soldier, somewhat touching. We found that. I won't say it's his main trait, but it's one of the key ones. We all just felt that it was him."

      This "touching" hero is played by actor Mikhail Rupakov, who will embody the image of the straightforward, honest, and somewhat naive Lyokha, trying to find his place in a new life.

      The role of the antagonist will be played by the star of Russian and world cinema Mikhail Gorevoy, known for his work in Steven Spielberg's films.

      A café veranda was created on Gorky Square for the first scenes of the film. The atmosphere on set was filled with creative excitement: the filming crew worked in one breath. Between takes, the actors and the screenwriter brainstormed new scene details. It seemed that the story was being born here and now, in the breaks between lighting setups.

      The creators plan to complete work on the entire season by this summer. It was previously reported that film studios were left without compensation for filming in the Nizhny Novgorod region. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.