Two Days / Dva dni

With the arrival of the Red Army, the White Guards leave the city. In the manor house, only two people remain: the old butler Anton and a young master, a student. The house is occupied by a detachment of Red Army soldiers, among whom is the Bolshevik Andrii, the son of the butler. The old man doesn’t share the views of his beloved son and protects the young master by hiding him in the attic. The next day, the city is again seized by the White Guards, and in that very attic, the butler hides his son. However, in vain – the young master betrays Andrii and he is executed…The manor with the White Guards burns down, the heart of Andrii’s father stops beating, a new day begins…

This was the first Ukrainian film to enter commercial distribution in the USA. In 1932, the music for it was composed by the renowned Ukrainian composer Borys Liatoshynskyi.

The film was shot in several locations, including the legendary Marasli Estate on the French Boulevard in Odesa. The film’s final scenes were filmed at the Ashkinazi Estate. Both still exist today, although they have long lost their sophistication and original appearance. At the same time, the Marasli Estate was considered not only a legendary gathering place for the local elite but also a true example of garden-park art, featuring a huge 40-meter glass-covered greenhouse and an artificial grotto.