View source for Trees Grow on the Stones Too

{{Infobox film
| name                 = Trees Grow on the Stones Too
| native_name          = {{langx|ru|И на камнях растут деревья}}
| image                =
| caption              =
| director             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Stanislav Rostotsky]]
* [[Knut Andersen (film director)|Knut Andersen]]
}}
| producer             =
| writer               = {{Plainlist|
* {{ill|Aleksandr Aleksandrov (writer)|lt=Aleksandr Aleksandrov|ru|Александров, Александр Леонардович}}
* [[Stanislav Rostotsky]]
* [[Gennadiy Shumskiy]]
* [[Yuri Vronsky]]
}}
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* {{ill|Aleksandr Timoshkin|ru|Тимошкин, Александр Михайлович}}
* [[Petronella Barker (actress, born 1942)|Petronella Barker]]
* [[Tor Stokke]]
* [[Torgeir Fonnlid]]
* [[Jon Andresen]]
}}
| music                = [[Egil Monn-Iversen]]
| cinematography       = {{ill|Vyacheslav Shumskiy|et|Vjatšeslav Šumski|ru|Шумский, Вячеслав Михайлович|zh|维亚切斯拉夫·米哈伊洛维奇·舒姆斯基}}
| editing              = {{Plainlist|
* L. Korosteleva
* Valentina Mironova
}}
| released             = {{Film date|1985}}
| studio               =
| runtime              =
| country              = [[Soviet Union]]<br />[[Norway]]
| language             = Russian
| budget               =
}}
'''''Trees Grow on the Stones Too''''' ({{langx|ru|И на камнях растут деревья}}) is a 1985 Soviet adventure drama film directed by [[Knut Andersen (film director)|Knut Andersen]] and [[Stanislav Rostotsky]].<ref>[https://gazetavyborg.ru/news/kultura/v-vysotske-proshel-bolshoy-plener-festival/ В Высоцке прошел большой пленэр-фестиваль]</ref><ref>[https://rg.ru/2018/11/06/umer-akter-iz-piratov-hh-veka-gennadij-chetverikov.html Умер актер из "Пиратов ХХ века" Геннадий Четвериков]</ref><ref>[https://portal-kultura.ru/articles/cinema/179506-rustam-mosafir-glavnym-istochnikom-vdokhnoveniya-dlya-skifa-stal-konan-varvar/ Рустам Мосафир: "Главным источником вдохновения для "Скифа" стал "Конан-варвар"»]</ref>
The film is set in the violent world of 9th-century Viking raids, where a captured Slavic boy must navigate battles, betrayal, and forbidden love as he seeks to reclaim his freedom and identity.<ref>[https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/42553/ И на камнях растут деревья]</ref>
==Plot==
The film takes place during the Viking raids of the 9th century, around 860 AD. A band of Norwegian Vikings, led by Thorir and Einar, attacks a Slavic village where all the men have perished fighting Danish invaders. The village is impoverished, offering little plunder except for a moose hunted by a young Slavic boy, Kuksha. Although inexperienced, Kuksha bravely challenges the Vikings and fights the formidable berserker Sigurd. While Sigurd dismisses Kuksha as a mere thrall (slave), Thorir recognizes the boy’s potential as a warrior and decides to take him captive. On their journey back to Norway, the Vikings are ambushed by Danish forces led by rival kings Atli and Atsur. In the ensuing battle, Kuksha's ingenuity helps turn the tide by setting one of the Danish ships ablaze, allowing the Norwegians to triumph. Einar dies in combat, and Thorir, grieving the loss of his nephew, adopts Kuksha, renaming him Einar the Lucky.
The Vikings spend the winter in a settlement ruled by King Olav, whose daughter, Signe, falls in love with Kuksha. However, Signe is promised to Sigurd, the most skilled warrior in Thorir's band. Sigurd, a fierce and independent berserker, is ill-suited to the ambitions of Signe's mother, Tyra, who prefers the clever and fortunate Kuksha as a match for her daughter. Tyra and Signe’s brother, Harald, conspire against Sigurd, even resorting to poison and ambush, but Kuksha, valuing honor, thwarts these schemes. Despite Kuksha’s efforts, tensions escalate when Sigurd kills one of his attackers in self-defense, forcing Thorir’s company to flee the settlement. As Harald attempts to hold Kuksha captive, Signe, with the help of a Byzantine scholar named Levius, aids Kuksha in escaping. Tragedy strikes when Harald kills Levius in pursuit, and Signe, torn between love and loyalty, bids Kuksha a tearful farewell.
In the forest, Signe encounters Sigurd and confesses her love for Kuksha, leading to a heated confrontation. In a moment of despair, Signe deliberately throws herself onto Sigurd’s blade, resulting in her death. Grief-stricken, Sigurd is discovered by Harald and his men, setting the stage for further vengeance. Meanwhile, Thorir and Kuksha sail eastward to Gardarike (modern-day Russia), where Thorir plans to leave behind his life as a raider and turn to trade. Kuksha, however, harbors a deep desire to escape and return to his homeland, determined to reclaim his freedom and identity amid the chaos of a war-torn era.
== Cast ==
* {{ill|Aleksandr Timoshkin|ru|Тимошкин, Александр Михайлович}} as Kuksja
* [[Petronella Barker (actress, born 1942)|Petronella Barker]] as Signy
* [[Tor Stokke]] as Torir
* [[Torgeir Fonnlid]] as Sigurd
* [[Jon Andresen]] as Harald
* [[Lise Fjeldstad]] as Tyra
* {{ill|Viktor Shulgin|ru|Шульгин, Виктор Сергеевич|uk|Шульгін Віктор Сергійович}} as Olav (as Viktor Sjulgin)
* [[Mikhail Gluzskiy]] as 'Fleinskallen'
* [[Per Sunderland]] as Guttorm
* [[Valentina Titova]] as Kuksjas mor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089322/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm И на камнях растут деревья (1985) Full Cast & Crew]</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=0089322}}
{{Stanislav Rostotsky}}
[[Category:1985 drama films]]
[[Category:1985 films]]
[[Category:1980s adventure drama films]]
[[Category:1980s Soviet films]]
[[Category:1980s Russian-language films]]
[[Category:Soviet adventure drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet historical drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet multilingual films]]
[[Category:1980s Norwegian-language films]]
[[Category:Norwegian historical drama films]]
[[Category:Norwegian multilingual films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Knut Andersen]]
[[Category:Films directed by Stanislav Rostotsky]]
[[Category:Gorky Film Studio films]]
{{1980s-USSR-film-stub}}
{{Norway-film-stub}}