Женя, Женечка и «Катюша»

Movie shooting partly took place in Kaliningrad. Tipping over cans of gasoline occurs on the background of a Cathedral — Russia's only Gothic Cathedral of the XIV century.

The role of Zhenya Kolyshkin originally auditioned Borislav Brondukov.

In the Chapter "that the war is everything, even something that does not happen" among celebrating the new year of Russian soldiers on a second to notice one of the authors of the film — Bulat Okudzhava.

The idea for the screenplay came from Vladimir Motyl after reading the story of Bulat Okudzhava, "Be well, scholar".

The finished script of "Mosfilm" was closed. In the words of Vladimir Motyl, the film is not consistent with the instructions of the party and government and the Main political administration of the army. Then they turned on the "thumbnail", where he obtained his consent to the shooting. However, after some time the scenario was stopped and the order of the Directorate completely closed for the same reasons that at "Mosfilm". An additional barrier was involved in writing the script of Bulat Okudzhava, who according to the Joker, was "under suspicion" because no one obeyed, and his books were heavily criticized by the press. The filming process was started by accident. Painting by Motyl "Children of Pamir" was nominated for the Lenin prize, but in the discussion, head of the Department of cinema in the Central Committee, Philip Ermash gave a speech that the award would be wrong, as Mirshakar, the author of the poem that formed the basis of the script already had the Stalin prize. Olympia also made defamatory statements in the address of Vladimir Motyl, what he subsequently learned. Threatening official complaints to the Central Committee of the Communist party, they got permission for shooting "Zhenya, Zhenechka...".

To work on the film Joker was initially planned to borrow along with the other candidates and Oleg dal. Failing the first and second samples due to problems with alcohol, the distance almost lost the role because of "Lenfilm" was against his claims for these reasons. Motyl, who saw in Dahl "sniper choice Kolyshkin" persuaded Dahl to pass the sample in the normal state, and the third time Oleg of them brilliantly passed. Subsequently, Dahl admitted to Joker that, being expelled from all theaters for the failure of the performances, he suffered a lot without work, and the role Kolyshkin was his "salvation".

The role of Zhenya Zemljanichnoe leaders of "Lenfilm" was nominated Natalia Kostinski, but Vladimir Motyl decided to take Galina Figlovskaya.

The Germans in the movie were played by the students of the University of Leningrad from East Germany.

In between filming Oleg Dal, Pavel Morozenko Mikhail Kokshenov walked around the city in uniform of 1943, as a result, local people often took them for soldiers. During one of the trips to the market actors drank and went to relax on the shore of the river Pregolya. Seeing yellow rocket signaled the start of filming, the actors ignored the signal, for which Vladimir Motyl them "punished", causing many times "reshoot" the double, not saying that the camera time was off. There were other curious events: went on a "Jeep" in full uniform (including guns), Dahl and Kokshenov has repeatedly attracted the attention of the military patrol. On questions of military actors responded, calling non-existent and absurd forces, such as "a Separate part of the train fleet" or "Marine cavalry". Once Kokshenov simulated pursuit of the dal, shouting and shooting into the air, causing decided to help the locals almost injured "the fugitive".

History, when the Soviet soldiers, lost the premise, the Germans came for the New year, was taken from the front of Newspapers. Unlike Zhenya Kolyshkin, soldiers were concealed that were in the location of the enemy, and it is revealed only at the end of the war.

Filming also took place an incident involving alcohol: rude attendant at the hotel, Oleg Dahl came to the police station for fifteen days for "hooliganism". Motyl agreed with the head of the Department, and the actor under escort delivered in the morning on the set, and in the evening were again taken on the "release". A gentle dialogue sitting in the brig of Zhenya Kolyshkin on the phone with Genia starred at this time.