Born in the USSR: 7 Up

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Biography Documentary hosted by cast themselves, published by Gosteleradio in 1991 - English narration

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This is the first installment in the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning series of documentaries. This is the USSR equivalent of the internationally acclaimed British Seven Up! (1964) series - the first ever reality soap. The concept involves filming and getting to know a number of children, aged seven, across the nation. These children are then re-visited every 7 years to see how their lives are progressing. A varied group of children from different regions were selected. The Soviet group includes children from across the union, including Russia, Kirgizstan, Georgia and Lithuania. The filming took place during a time of civil and ethnic unrest and poverty. This first film in the series launched at the culmination of Glasnost, in 1990, with a group of children born in 1983. The series is still a work in progress and the next installment is due 2019 when the group turns 35. This generation has undergone huge changes in their lives due to the fluctuating political and economical situations they've found themselves in. Hence, in the case of the USSR series, the original sociology study morphed into political and historical documentation, giving it a depth that the British original lacks. In 1990, the Soviet film team were assisted by Granada television in copying the original concept. The filming was carried out in an atmosphere of complete openness, thanks to Glasnost. Continuation of the series has fallen on Sergei Miroshnichenko, an acclaimed Russian documentary maker. The series has won many prizes in Russia. This first installment was aired on the BBC shortly after the Soviet premiere. This is the British version, narrated in English with the children's comments subtitled. The version that aired across the USSR appears to have been lost. The children were revisited in 1998, 2005 and 2012.