This was the first television series for the director, cinematographer and production designer. I therefore began with a small visual study comparing the imagery of Russian and international television series.
The world inhabited by the characters is extremely mosaic-like. Their storylines repeatedly intersect as the narrative unfolds. It was important to develop composite spaces that could connect with one another while remaining distinct. Like the characters themselves, with their very different combinations of traits, the interiors were never designed to be simply tasteless or stylish. The settings had to contain the possibility of transformation alongside the characters. Diffused, reflected light and deep shadows brought these disparate textures together within the frame.
Because no other soundstages were available, every set was created within a single basic set shell by moving and repainting the walls. Each changeover from one set to the next took five days. All these transformations were worked out in advance through floor plans and construction drawings.
To contrast with the characters’ troubles, we selected a series of scenic inserts for each episode. Beginning with a magnificent city panorama, these landscapes gradually lost all traces of civilisation from one episode to the next. By the finale, the characters were left in the primordial landscape of the archetypal story of brother against brother.
