Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
THE ULTIMATE TASK: BRING THE ICE GHOST TO LIFE
The work of a sound engineer in a major film is always a challenge, an attempt to find a balance between historical accuracy, artistic expression, and emotional impact. For Rostislav Alimov and his team on "Angels of Ladoga," the challenge took on a concrete, almost tangible form. "The ultimate challenge in this film is the iceboat itself, the Ladoga ice itself. There's a lot here that's new, something no one has ever done before," the sound engineer notes.
An iceboat is more than just a vehicle. It's a boat "on skates" under sail, an ice sailboat capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h and navigating ice just 8 centimeters thick. In 1941, these unique structures, piloted by teams of professional athletes, became the true "workhorses" of the Road of Life, delivering ammunition, fuel, and, crucially for the film's plot, evacuating children from besieged Leningrad.
"The sound of the iceboat itself, its natural sound, isn't very interesting. The ice is uneven—a constant thumping and pounding. This sound gets tiresome; it's simply unsightly," explains Rostislav Alimov. "However, in a film where the iceboat is the main character, and its movement across the ice is the leitmotif, such a sound would have been a mistake. It should have been created, not recorded. Invented from scratch."
SOUND LAB: FROM SPORT TO FILM
To give the iceboat a "voice," the film's sound engineers utilized the full arsenal of modern filmmaking, turning the process into a veritable scientific and creative laboratory.
The first step was organizing a special recording session of real iceboats on the ice of the Gulf of Finland. "We recorded these iceboats initially, took them out onto the Finnish ice, and worked with them there," says Rostislav Alimov. These recordings became the foundation, the ethnographic material, but not the final solution. They provided an understanding of the physics of the process, but not its artistic expression.
The next step was compositing. The sound engineers assembled a unique palette—a sound collage from the most unexpected sources. "It included the sound of a skeleton and the sound of bobsled runners," Alimov shares. The sounds of the bobsled track conveyed a sense of speed and a smooth, airborne glide without any jarring vibrations. This was the key to creating a beautiful sound.
But even that wasn't enough. The third, and perhaps most important, component was pure creativity. "We simply made up some of the sounds, describing how they should sound," the sound engineer admits. Thus, the iceboat's multifaceted, "live" voice was born. It had to change depending on the situation: powerful and menacing during the chase with the German snowmobiles, but more restrained, almost weightless, in key dramatic scenes, such as when transporting children.
Ultimately, the sound of the iceboat isn't pure sound design or a mere mix of library recordings. It's a complex symbiosis of synchronized noises, real-life recordings, borrowed sound elements from sports, and a completely new soundscape, conceived at Mosfilm.
"The creaking of the mast, the noise of the sail, the whistle of the wind in the rigging, the sound of ice at different angles of attack—all of this comes together to form a rich, multi-layered soundscape," Alimov says of the iceboat as a full-fledged character in the film.
MUSIC AND NOISE: IN SEARCH OF A REASONABLE COMPROMISE
The film's composer was the young and talented Nikita Yamov, selected following a major competition. One of the most challenging tasks in the final stages of production on any film is the harmonious blending of music and all other sound components: noise, dialogue, and effects. Rostislav Alimov, who calls himself "a man of reasonable compromise," developed his own strategy for the final mix.
"We, for our part, send the composer the finished elements so he can see what we have ready… So that when he's writing the music, he can hear what we've done, to avoid any misunderstandings. Conversely, if Nikita comes up with a musical theme earlier, he sends it to the sound engineers so they can 'tune' their sound to it," explains Alimov.
This approach allows for a balance. "We'll try not to interfere with the music, but at the same time, we'll try to preserve all our sonic discoveries and desires," the specialist notes. He clearly distinguishes the functions of sound: noises, background noises, and speech convey information to the audience, while music evokes emotion. Director Alexander Kott's job is to guide the composer to convey the desired emotion in the scene, while the sound engineers' job is to provide a flawless "informational" foundation.
Post-production on "Angels of Ladoga" is currently in its final stages. The image has been edited, background noise is estimated to be 95% complete, and visual effects are being finalized. After the New Year holidays, Mosfilm will begin active sound design, and the project is scheduled to undergo final re-recording by February 15th.
Rostislav Alimov emphasizes that the final mixing of a film's soundtrack is not just a technical stage, but a finishing touch that should not "spoil" but rather elevate, complement, and enhance the viewer's impression of everything they see.
"We, the sound engineers, always want to bring something special to the film. It's this symbiosis—deep respect for our colleagues' work, an understanding of the director's vision, and an insatiable desire to create and invent—that gives birth to the film's unique sound palette," Rostislav Alimov concluded.
"In November, at the very beginning of the terrible winter of 1941, as the siege of Leningrad closes in, a squad of young iceboat sailors sets out onto the thin, unformed ice. A mission to deliver ammunition turns into an operation to rescue orphans from an orphanage who hadn't been evacuated in time. Former rivals in regattas must now forge a true team to survive and give hope to everyone else," reads the synopsis for the film "Angels of Ladoga."
FILM INFORMATION
Genre: drama, historical film Director: Alexander Kott Screenwriters: Mikhail Zubko, Igor Kagramanov Cinematographer: Sergey Astakhov Production Designer: Elena Zhukova Producers: Natalia Kotkova (general), Irina Malysheva (general), Anton Zlatopolsky (general), Vadim Vereshchagin (general), Liliya Chekster (executive), Irina Bark (host) Cast: Tikhon Zhiznevsky, Roman Evdokimov, Ksenia Treister, Viktor Dobronravov, Polina Agureeva, Vadim Skvirsky, Evgeny Sidikhin, Dirk Martens, Sergey Lipovsky, Vladimir Dombrovsky, Nika Solovyova, Eva Solovyova Production: Film Company "Masterskaya", TV Channel "Russia", "Central Partnership", Kinoprime Foundation, with the support of the Cinema Fund, the Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg
Premiere: May 2026
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