“Lilien des Tals”: a viral Rome com that is wrapped in patriotic propaganda

A few drink champagne in a private plane from Bangkok to London. The woman falls asleep, but when she wakes up, she catches her fiancee flagrant With the flight attendant. When the plane in Vologda in Northern Russia tank, she escapes, beats a taxi driver who tries to attack her, steal his car and ultimately participate in a Karaoke competition in a local bar.

These scenes come from a viral show called “Lilies of the Valley. Such a delicate love ”(Landyshi. Takaya Nezhnaya Lyubov). In the New Year's holidays, it quickly became one of the most popular television series in Russia. Over 2.5 million people looked at Wink, one of Russia's leading streaming services, especially during the holidays.

At first glance, “Lilies of the Valley” seems to be a standard ROM com. But in the days before Russia's full scale in Ukraine, the tensions are noticeable-not between the characters, but in the whole country.

The current rating for Kinopoisk is 8.3 with over half a million votes. It also offers the 79th place in Kinopois's Top 250 TV series ever, in front of fan favorites such as “Stranger Things” and “Brigada”, a cult classic over gangsters from the 1990s. On February 23, the STS channel begins with the transmission of the show on television.

The unprecedented popularity of the show comes despite its often cruel acting and wildly unplausible action. The main story revolves around an emerging romance between London Socialite Katya and Lyokha, a Russian army officer. Katya uses Lyokha's help to ward off local gangsters and the father of her fiance, who deals with control of her inheritance. To make this easier, get married a Las Vegas style by paying a bureaucrat in a local ZAG (civil registration office).

After Katya married, hidden on the territory of the military base, where Lyokha serves. The base is shown in an idealized light: Lyokha and Katya receive a spacious apartment (although the shower is broken), the shop on the base sells everything – including Stoped Flowers (where Lyokha buys the titles of the valley for Katya), and there are real camera among the officers.

In a surprising turn, “Lilien des Tals” is a musical. Characters break into a song in the most unexpected places and dance them from the ZAGs office to a children's sports events at the base.

Music plays a central role, and the title song “Samolyoty” (plane) by the relative newcomer Zhenya Trofimov is a catchy folk pop melody. The chorus, whether on purpose or not, is reminiscent of Russia's flight restrictions after 2022: “Should I fly in tomorrow? But where are these aircraft?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmvj0HDMVAA

The real surprise, however, is that in the days before the full invasion of Russia in Ukraine, the show portrays directly in Ukraine, which is unprecedented on Russian television. There is talk of the base early on that moves to combat readiness. During a double celebration of the defense lawyer of the Father's Land (February 23) and the wedding of Katya and Lyokha, all officers are suddenly called and transported to the front.

The show follows the Russian propaganda law for the letter. In a scene, when the women of the officers discuss the invasion, they are called “war”, only to be corrected immediately: “It is a special military operation.”

“Lilies of the Valley” also promotes “traditional” values. Katya's new girlfriend and neighbor – a wife of an employee – tells her that life based on what she dreamed of was: being with her husband and raising her children.

Lyokha is full of machismo and embodies patriarchal ideals. After his and the rushed wedding of Katya, he demands that they are doing marriage – even though he knows that it is a certificate. He also insists that Katya Cook cleans and fulfills the traditional duties of a woman. Some reviewers have found these tendencies on Tiktok, while other videos have published that Lyokha announces the ideal husband. Gradually, Katya begins to accept her new role, to wear military style clothing and to actively participate in the life of the base.

The final takes a surreal turn: Lyokha is missing in action in Ukraine, and Katya forms a girls' band that can occur for soldiers on the front. In view of the successful success of the show, a second season seems to be almost inevitable.

Interestingly, the series was at least partially financed by the Institute for Internet Development (IRI). The IRI was founded with the support of the Russian presidential administration and has state funds for creating “patriotic” media content and also financed another hit show. “The boy's word: blood on the asphalt.”

The massive success of “Lilies of the Valley”, especially with a younger audience, shows how state propaganda can be wrapped in escapist storytelling. The series borrowed tropics from western Romcoms, but its core message is anything but subtle: “Serve your country and good things will happen – maybe you even land a hot daughter of a hot billionaire if you play your cards properly.”