Molodezhka (Russian: Молодёжка; literally known as The Junior Team) is a Russian TV series which airs on STS. The series tells the story of a junior hockey club named The Bears (Russian: Медведи Medvedi). The series was produced by Fyodor Bondarchuk and his Art Pictures Studio.
The first season was aired beginning on October 7, 2013. The second season was aired starting on November 17, 2014. The third season started filming since April 27, 2015, to October 19, 2015, and was aired since October 26, 2015, to February 26, 2016. The fourth season is aired on STS since October 17, 2016.
On November 19, 2016, the series was officially greenlighted for a 40-webisode fifth season. Release of the fifth season is planned in autumn 2017.
The events take place in the town of Podolsk when The Bears hockey club hires a new coach, Sergei Makeyev, a former National Hockey League player, who sets out to get the club to the Junior Hockey League and make The Bears a successful team. It will be not easy, because the players do not feel as a whole, and work as individuals. In addition, they have other things to do: family, love life, and studies.
There are also those who are trying as quickly as possible to get rid of the new coach.
Alexander Sokolovsky as Yegor "Shchuka" Shchukin, is a center forward, player number 10, The Bears` captain, Dima`s brother. After injury, Yegor began to train amateur hockey team Nivea Men. Since episode 40, season 3, he is a coach of the children team
Makar Zaporozhsky as Dmitry "Dima" Shchukin, is a goalkeeper, player number 1, Yegor`s brother. In episode 3, season 2, Dima had to leave The Bears forever because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In episode 6, season 2, he went in Moscow to study in Bauman University
Ivan Zhvakin as Alexander "Kostyor" Kostrov, is a forward, player number 9
Ivan Dubrovsky as Vadim "Nazar" Nazarov, is a forward, player number 16
Ivan Mulin as Anton Antipov, is a forward, player number 17
Vlad Kanopka as Andrei "Kisly" Kislyak, is a forward, player number 24
Igor Ogurtsov as Semyon Bakin, is a goalkeeper, player number 38
Ilya Korobko as Mikhail Ponomaryov, is a defenseman, player number 95
Mikhail Konov as Petrovsky
Anton Mishin as Artyom Vorobyov, is a goalkeeper (since season 2, episodes 6 to 40)
Matvei Zubalevich as Alexei "Smirny" Smirnov, is a defenseman, player number 13 (since episode 13, season 2)
Nikolai Alexeyev as Igor Gavrilov
Nikita Yelenev as Denis Vasiliev, is a forward, player number 8 (since episode 6, season 3)
Mikhail Gavrilov as Yevgeny "Tsar" Tsaryov, is a center forward, player number 45 (since episode 1, season 3)
Pyotr Kovrizhnykh as Ilya Berezin, is a forward, player number 47, former player of hockey club The Torch (since season 4)
Andriy Pinzaru as Danila Bondar, is a defenseman, player number 11, former player of hockey club The Torch (since season 4)
Yevgeny Kulik as Igor Drozd, is a center forward, player number 10, captain of the team
Alexander Sokolovsky as Yegor Shchukin, is a center forward, player number 9 (in episodes 5-8, season 3)
Ivan Dubrovsky as Vadim Nazarov, is a forward, player number 16
Mikhail Gavrilov as Yevgeny Tsaryov, is a center forward, player number 45
Ilya Korobko as Mikhail Ponomaryov, is a defenseman, player number 95
Nikita Yelenev as Denis Vasiliev, is a forward, player number 8 (since season 4)
Vlad Kanopka as Andrei Kislyak, is a forward, player number 24 (since season 4)
Ivan Mulin as Anton Antipov, is a forward, player number 17 (since season 4)
Matvei Zubalevich as Alexei Smirnov, is a defenseman, player number 13 (since season 4, episode 14)
Team managers and coaches
Denis Nikiforov as Sergei Petrovich Makeyev, a head coach of The Bears
Fyodor Bondarchuk as Oleg Ivanovich Kalinin, an oligarch and The Bears` general sponsor
Vladimir Zaitsev as Vadim Yurievich Kazantsev, The Bears' sportive director (seasons 1 and 4)
Pavel Smetankin as Anton Karmazin
Anatoly Kot as Anatoly Leonidovich Zhilin, The Bears` sportive director (since episode 5, season 2)
Svetlana Antonova as dr. Yelizaveta Andreyevna Krasnova
Vladimir Steklov as Ilya Romanovich Pakhomov, the owner and the general sponsor of the hockey team The Bears
Vladimir Sterzhakov as Semyon Valerievich Krasnitsky, manager of the hockey club Ice Kings
Maxim Shchyogolev as Alexander Valerievich Tochilin, a former player of Czech hockey club Vityaz, coach of The Bears
Andrei Merzlikin as Maxim "Russian Bonecrusher" Streltsov, a head coach of the hockey team Ice Kings, Canadian ice hockey club Ottawa Senators
Mikhail Zhigalov as Stepan Arkadevich Zharsky, a coach
Anna Mikhaylovskaya as Yana Samoilova
Maria Ivashchenko as Alina Morozova, a former figure skater
Yulia Margulis as Marina Kasatkina, a captain of The Bears` support group, Yegor`s girlfriend
Maria Pirogova as Olga Belova, The Bears` press secretary, Anton Antipov`s girlfriend
Valentina Ananina as Larisa Arkadievna Savelieva, Mikhail Ponomaryov`s grandmother
Nikolai Dobrynin as Nikolai Semyonovich Bakin, Semyon Bakin`s father
Yelena Kravchenko as Yelena Konstantinovna Shchukina, the Shchukin`s mother
Vadim Andreev as Fyodor Mikhailovich Samoilov
Viktor Gusev (cameo)
Vyacheslav Fetisov (cameo)
Alexei Morozov (cameo)
The show became highly popular and was ranked by Rossiyskaya Gazeta as the fourth-best TV series for 2013.
The casting was held in Chelyabinsk, while all the games and training scenes were shot in Ice Hockey Hall in Podolsk. Filming took place in Samara, Tolyatti, Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk and Mytishchi in Moscow Oblast.
The hockey scenes (in seasons 1 and 2) were managed by Yevgeny Polynskikh, who previously worked with Canadian specialists on the set of the movie Legend № 17.
In October 2013, Eksmo released first book called "Molodezhka:The First Match" (Russian: Молодёжка.Первый матч) written by Yekaterina Nevolina based on the first season of the series. In January 12, 2015, Eksmo released second book called "Molodezhka:Chance for a Victory" (Russian: Молодёжка.Шанс на победу) written by Anna Antonova based on the second season of the series.
