The Crazy Empress
The Crazy Empress is a 2025 Russian adventure comedy film directed by Radda Novikova in her feature film directorial debut. The film stars Irina Pegova as Catherine the Great, who is accidentally transported to modern-day Saint Petersburg. The three friends were portrayed by Angelina Strechina, Zoya Berber, and Alisa Stasyuk. The cast also included Kirill Zaytsev and Fyodor Gamaleya.
The Crazy Empress was theatrically released in Russia on December 4, 2025, by "Our Cinema" Film Distribution.
Plot
In modern Saint Petersburg, three close friends—Lera, Valya, and Olya—perform a mystical ritual as a joke. To their astonishment, the ritual works, and Catherine the Great materializes in their apartment.The Empress quickly adapts to the 21st century, enjoying modern luxuries, nightlife, and technology. However, her presence creates a temporal paradox that threatens to alter history. The three friends must find a way to return the Empress to the 18th century before the changes become permanent, while Catherine herself grows increasingly fond of modern life.
Cast
- Irina Pegova as Catherine the Great
- Angelina Strechina as Olya
- Zoya Berber as Lera
- Alisa Stasyuk as Valya
- Kirill Zaytsev as Sokolov
- Fyodor Gamaleya as Potemkin
- Ilya Koletsky as Petya
- Elizaveta Gureeva as Stasya
- Timofey Alekseev as Grisha, a boy
- Gleb Belogortsev as Gosha, a boy
Rest of cast listed alphabetically
- pr. Nikolay Artemev as a parent
- Alexey Voskresensky as Vadim Valerevich, a foreman
- Sergey Slesarenko as Peter the Great
- Olga Nikolskaya as the fake Catherine the Great
- Ilya Staroselsky as a homeless person
- Sergey Blednykh as Lera's boss
- Pavel Bratkovsky as a bartender
- Nadezhda Pigina as the Empress's neighbor
- Peter Nebenhaus as a school principal
- Artur Panov as a museum security guard
- Andrey Nikulin as a worker