Video: Chasing a crimson cipher

On the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, the horizon dissolves into an endless stretch of blue. More than a natural wonder, the world’s largest and deepest freshwater lake has long symbolized the vastness of Russia itself. Against this striking backdrop, a heart-pounding action sequence unfolds in Red Silk, one of the most commercially successful Sino-Russian coproductions to date. A Chinese courier and a Soviet Red Army soldier race across the ice on a yacht, taking a perilous shortcut in pursuit of a speeding train.

For actress Zheng Hanyi, who plays the Chinese messenger Wang Lin, filming the scene alongside Russian actor Gleb Kalyuzhnyy was unforgettable. The sheer scale of Lake Baikal, coupled with the icy wind, made every moment feel otherworldly.

Seven months before its recent Chinese mainland release on Sept 6, the 146-minute movie premiered in Russia on Feb 20, raking in 689 million rubles ($8.24 million) at the local box office from 1.47 million moviegoers, placing it among the top 10 highest-grossing films in Russia this year.

With this year marking the 76th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, the film is one of the major projects within the framework of the China-Russia Years of Culture in 2024 and 2025, standing as a testament to the growing cinematic cooperation between the two countries.