The film is based on a true story of a sport star Bobrov (in this film - as leading character Bagrov), who was in real life the famous Russian soccer and hockey star during the 40's and 50's. Bobrov happened to become befriended by Vasili Stalin, the son of Stalin. Vasili was made a General Commander of The Airforce in the Moscow Military Region at age 26. However, Stalin's nepotism was mixed with paranoia and suspiciousness about the people around him and his son. Vasili's brother Jakob (Stalin's other son) died in a Nazi camp. Stalin surrounded his surviving son with special agents, but they were fearful of Stalin's son, whom they were supposed to control. General Vasili Stalin got drunk during and after each game played by his "toy" sport-star Bobrov. Drinking parties were massive and wild, with women dancing on their dining table among bottles of vodka. Also, some people around Stalin's son were disappearing without a trace. In 1953 after Stalin's death General Vasili was arrested and imprisoned under a fictitious name - Vasili Vasilyev. In 1960 he was released and exiled to the city of Kazan, where he died in 1962 at age 41. Sport star Bobrov did not follow his fallen master. Instead he won the gold medal in 1956 Winter Olympics and later became the head coach of the national hockey team