“The Irony of Fate” is the 1975 Soviet romantic comedy traditionally watched on New Year's Eve in Russia and other former Soviet countries.
The film follows Zhenya Lukashin, who accidentally flies from Moscow to Leningrad after a New Year's sauna gathering. Because many Soviet apartment buildings and street layouts were built from similar standardized designs, he mistakenly enters an apartment that resembles his own and uses his key. The address and furnishings appear familiar, but the city is different.
Directed by Eldar Ryazanov, the film first aired on Soviet television on New Year's Day in 1976. It became a recurring holiday broadcast and was later shown repeatedly around the New Year, turning its plot and songs into a familiar seasonal tradition.
The title is often shortened in English to “The Irony of Fate,” while the full Russian title refers to enjoying the sauna. It should not be confused with “The Irony of Fate 2,” a later sequel released in 2007.