Damn it

The filming of the movie began at the end of April 1968 and continued until mid-November. The film "The Diamond Arm," directed by Leonid Gaidai in 1968 and starring Yuri Nikulin, Anatoly Papanov, and Andrey Mironov in the lead roles, became the most popular comedy film in the USSR and left an indelible mark on the history of the city.

Every fan and lover of this film knows that the "foreign" part of the movie was shot in Azerbaijan. In "The Diamond Arm," Baku was transformed into Turkish Istanbul. The filming began at the end of April 1968 and lasted until mid-November.

The filming area is surrounded by a high fortress wall. Inside are old residential quarters. It was there that Semyon Semyonych took a tumble. Damn it — this is the place where Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov (Yuri Nikulin), slipping accidentally, dislocates his arm. A banana peel could not be found during filming, so the director found another original solution, substituting the peel with watermelon rinds, which were plentiful in Baku. Although many still do not pay attention to this detail. The words he utters at that moment, "Damn it!" became the password for the smugglers. Gorbunkov is fitted with a plaster cast under which gold and diamonds are hidden. The place where the heroes played by Nikulin and Mironov fell has become iconic.

The main intrigue of the film begins in the "Chinakuk" pharmacy. It was there that the smugglers "gilded" Semyon Gorbunkov’s arm. In such a legendary pharmacy, you could sell bandages at triple the price — tourists would buy them as souvenirs. But no, pharmacists do not work here. Instead, there are waiters. The pharmacy recently turned into a retro-style café. Photographs of scenes from the film are hung everywhere. But most importantly, there are mannequins of Nikulin, Mironov, and the smugglers Kanevsky and Shpigel. For half a century, "Damn it" has been a real brand. At least in Azerbaijan, where "The Diamond Arm" was filmed.

The address of this place is 8 Malaya Krepostnaya Street (Kichik Gala). Many get the feeling that in Icheri Sheher one can easily get lost, as happened to Gesha (Andrey Mironov), but in real life, nothing like that happens.

In the end, the place where the heroes played by Nikulin and Mironov fell became iconic.

Another iconic place is associated with the phrase "Tsigel-tsigel, ai-lyu-lyu!" Remember how the red-haired nymph lured the unsuspecting Gorbunkov and tried to drag him into the house? The viewers, of course, never found out exactly what the lady desired.

We went to the location to find out, but… we ran into a door. We pulled — it wouldn’t open. And it looks like it’s boarded up. Maybe the authorities decided that this place symbolizes vice and sealed the nest of debauchery?

But right opposite now operates a market. You can buy a lady’s handbag, jewelry, or a traditional men’s headdress. Quite a different matter. This will not spoil the "moral appearance."

Sources:

https://azterra.az/sights/chert-poberi-baku/

https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/863283822311068636/

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulitsa_Kichik_Gala

https://www.nsk.kp.ru/daily/26972.7/4028368/