Тихон Хренников
В роли: Himself - Secretary of the Composer's Union (хроника)

Mariana Sabinina
В роли: Herself - Musicologist

Mariya Konniskaya
В роли: Herself - Friend

Natan Perelman
В роли: Himself - Friend

Ilya Musin
В роли: Himself - Conductor

Galina Shostakovich
В роли: Herself - Daughter

Isaac Glikman
В роли: Himself - Shostakovich' Secretary (as Isaak Glikman)

Ksenia Matus
В роли: Herself - Oboeist

Tatiana Vasilyeva
В роли: Herself - Siege Survivor

Viacheslav Luhanin
В роли: Himself - Baritone "Rayok" (as Viatcheslav Luhanin)

Yuri Laptev
В роли: Himself - Baritone "Rayok"

Aleksandr Morozov
В роли: Himself - Baritone "Rayok"

Abram Gozenpud
В роли: Himself - Musicologist

The Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre
В роли: Themselves - Orchestra (Opera "Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk District")

Irina Loskutova
В роли: Katerina - Opera "Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk District"

Дмитрий Шостакович
В роли: Himself (хроника)

Иосиф Сталин
В роли: Himself (хроника)

Vladimir Rubin
В роли: Himself - Composer

Вениамин Баснер
В роли: Himself - Composer

Карен Хачатурян
В роли: Himself - Composer (as Karen Khachaturian)

Graham Haley
В роли: Shostakovich (голос)

Валерий Гергиев
В роли: Himself - Conductor "Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9" and "Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk District" / Interviewee / Pianist "Rayok"

Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
В роли: Themselves - Orchestra "Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9"

Flora Litvinova
В роли: Herself - Friend

Dmitri Tolstoy
В роли: Himself - Composer

Bulat Minzhilkiev
В роли: Boris - Opera "Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk District" / Himself - Baritone "Rayok"

Alisa Shebalina
В роли: Herself - Friend