The plot is driven by Stirlitz's (ultimately successful) attempts at thwarting negotiations between SS General Karl Wolff, representing Walter Schellenberg and Heinrich Himmler, and American intelligence operative Allen Dulles in Bern, Switzerland during the final months of World War II.   The Dulles portrayed in the show, acting without the authorization of the President, is interested in reaching a peace agreement with Nazi Germany that would leave many Nazi institutions in place in order to prevent the rise of "Bolshevism" in Germany and Northern Italy.   The negotiations are conducted in secret and behind the back of Hitler and, more importantly for Stirlitz, the Soviet Union. The tension isn't easy since right from the very beginning of the series, Obergruppenführer Ernst Kaltenbrunner opens up an investigation on Stirlitz, led in part by Stirlitz's role in delaying the German atomic research program and his otherwise almost-too-impeccable record of loyalty and devotion to Hitler, even as other German officers had begun to grumble in private about the leadership.

The series was immensely popular in the Soviet Union and it originated many popular phrases as well as an entire genre of anecdotes, the latter having seemingly taken a life of its own.   The show is still frequently aired on Russian television.   Plans were discussed to build a monument to Stirlitz in the city of Gorokhovets, his birth place in the series.   It's been said that "for older generations, the series is little more than a factual retelling of an actual historical event - a behind-the-scenes look at a war painful to remember.   But for younger people raised from childhood on yearly showings  - the film was shown one hour-long serial at a time, 12 days in a row -  "Spring" became more famous for its quirky lines and surreal shots than its cinematic whole.

QUALITY:  Normally sold as a 6-DVD set, we have compressed the series into only 3 DVDs.  As a result, each DVD is more than 4 hours long.  Contrary to expectations, however, there is only a very minor loss in quality with so much film put onto each disc.  The overall quality is very good, though not perfect.  Very minor imperfections, mainly in the transfer.