Sergey Fetisov served his two-year mandatory mobilization (which every Soviet man had to undergo) in the 1970s at the Soviet Air Force Base in occupied Estonia, where the true story took place.
In Russian tradition, wedding guests yell "Gorko!" when they want the newlyweds to kiss. "Gorko" can be translated as "bitter," The idea is that the sweet kiss will dispel the bitterness - and the longer the kiss, the longer the marriage will last.
Roman and Louisa's son's name is Seryozha, which is a Russian diminutive form of the name Sergei, meaning Protector; shepherd. The name Sergey means, from Latin origin, Servant or slave.
It is commonly believed in America that, "Na zdarovje!" means, "Cheers!" when sharing a drink or proposing a toast in Russian. The phrase literally means 'so you be healthy' (so that this food or drink would work for your health) or "(eat/ drink} to your heart's content."