This was the first Soviet film to depict graphic sexual intercourse on screen.
The film was the leader in ticket sales in the Soviet Union in 1988 with 54.9 million viewers and was the most successful Soviet film in the US since Moscou ne croit pas aux larmes (1980).
The famous sex scene was not in the script. The director came up with it during the process of work. Natalya Negoda recalled that they discussed for a long time how to "implement it technically," and then filmed "in a semi-fainting state."
The title in Russian, 'Malenkaya Vera', is ambiguous and can also mean "Little Faith," symbolizing the characters' lack of hope (or a sparkle thereof).