Original subtitles

ZHUKOV

Part 1

On June 24, 1945,

at 10 AM

Moscow Red Square hosted

probably the most famous military parade of the 20th century.

It was led by Marshal Rokossovsky.

It was inspected by Georgy Zhukov.

The Great Patriotic War went on for 1,418 days and nights.

For almost four years our motherland has been fighting the most difficult war

in its entire history.

Over 26 million people gave their lives to protect their country,

to liberate half of Europe and to destroy the German war machine

which no one succeeded to destroy until then.

Once hovering over Prague, Warsaw and Paris,

the German military units flags fell to the bottom of the Mausoleum.

And the stone pavement of the Red Square

felt the steps of those who'd later gain the highest title possible –

the Victory Soldiers.

In the hearth of this dreadful fight, several great warlords have arisen.

Rokossovsky, Vasilevsky, Rybalko, Chuikov, Novikov, Kuznetsov

and many more.

There names were known and praised by the whole victorious country.

And still, the common people loved Zhukov more of them all.

On that year, he turned 49.

He was at the top of the tops. And he thought that it was going to last

forever.

Please don't think

that I am going to say

something extraordinary.

I have the most simple and ordinary toast.

I'd like to drink for those people

who don't have fancy ranks

and whose titles are not so glorious.

For those who are seen as the cogs of the great country wheel,

but without those people all of us, marshals and military commanders,

are just zeros, to put it bluntly.

If just one cog is out of order,

that's it.

I am drinking this

to the common people. The ordinary ones.

To the cogs that keep our country wheel spinning

in all areas of science, economy and military matters.

Our government

made its share of mistakes.

In the years of 1941 and 1942, there were moments of desperation.

Our army retreated leaving our own beloved cities and villages behind.

People from any other nation would have said to their leaders:

“You failed us. Go away!

We will appoint a new government.”

But the Russians chose a different path!

To the people who hold us just as the foundation holds the top.

Thank you, the people of Russia,

for your trust.

Hurray!

Put the glasses straight.

Hey, Shura! I went to this parade.

And I looked carefully. She wasn't there.

Who's she?

- What, Shura? - What?

- So what if he brought her here? - Brought whom?

- What's wrong with you? - Keep out of this!

But you do want to talk about this lady doctor!

Listen to me, my dear!

Yes, he had a wartime wife.

He took her with him to all fronts. He got used to this whore. Right?

And now it is over. He came home. Came to the girls and to me. Home.

Sashka! You are so smart! A perfect wife.

Right! I am not going to let myself to be upset again.

I am not letting myself.

It took them three hours to make my hair. And it took me another two to fix it.

What can I say? Keep track on everything that's going on.

A tank is a powerful machine. It can crush any enemy.

But if you remove couple of cogs, it'll collapse.

A state is a machine. You can't fail here.

Let's drink to the cogs. Hurray!

Hurray!

Pasha, be careful when talking about failures.

- You are not at the front. - What did you say yesterday?

We let four million of our soldiers to be taken captive in 1941.

- Now we can celebrate. - Come to my dacha . We'll talk there.

Comrades! Officers! Tonight, I am looking forward to see you.

Tonight at my place.

Look. It is Margarita breed.

He planted it himself.

By the way, that's the name of his daughter, from Velikhova.

- They are beautiful. - And the smell…

- Does he see his daughter? - Of course!

You know what kind of father he is? She is his blood. He'd never let her down.

He only has girls.

And he dreams about a son.

So become a mother of his son.

Oh, really! Why not? I am going for it right now. In my age!

- Maybe I'll get lucky. - Why? I know this old lady,

she can do miracles. I'll give you her address.

- I never went to these old women. - Don't worry! This one will go away too.

And the old lady is more powerful than the Party Committee, God bless.

There is nothing

more powerful than the Committee, Lida. Trust me on that!

Comrade Stalin!

You spoke so beautifully of the Russian people.

How come that you, Georgian, know them so well?

I am not Georgian.

I am Russian, with the Georgian roots.

Comrade Stalin!

Come on, make this picture.

You deserve it.

Comrades, please be seated.

Comrades! Get ready!

- I am afraid of something. - Of what?

I am just afraid. All I hear around is Zhukov, Zhukov, Zhukov…

And I know him! He'd just raise his head, gnaw the bit and go ahead.

Stop praising him!

- Whom shall we praise then? - Stalin!

During the war, who was winning? Stalin? Stalin.

So say “Stalin” now. Who's gonna like hearing all about Zhukov?

I was looking at Stalin at that parade.

I didn't look at Zhora on the white horse. I looked at Stalin.

He stood there, so gloom.

What, you wanted him to laugh in front of the Mausoleum?

Of course he was stern and gloom.

Georgy Konstantinovich, a street party. They all go to Red Square.

I'd love to see that.

You haven't seen enough on a way from Warsaw to Berlin?

I want quiet. I want to go fishing.

A pole, a bait, the warms. All in the trunk.

- Stop here. - Yes!

Hello!

Greetings, ladies! Great Victory Day!

It's beautiful! I am taking them all. Put them to the back seat.

It is Zhukov! Girls!

- Our savior! Take them for free! - No, I'll pay.

Pay me with a kiss!

He won't eat something that pale.

Won't even touch it. Please let me. I trained him to love my cooking.

And now I am torturing everyone.

It should be brown, with a crust.

Hey, let's get out of here.

Neither Coco nor Chanel would help us to get rid of this fish smell.

Cabbages. A smart side dish.

- Tastes good, doesn't cost much. - Thank you.

Make them brown, too.

Here.

- Wait here. - Yes!

I missed you so much!

I missed you!

Wait…

Here.

What is it?

- All the shots? - Yes, all of them.

Where…

Hold those.

Where is…

- …comrade Stalin? - Pyotr Nikolaevich, he…

He didn't want to be on this picture.

- Just the military, he said and left. - Are you sure?

I was there. Comrade Stalin just went to the door. To the toilet.

Later, I asked them to call Vlasik. He said, Stalin took off to his dacha .

The Allied Control Council signed a joint agreement on Germany affairs

at Marshal Zhukov's headquarters. He brought the victory to the Soviet army.

General Eisenhower signed on behalf of the United States,

Field Marshal Montgomery for the UK, Marshal Zhukov for Russia.

Many think that Marshal Zhukov will be the successor…

- What? You are suddenly mute? - Not at all, comrade Stalin.

…the successor of Stalin as the Party and government leader.

His influence across the Army and Russian people has no limits.

- There is no doubt that… - Enough!

- For today. - Yes!

- Who told you to turn on the lights? - I am…

Sorry, comrade Stalin.

Tell Beria and Abakumov to come here, ASAP.

Yes, comrade Stalin.

Why didn't you come to Red Square?

I didn't dare to. I thought, she was there, so…

- How could I come? - She doesn't even know how you look.

But I do.

It is fine, Georgy.

You are sitting here and I feel good.

What? Time to go?

Don't go yet. I miss you, Georgy.

Time to go?

- No. - I am sorry, so sorry.

It's okay, it is always time to go.

Pour me some more.

Well, my guests are waiting.

I'll drop in on Friday.

Abort those tears! We've survived the war!

- Come on! - Don't start yelling, okay?

I want to have a baby.

Have one if you want one.

- How? She won't forgive me. - She will. Have one and that's it.

It has to be a boy though. I want a son.

An heir.

Alright.

That's it. I'm gone.

I didn't sleep this night. And the last night, too.

Lavrentiy Pavlovich, do you sleep well?

- Quite well, comrade Stalin. - And you, comrade Abakumov?

- Do you sleep soundly? - Thank you, comrade Stalin.

Please sit.

So, we've won the war.

- Right? - Quite right, comrade Stalin.

And we had a nation-wide celebration.

- Right, Viktor Semyonovich? - Quite right, comrade Stalin.

And the nation should know about it, right?

And how would they know? Through…

Radio, through newspapers.

Through propaganda vehicles. What do you think?

The victory celebration is widely covered across the propaganda vehicles.

The documentaries are screened at the cinemas,

- the articles are published, the photos… - Oh, the photos!

Comrade Pospelov sent me the galley.

I made myself aware of your evaluation

of my contribution to this victory. Thank you very much!

Quite an evaluation.

Comrade Stalin, I think we can't publish it like this.

Why?

- If you decided so... - We didn't decide. It was a mistake.

A mistake made by an editor-in-chief.

- We'll handle this. - Thank you very much.

Please eat.

They sent it to me from Gori.

These apples are delicious.

Handle this? The editor-in-chief has already handled this.

Had second thoughts, saw the enemy trace.

What we need to handle is figuring out why you missed it.

I borrowed this book from someone. It is about the lives of twelve Caesars.

That's what they wrote two thousand years ago.

- Your best friend sees you victory… - As a personal offense and defeat.

Well, my dear wife, greet the winners.

Did you cook the fish? I am as hungry as a wolf.

Joseph Vissarionovich, I'd say

- we call in all the officers and reshoot. - Why?

Let the victorious nation know their heroes.

Let them see Zhukov and Rybalko!

Even the simple generals celebrate with the people.

That's what our enemies will see tomorrow. Comrade Stalin

is not in Kremlin. I don't see him!

No good, comrades.

You've stolen my great victory from me.

Think about it. Think carefully.

And come by me some time.

If I call you. And this…

Figure it out without me.

And now…

To the victory!

Two short ones and a long one.

Hurray! Hurray! Hurra-a-a-a-y!

I am sorry, comrade Zhukov, he is making you…

Okay, where do I keep glue?

It feels so good. So quiet.

Come on.

We waited for this quiet long enough.

We didn't wait. We fought for it.

I just think that this war is not over yet.

What? It is so serious?

They freaked out when they sensed our strength.

But they won't show it. Smiling as if they want to smile their faces away.

Hiding their sharp teeth under this smile. You see…

I presented Eisenhower with the Order of Victory

three weeks ago in Frankfurt.

And he puts a 1,500-units air-fleet in the skies. Like, the parade.

Like, look what you'd fight if you dare to attack.

Freaking out is fine as long as they act stupid out of fear.

We'd better have five years or so to save our strength.

I'll tell you, guys. Future wars will be all about the enginery.

- Rearming then? - Not only that.

We need a proper order.

So that each cog knows where it belongs and what it is there for.

So that they could reel it off when it came to their part.

Right.

For that, we need a strong arm to hold them all.

Good morning, comrade Stalin!

- Hello! - Yes, yes.

Comrade Stalin, we inquired into this story with the photo in the paper.

It was a mistake made by the photographer.

He did what comrade Zhukov told him to.

- I interrogated him… - He is a fool.

The fault is yours, comrades ministers.

- Please bring two sets. - Of course.

Like the first time.

Except that it is not the first time nor the second.

This is an outcome of the numerous…

…systematic mistakes committed by your institutions.

Let the photographer go, comrade Abakumov. And Pospelov…

- Don't touch him. - Yes, comrade Stalin!

Award both of them.

Sit.

Come on.

Thank you.

There's a good photographer and a good editor.

A good newspaper.

And a proper picture.

The victorious nation should know their hero.

Well done, the propaganda workers.

Please eat.

Turns out, I am guilty. I just went to do number one,

and once I got back, there's no Generalissimo!

- He's nowhere to be found! - Thank you.

They lost him. The Generalissimo didn't have a chance to pee properly.

The Generalissimo stands in the corner in Kremlin on such a glory day,

and there's no one around!

They took a picture and went on drinking vodka.

You were not around. You, too. And whose fault it is?

What can you say to that, comrade Abakumov?

Comrade Stalin, I am sorry. It is my personal fault.

Who knows the army better than us? Certainly not Beria and Abakumov.

It think he'll call me to Moscow after Potsdam.

Well, you shoot for the stars.

The army is very strong now. The one who controls it has a great power.

- Do you think he'll just give it away? - He trusts me.

I can feel it. And he has no other choice.

If he doesn't want to see the year of 1941 again.

May I, comrade Stalin?

You know, I think that there are matters more important than this picture.

Georgy Zhukov was awarded with the Order of the British Empire.

The first foreigner in the history.

Very well. We have to congratulate him on that.

Well, of course we'll ask him to renounce this Order.

However it is good that our allies acknowledge the gifts of our commanders.

- What else? - In fact, Maisky, the ambassador,

has already accepted it for Zhukov without seeking advice.

He's a fool even if he's a Jew.

Comrade Stalin!

I think it proves that the British are set to recruit Zhukov.

- And maybe already did. - What are you talking about, Viktor?

What proves?

- They award him, and it's a proof? - There's no proof, that's right.

But, comrade Stalin, Marshal's behavior is intolerable.

He thinks he's been underestimated.

He thinks he planned all the campaign alone.

- In a word, he is showing Bonapartism. - Bonapartism?

It's a good word.

Bonapartism.

You are an educated man, Lavrentiy.

Handsome, too, but the main thing is you know these fancy words. Bonapartism.

Besides, comrade Stalin, all foreign newspapers

praise Zhukov's glory in the victory over Germans.

- See? The New York Times . - And whom should they praise?

The two of you?

It's all very well for you to say, but I've been with him for five years.

And I have never seen from him any of your Bonapartism.

I know, comrade Zhukov is inclined to arrogance. Everybody knows.

But nobody's perfect.

Our people need a national hero. Zhukov is a national hero.

And thank you for being honest.

And I would advise you

to look more carefully

into this picture story.

The country is in ruins. We need to raise it.

Why do we need so many generals at the time of peace?

There's something to think about.

Bonapartism.

- Station five. - Marshal Rybalko's apartment.

- It is a test. Do you copy? - Copy that.

- General Repin? - Yes.

You are under arrest.

- Comrade Grigoryan? - Yes.

Turn in your weapons.

- Station five. - Marshal Zhukov's apartment. Testing.

Copy that.

Well, Serov, you are Zhukov's friend. And comrade Stalin called me in recently

to point on intolerable anarchic behavior of the chief officers of the Soviet Army.

Georgy Zhukov in particular.

And I agree with him, Serov. That's why comrade Stalin is the genius.

He is able to see it on time with his sharp eye

and to warn his comrade-in-arms Zhukov

who became arrogant, Bonapartic and seeing himself almost as a savior

of the fatherland.

While I personally appointed you to ensure that this savior doesn't go there.

- But you failed. - Me? Failed?

Sit down.

Well…

Now, tell me why is this happening? Ask me.

And why is it happening, Lavrentiy Pavlovich?

Because there can't be two saviors to one fatherland.

That's the genius. He's the only one. There can't be two of them.

- Do you understand me? - I do.

Stalin put Abakumov in charge of working on Zhukov. You get it?

- Indeed? - Listen. Me, I don't care

whether he is guilty. But that's what I know.

If Abakumov rides a high horse, he'll drop him some papers

compromising me and you and all our staff.

- Which he did many times. You see? - Of course I see.

You don't see a thing!

You made pictures with him in different postures. Congratulations!

We should perform without a hitch to make Abakumov eat the dust.

That means, we will stand by Zhukov. We'll even cover him.

- Lavrentiy! - What, Vanya?

I've been next to Georgy by your personal order.

But you served him more than you served me.

If Abakumov will eventually get to Zhukov, I'll come out clean.

But you belong to Zhukov's gang, and you'll pay for it.

- But you told me to… - Vanya! Be quiet!

Here you are. They are right when they say that old words come true.

Go in. She's waiting for you with the good news.

Lida?

Lida!

Lida…

Lida!

What is this oldie doing here?

- A sorceress. She came to read fortune. - What?

My neighbor told me that there was this lady

who could tell whether it's a boy or a girl.

- And she doesn't charge much, right? - No charge.

Then she stole something.

No, she was here all the time.

Millet.

- Is it magical? - Yeah.

It is magical!

Oh, really?

Chickie, chickie, chickie…

We'll have a boy.

Konstantin Georgievich.

- A son. - Yes.

Yes.

But we have to see whether the millet has drowned, just in case.

It has.

Here.

- I am afraid. - Let me.

No.

It's gonna be okay.

It drowned!

- Eat faster! - I can't…

Have a good look.

A statement from Zhukov's wife.

Asking to bring the well-respected Marshal back to his family

from his wartime wife Lidiya Zakharova.

Did you help Marshal to get her Pokrovka apartment?

- I did. - Good job. Way to go.

Now, talk to her as a friend.

Tell her to stay away from him. To keep her head down.

Maybe we could even recruit her? What do you think?

- Will you pull it off? - Of course I will, Lavrentiy Pavlovich.

Go ahead then.

- I am taking the letter. - Give me the letter.

- Will that be all? - That's all.

- Well… - Ivan Alexandrovich!

- Hi, Lidiya Vladimirovna! - Come in!

Thanks! So how's life been treating you?

Good.

That's good.

Well…

- Come in. - Thanks! How's Georgy?

- Long time since he's been here? - Quite long.

I miss him.

- I see, I see. - Would you like some tea?

Sure!

- The tea. - Thank you.

Something stronger, maybe?

- I'll fetch a glass. - Stronger? Fine. We'll have a long talk.

- Thank you. - Here.

Well…

- Are you drinking, too? - No, I'm not.

Well…

To our victory!

Well… So you have all your snacks ready.

Or you've been waiting for someone?

A friend came by.

- So I sat with her. - A friend.

It is good to have friends.

Oh, Lidochka…

Okay, Lidiya Vladimirovna, listen carefully now.

Georgy's wife wrote a letter.

Hopefully, you realize where she sent it to.

She asks to guard him from you and from your influence.

What can I do? Here I am, sitting here as I am.

I don't wish ill on anyone.

Listen, Lida!

Lida…

I am really begging of you now.

Let's skip this part, okay?

You…

You are a smart girl, so listen carefully to what I say.

If Georgy calls, tell him not to come here for a month.

- And don't tell him about this meeting. - How interesting.

- Why not? - The times are changing.

They are changing, Lidochka.

Big time.

Alright, alright.

What is our principal task, Lida?

To keep the Marshal alive, healthy and strong.

Beating our enemy with unwavering hand, right?

And we have to be exactly on the same page in this regard.

Right, Lida?

Okay, look.

I am eating this very herring right now.

From this very plate.

And I am thinking to myself: what if the Marshal ate it just before I came?

Did he?

Well…

You see?

And you said it was a friend.

And what if there is a plot against him?

Or some spies?

Lida…

Please! Please, don't act stupid.

Come on! Bring it on, as a friend to a friend.

Lida! Are you okay?

I ate something bad.

Lida!