Original subtitles

ZHUKOV

Part 9

Beria started his leap to power during the funeral processions of Stalin.

In his speech over Stalin's coffin he suddenly guaranteed

to the Soviet people their constitutional rights and freedoms.

Moreover, with the full knowledge of situation in penal establishment,

which he personally developed to a large extent,

the head of the integrated Ministry of Interior

was the first to speak about rehabilitation

of the wrongfully convicted

and about cancelling torture at interrogations.

Shortly, the famous Beria's amnesty came.

His peers at the Presidium became more and more frightened

with his initiatives.

Take for example his idea of uniting post-war Germany.

Or another one – cancelling tradition of marching with the posters

of the Presidium members at the parades.

And then in the summer of 1953 a word leaked out

that Beria's agency had a black book on Malenkov, Khrushchev

and other Presidium members.

Simultaneously, the head of interior posed a question

on arresting the ex-Secretary of the Central Committee

and the Minister of Security Ignatiev,

Malenkov's protege.

Finally Beria had them all against him.

Or almost all of them.

'Cause he chilled them to the bone.

It was even more surprising that anti-Beria plot

was led by Nikita Khrushchev.

He was the last to be considered a real competitor by Beria.

That's why I called you straight away.

As soon as I found out that they are going to change the guards

for all the Bureau members,

I immediately knew that it smelled of trouble.

I was also told to work you out, Nikita Sergeyevich.

Following you and reporting your every step.

I think it is a matter of days now.

And what does Sergey Nikiforovich think? What is his plan?

To pile it all together and wait.

Yesterday, Beria ordered me to put all militia forces in the republics

on a war footing.

- Canceling their leaves and all. - When then?

If he canceled there July leaves

and they even keep weapons at home now in Georgia and Ukraine,

then July is the deadline.

Before that! What, Ivan Alexandrovich? Before!

Yes, I think much, much before.

I know one thing for sure.

The cells are ready at Lubyanka. For whom?

For the Bureau members, that's for sure.

He's just waiting for the right moment and...

On June 27th, in the Bolshoy Theatre,

in the Tsar's Box, he'll arrest them all.

- Thick and thin. - It makes sense.

Did he change all the guards of the Bureau?

- Yeah. - He did. The militia belongs to him.

The republican leaders are his men, too.

He put new ones. Great job!

And not just leaders!

All the Dzerzhinsky Division is ready for action!

- No one will dare to move. - Right.

On the 27th. Seems about right.

You know, it is time to remove Bulganin.

My heart bleeds when I see it all.

He destroyed our army. Come on, Georgy, start working.

We have to put things right.

You know, Lavrentiy,

I am not afraid of work. It is not the first time.

- With whom? - Why? We have no generals?

We do, and many of them are very decent.

Abakumov had all my circle arrested.

He was preparing a case against me. Okay, say, I am the Minister of Defense.

But they are in jail, still convicted. So my friends are the hostages?

One can get to them anytime with the accusations beaten out of them.

Against me.

You are offending me now, my dear!

It never occurred to me to keep you on the hook.

As for your friends, I already gave an order.

Here.

Marshal Novikov is being released and restored in the army.

He'll get his rank and all his rights back.

And that's it?

72 arrests were associated with my case. The Generals and the Colonels.

- The battle officers. - You have to understand, too.

We can't rush here. We have to do it gradually.

Or what? We put them all in jail, and now we release them all?

We'll release all the wrongfully convicted.

And who was convicted rightfully?

Do these people even exist?

These are my conditions.

All of them. Kryukov, Ruslanova. Release them immediately. General Telegin.

Well, there is no problem whatsoever with these three names.

- When does he go to Germany? Tomorrow? - Tomorrow.

Well. So…

The ministers…

The security people, the militia people... It's getting hot, right?

So you came running to me? And why do you betray your man?

You realized that following him gains you one more year of life.

that's all.

So you wet you pants, right?

- So what do we have left? The army. - Yes. Zhukov.

We can't do it without him. It's a shame.

He's offended with me. He doesn't trust me anymore.

- And you? Did you talk to him? - I did.

- And? - He didn't move a bit.

Why would he? Who brought him to Beria? Who?

You put all the best army professionals in jail.

What is it, Lavrentiy?

It is very nice to deal with the man who thinks on a national scale.

You are watching my private life on a national scale, too?

- Who does? - Lavrentiy!

You don't know. You are so naive.

Every day I see people following me. Running around Moscow as idiots.

- And the phone is bugged, too? Why? - I swear to you, Georgy!

It's my subordinates amateur activity.

The old orders do not apply anymore but they've not been canceled.

They are displaying their eagerness. I have some mess, too. I'll sort it out.

Why are you so worried?

If one has nothing to hide, he won't care.

I was watched too. But I knew that it had to be done.

Better safe than sorry.

My private life is my private life.

Alright.

Alright, Georgy. Don't be so nervous.

Well, Georgy?

Did we agree on our key question?

Agreed.

I am very happy to hear that.

Come here.

Is this called work? What is it?

The Marshal is rebuking me here. You embarrass me.

He says, he can see people following him!

- Do I need to teach you? - I am sorry, Lavrentiy Pavlovich!

I overlooked it. Maybe...

We revoke the gray men for a while?

Come here!

You know what? Revoke the idiots, find the proper ones!

If you have none, do it yourself!

I'll hang you by the balls! I need his phone calls reports

on a daily basis!

Heh, Zhukov…

It is dangerous with Zhukov. He's unpredictable.

But he's the one we need. And we'll use him at the very last moment.

But look at us!

We'll manage that, won't we?

The army hates Beria, and so does Zhukov. I know for sure.

We need to make them clash.

- Pit them against each other? - Provoke them. You see?

To catch him. But how?

The family? Think! Think how we catch him

so he tears them all apart.

I have an idea.

I have an old arrest warrant for Zhukov.

We just have to fake the dates and… I guess he'll believe that.

Gotcha. We'll do this.

That's it, General.

Yes, maybe…

Hey, miss!

What about hanging out?

Are you married?

I am.

- Take a deep breath, boys. - Whom are you married to?

- Some general, right? - A wrong guess.

Wrong? What, a marshal then?

- Watch out! - Thank you.

No, really! A marshal?

This is Galya Semyonova. You see, Misha? From Sverdlovsk.

She's married to Marshal Zhukov.

Not quite married. The Marshal has a wife and two kids. You forgot?

And she wants to win him over. She's his mistress.

- Is it a right guess? - How about a punch in your face?

How about a cell at Lubyanka?

- Now, remember this! - Get off me.

Lavrentiy Pavlovich sent us to explain something to you.

You'll never have a household registration here!

What do you want? I'll scream now!

Shut up and listen! Who do you think you are, Semyonova?

You live in Moscow illegally. The Marshal got you into the hospital.

He made you a Medical Service Colonel.

You wanna tell us how you got that apartment of yours?

- Got laid with him properly? - Listen…

- And maybe someone set this up? - And the Marshal doesn't get it.

- Let's take her to our department! - Wait! Hold on!

Please help! They are following me! They…

- Please stand here. - They won't let me go!

You are now protected by the law. Show me your IDs.

The state security, Captain. Hands off!

Up!

With your eyes only.

- Miss, show me your passport. - Passport? Just a second.

Just a second.

Wait!

I don't understand. I just took it out at the store.

I don't understand.

- Maybe I forgot it at home? - We've followed her for three hours.

And you know where we had our watch? In front of the capitalist embassies.

Yes, we started following her from the UK embassy.

- What? - And then she went to the US embassy.

- What are you saying? Captain! - Running around, making signs.

- Captain! - Keep working.

- Go on. - Comrade Captain!

- Comrade Captain! - Shut up.

Shut up.

Go home, go potty, go to sleep.

Don't tell the Marshal! You get it?

Okay, you can go.

- For now. - Galya!

Galya!

- What, they showed their papers? - Yes.

And they told me that they'd send me back if I don't stop walking around Moscow.

By what right?

Georgy, they... They know everything about me. About us.

They know I have no registration. They know we live here.

They told me that in details. It was unbelievable.

Did they at least introduce themselves?

Of course they did.

When they showed their IDs to the officer, he could hardly stand on his feet.

They told him they came from Beria. They repeated several times.

They threatened to arrest me.

You have a car. You can call the adjutant.

Don't walk alone.

I asked you not to go out alone.

I just wanted to take a ride in the metro.

I wanted to see Lobnoye Mesto and the Mausoleum.

You don't show me around. I am living in a cage.

Seryozha!

The phone is off.

Stay here. Post the guards. I am going to Beria.

Bastard! I'll tear him apart! Scum!

Bastard!

I'll call you!

- It's you again? Let's go to your boss! - Wait!

- What? - Give me five minutes.

That's one. Galina's passport. I grabbed it the moment I knew.

Listen.

- He ordered to watch you again. - I'll handle that.

But what was that clumsy job all about?

Let me explain. Cool down! Listen to me.

Sergey Nikiforovich!

Hello!

- Hi! - Comrade Zhukov!

Please read this. The order issued to the republics.

And this one is issued for Moscow and Leningrad.

Look at this!

Comrade Beria ordered me to declare martial law everywhere.

Hand out the weapons, cancel the leaves.

And this one…

All commanding officers of Dzerzhinsky Division

sleep in the barracks.

- Why? - It pretty clear from this.

- The coup. - Let's go to him with this, together.

There's no need to go to him. It won't help.

He's in Germany now. Out of Moscow.

Georgy, listen to me!

The cells have been prepared at Lubyanka for the Political Bureau members.

And we think that the arrests will start when he comes back.

Don't you understand? We gotta be ahead of him.

What do you need me for? To lead the coup against him?

Georgy Konstantinovich! You have two Beria's deputies here.

Does it tell you something? We are not talking about the coup.

We are talking about saving the fatherland.

Besides, you have no other choice. Read it.

This is your arrest warrant.

Listen! Let's go to Nikita. He's waiting.

So?

- Let's go up and have some cognac. - Wait…

We'll drink and talk properly. Don't worry about Galina.

I'll post the guards here. I'll give an order myself.

Nikita desperately needs your help. And he knows that like no one else.

Mikoyan,

Bulganin…

All of them said, it should be you. Zhukov and no one else.

It is so disgusting.

Georgy!

Moscow Army District Commander, General Colonel Moskalenko is listening.

Hi there, Kirill Semyonovich!

What's going on with the maneuvers?

- When are they scheduled? - On Monday, the 29th.

Did the Siberian divisions arrive?

Affirmative, comrade Khrushchev. They are getting ready.

We want to re-check air defense system together with Moscow District,

considering the global situation.

Do you remember that you have to report to the Presidium today?

- Affirmative. I'll be there at 11. - No. Please come earlier.

And you know what? Bring several comrades with you.

You know, the reliable ones.

The ones you were at the front with. Those that you know like yourself.

And…

Bring the cigars.

Excuse me? I quit smoking during the war.

I meant other cigars.

I see, comrade Khrushchev.

I see and I will comply, comrade Khrushchev.

Comrade Bulganin will call you later.

That's all.

- The 9th. - Send to me immediately

Major Yufilev, Chief of Staff General Major Baksov

and the head of Political Administration Colonel Zub.

Yes!

Put Air Force Staff Chief Batisky through.

Yes!

- I am listening. - Pavel, Moskalenko speaking.

Come here, immediately.

- Where? To the staff? - Yes, to the staff.

And bring service weapon. With ammunition load.

- Got it. - Come on, Pasha. I am waiting.

Zhukov's here.

Georgy Konstantinovich, could you come to me right now?

I'll be in half an hour.

Seryozha!

- Comrade Marshal! - Cut it off.

Girls! Shura! Come here.

Misha!

Stay at home until I come back. Don't go out at all. Got it?

Yes.

- Got it? - Yes.

Misha, come on!

Here.

- Here. - Let's go. Kudryavtsev!

Yes!

- Okay, gather the men. - Yes!

- Guard, turn out! - How many do you have?

- Eight. - Send five to Galina.

You have passes?

- Yes. - Then do it.

- Yes! - Misha, stay here and look after them.

Let's go.

Comrade Major, five men go to Moscow with you.

Helmets off, hide the guns.

The task is to prevent civilians and security agents

penetrating to the site.

- Execute the mission! - Right turn! To the car!

Mount!

Comrades officers!

He is expecting you, Georgy Konstantinovich.

Comrade Minister of Defense! At your service...

Georgy Konstantinovich...

I know you as a fair warrior and Communist, and I called you because...

Please sit. Please.

We'll go to Kremlin together now.

- To the Presidium meeting. - What for?

Is it about the maneuvers,

Nikolai Alexandrovich?

Yes, that's right. The maneuvers.

- Near Kalinin. - Nikolai Alexandrovich, if I am to answer

their questions regarding the maneuvers, I had to know that beforehand.

- I am sorry. Do you have your gun here? - Affirmative.

You won't have to answer the questions regarding the maneuvers.

Generals Moskalenko and Batistky will report on this matter.

Yes.

You are right.

We have to tell to the Presidium about the preparations to the maneuvers.

- But the key goal is different. - What is it?

Let's go there. The comrades will explain.

I don't have a pass for my car. I was not invited to the meeting.

We'll go by my car. My cars are never stopped.

I think that the Presidium agenda will be substantially changed.

And you, comrade Zhukov, will get order...

...to arrest...

...Lavrentiy Beria.

By the decision of the Central Committee?

Yes, by their decision.

Certainly by their decision.

What do you say?

- You agree? - I agree. Yes.

We should've done it long ago.

The comrades from the Presidium knew that you were loyal

- to the Party. - Nikolai Alexandrovich!

Am I assigned to arrest Beria?

Affirmative, comrade Zhukov. You are!

The militia. All secret services.

The forces of the Ministry of Interior, all of them are under Beria.

Dzerzhinsky Division.

It is also under him. It's the best in Moscow, by every measure.

The first thing to do is to send in the troops

of the Ministry of Defense to Moscow.

Then we need to get hold of all key positions in Moscow.

You think that Gogidze and Kabulov will just sit there?

The third thing. I need the Presidium' sanction

that Tamanskaya and Kantemirovskaya Divisions are under my sole command.

Georgy Konstantinovich! Let's go to Kremlin. There you tell them.

They are waiting for us.

I am ready.

Open all cells!

Yes, comrade Marshal!

- But, comrade Marshal… - Open! Take them all to the hall!

- Open the cells! - Open the cells!

Take them all to the hall.

- All here? - Affirmative, comrade Marshal!

Amnesty for all.

At ease!

What are you looking at? Depart to your unit headquarters

and report.

Amnesty!

By the order of Marshal Zhukov.

Prisoners, left turn!

March to get your personal belongings and documents!

There is a pipe. They can hang themselves.

Tidy up here.

Don't bring prisoners to the cooler.

It should remain empty. And don't go anywhere without my order.

- Got it? - Yes, comrade Marshal!

They go to the meeting.

Their passes.

Yes!

Comrades officers! We'll go upstairs from here.

- Hello! - Hello, Georgy Konstantinovich!

Hello!

Please! Sit down.

We had a cabinet meeting scheduled for today.

Please!

We canceled the meeting.

Our agenda is focused on anti-Party actions of comrade Beria.

We know that Beria plans to discharge the Presidium and government officials

from their posts

and establish individual rule.

Comrade Zhukov!

You are in charge of arresting comrade Beria.

- What do you say? - I'll do what the Party tells me to.

Will you be able to handle this risky operation?

I will.

Beria is into sports. He masters jujitsu. So will you

- be able to manage that? - I will. Don't worry, Nikita Sergeyevich.

Very good.

Comrades officers!

- Please sit, comrades. - Comrades officers!

We are waiting for the signal. You have your weapons?

Affirmative.

What signal will it be, comrade Sukhanov?

Comrade Malenkov uses a special button to call me.

- Everything's clear? - Affirmative.

So let's just wait.

We'll act according to a situation.

Just the way I thought, Ulbricht is a weak leader.

- Wait here. - Yes!

Comrade Beria entered the conference room.

Where's the Defense Minister? He's calling the division?

He does. Certainly he does.

Nikolai Alexandrovich is right here, in the adjacent room.

Or he's drinking his cognac already.

He's calling no one. I hope he'll survive his drinking.

Well, he's a weak man.

Right.

Put me through to Kantemirovskaya Division.

Division Commander Deputy Colonel Paramonov. I'm listening.

Commander General Major Philipenko is at the test range.

Yes, comrade Minister of Defense!

Affirmative. Everything's clear, comrade Minister!

May I commence?

Send the duty officer over, right now!

In the conclusion I'd like to say

that the crisis was caused by systematic errors of the German Party.

Ulbricht forces the collective production method on the Germans.

You might remember that I proposed to let Germans have small farming

and the shops instead of one-size-fits-all approach.

- You didn't listen. Here's the result. - But this is the NEP!

What does it matter how we call it, Nikita Sergeyevich?

- Do you want to lose Germany? - What you are saying right now

is a true revisionism!

I told you, Georgy Maximilianovich, that he'd bring us there!

I agree with Nikita Sergeyevich.

And I think we have to discuss certain Party issues today.

Wait with your Party issues! This is practical!

What does it matter what tag we put on it? Let's sort out German matters!

123 people were executed by now, and in the future...

But I want to pinpoint the issue

and to remind to our comrades that Beria was in charge for Germany.

And he didn't let anybody else do it. Now it is burning, and he yells

that he didn't set the fire. But you did!

That's how we rule after Stalin's death?

And what is the outcome, Lavrentiy? Tell us!

Did we lose Germany already?

It was you who sent your men there. Goglidze, Kabulov... And what do we see?

Did comrade Stalin want us to work this way? No!

The third post?

The third post? Spiridonov.

The procession of five Committee cars is now approaching you.

Let them pass. No check needed.

Yes.

This is the order of the Kremlin commandant.

My order!

Three months ago, after securing our approval,

you, Lavrentiy, have stopped listening to the comrades entirely.

You made your own decisions on appointing people in Ukraine, Georgia

- Azerbaijan and other geographies. - What are you talking about, Nikita?

- We decided together. We have protocols. - You don't say! Protocols...

I didn't appoint neither Meshik nor Bagirov.

You sort everything out by yourself.

- And all your tricks behind our backs... - What are you saying, Nikita? When?

Enough! He's playing the innocent, you see?

- Nikita! - Nikita what? Where are you taking this?

I am sorry to say that Grisha Kaminsky keeps coming to my mind.

Do you remember? He cried out loud, he wrote letters,

he came to Stalin and Dzerzhinsky saying that you were recruited by the UK

during Baku occupation back in the twenties.

Yes! Grisha Kaminsky disappeared in 1938, but I didn't forget.

- Nikita! Nikita! - Sit down, Lavrentiy.

To the entrance!

Follow me!

To the left! Hurry up!

Hurry up! To the third floor!

Hurry up, officers!

Fall in a single rank!

Draw up in line! Fall in!

Right dress! Front!

Comrade General Colonel! The officers arrived. At your service!

- Guard Colonel Sentsov reporting! - At ease.

At ease!

Comrades officers!

We've agreed all the operation details with your chief, General Shatilov.

Disarming Beria's guards is not an easy task

but it is still doable.

The Party has to check the rumors regarding Beria's activity

in the Musavat organizations

and finally find out what exactly he did in Baku.

Did he destruct and destroy the Musavatists

- or was he just pretending? - It is a hideous accusation.

It is unfounded and insulting!

What if we just discharge you from your teeming activity

of destroying socialism?

And then you'll pause to think. Am I wrong?

- Georgy Maksimilianovich! - You are right, Nikita Sergeyevich.

Generally. But specifically...

For accusations like this, one has to show the facts.

You want facts, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich?

Isn't it a fact that he brought it all to heel? That he lost Yugoslavia?

And now Germany! Isn't it a fact? Come to your senses, Vyacheslav!

When you headed the Foreign Affairs, it never came to this!

What? It's been three months since Stalin passed away.

And what are we doing here? Georgy Maksimilianovich?

You are at the Central Committee Presidium meeting now, by the way!

Tell us something! You are the Prime Minister!

Because I have no other explanation to what Lavrentiy has been doing!

- And the order was... - Comrades officers!

We just received an order on guard mount. Please hand me your weapons.

- Who gave the order? First Deputy Minister of Interior Serov.

Please hand me your weapons.

Based on Beria's voluntarist actions, one can come to a convincing conclusion

that he is not a Communist but rather a very insolent careerist.

He became a Party member just because of his ambitions!

And his attitude is quite defiant!

A proper Communist wouldn't behave this way!

I am telling you this as the Secretary of the Presidium!

Please go on, Nikita Sergeyevich.

Hi there, Sardion Nikolaevich!

- At your... - Cut it off.

- Hello. - What's up? How's the service? Same old?

Thank you, Ivan Alexandrovich. Getting by.

That's good. Come along. We need to talk.

- Thus I am proposing to discharge... -That's illegal.

...to discharge comrade Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria

from the post of the Cabinet Deputy Chairman.

- That's one. - This is illegal.

Why are the other comrades silent? Why is he speaking alone?

That's our shared position.

- Is it? - Yes.

- When did you have time to... - It is a hard won and mature position.

- I am proposing to vote. - So...

You all conspired against me.

In advance.

But what did you want this show for?

Lavrentiy Pavlovich, what are you saying? Where does this awful doubt come from?

But you did make those mistakes! Ulbricht. And a huge mistake with Tito.

We admit that we share those failures but...

Lavrentiy Pavlovich, please understand! It is just painful for the comrades.

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich! You are with them, too?

Sit down.

It's been an hour.

We keep waiting.

For the signal.

I was appointed the First Deputy by the Supreme Soviet decree.

I can be discharged by its Presidium decree only!

Otherwise it is a coup! That's what I can say to you!

What's wrong with you? What are you doing?

Batitsky, Moskalenko, Nedelin, follow me.

Yes!

- Brezhnev! - Yes.

Getman. You'll stand by the first door.

Pronin, Yufelev, the second door. Shut off the parlor.

Yes!

You'll stand right behind him.

- You know what to do in case of... - Yes!