Original subtitles

[NO AUDIO]

[THEME MUSIC]

Love in Chains

Katerina Stepanovna, listen to me. Don’t scream, don’t scream.

I’m begging you, don’t scream.

I’m not your enemy. I promise I won’t hurt you.

I only ask for a chance to tell you everything.

Give me half an hour, and you will be free to do whatever you want.

Don’t scream.

Why don’t you just leave us alone?

Why do you hate Andrey so much? Because your wife didn’t love you?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Vera didn’t love me?

Listen, I don’t know what your husband told you, but this is a horrible lie.

Here. Read any of these letters.

Do you really believe they were written by someone who had no love in her heart?

Read them.

- What are these? - Vera’s letters.

The last thing I have from her, to remember her by.

TO HIM, WHO IS FOREVER MINE

I dreamed about you last night.

And then I wake up and felt so good, so peaceful,

like at that moment at the altar,

when I realized it and felt that now we were together forever.

I woke up, opened my eyes and got scared for a moment

that it was only a dream.

But no, fortunately, it is all true.

Here you were, sleeping next to me and smiling in your dream,

so close, so dear to me, so mine.

I almost got mad from being away from you.

Darling, I only was out for two hours.

And out of them, an hour and half I was consumed with cruel longing for you.

I, too, missed you a lot.

I decided to entice you with presents, so that you always rushed back home.

Here.

This is the first of them.

ADAM MICKIEWICZ

It’s Mickiewicz, Vera!

I can’t believe it!

You talked about him not long ago at Father’s

and said that no other man can talk about love like him,

and if you had to proclaim your love for someone in one verse,

you would choose his.

“Don’t be afraid, my darling. Boldly open your heart to me,

If it answered to mine.

Let people be against us, let Heavens want it this way,

And I will have to love you without hope, in secret.

Even if life gives you to someone else…

- Your soul is wed to mine. - Your soul is wed to mine.

I love you.

And I will love you till the day I die.

[SAD MUSIC]

Didn’t Vera marry you on her father’s insistence?

Even Lord himself wouldn’t be able to make Vera

do something against her will, let alone Maksim Ignatyevich.

No, Katerina Stepanovna, it was love.

True, sincere love.

I never knew how to dream.

I always thought dreams were for some high-minded girls,

and now I dream every day.

About decorating our new home,

or who our future children will look like,

or how we’ll live to old age hand in hand.

It’s a torture to know that you are so close, a few blocks away.

Just a fifteen minutes’ walk, and here you are, but no.

Office rules, what will people say. Remember that day in Chigirin?

My heart was beating so hard

I thought even music will not drown out it's exciting rhythm.

I love you. It’s my life, my entire world.

You are the air I breathe.

[SAD MUSIC]

The woman who wrote this seems truly happy.

Because she was happy.

We both were incredibly happy

up until the day I was arrested in front of my house.

Stop this ruckus!

I demand explanations! What am I doing here for two days already?

It’s against the rules.

Listen, let me at least send a word to my wife. She must be worried sick.

It’s against the rules!

Stop saying this! Against the rules!

Who set these rules? Can you tell me?

Listen to me! Listen to me!

This was going on for six days.

Without explanation, without lodging of charges

they just kept me in my cell, giving me no chance to contact anyone.

You have been holding me here for six days! Six days!

And now you’re just letting me go?

Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?

What is there to explain? It happens.

They took you for someone else.

They didn’t send you to jail by mistake, did they?

All right, you’ve spent some time behind bars,

but we have sorted it out after all.

- We apologize. - This is an outrageous abuse of power.

I will make sure the governor finds out what is going on here.

I decided all that could wait.

All I needed was to come home to Vera as quickly as I could.

But I was too late.

Vera!

Vera!

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

In the letter I found at my house someone called Andrey Zhadan

promised to help Vera and asked her to come to a certain address that day.

Of course, I hurried there.

Is that why you almost killed Andrey? Because he promised his help?

Everybody in Kiev knows that Zhadan can help when nobody else can.

Yes, but I don’t think this kind gentleman asks everyone he is saving

to come to a brothel, does he?

What does brothel have to do with all this?

The address mentioned in Zhadan’s letter

belongs now and belonged then to a so-called musical salon, or a brothel.

That’s where Vera was killed.

Do you remember where it was?

17, Andreyevskiy Descent. I will never forget this address.

It can’t be true.

Yes, Katerina Stepanovna.

Just the place where fate brought together you and Mr. Zhadan.

Isn’t it a remarkable coincidence?

[SAD MUSIC]

- What can I do for you, sir? - Where is the Butterfly Room?

Upstairs, where else?

[SAD MUSIC]

Vera… No!

Wake up, my darling, wake up.

Open your eyes, my sweetheart.

[SAD MUSIC]

My God! How horrible! The poor girl!

Is she one of yours, Liubov Semionovna? I don’t remember her.

She was only getting a feel of it. She hadn’t started yet.

It’s a lie! She couldn’t have! She couldn’t! No!

- A rowdy client? - I’m her husband! Let go of me!

Everything is clear. Take him away!

Let me go!

It’s the third jealous husband this month.

For the crime of passion I was sentenced to exile at the Caucasus frontier.

The only thing I wanted then was getting myself killed as soon as possible.

THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

But my destiny kept me safe, as if it was mocking me.

The highlanders captured me during one of their raids.

That’s how I met someone who helped me understand

I had to revenge Vera’s death before I died.

You were right, Prince!

Goddamn it, you were right!

What is it you remembered?

Zhadan.

Andrey Zhadan!

He sent her a letter promising help

and told her to come to 17, Andreyevskiy Descent,

M-me Makarova’s music salon.

Zhadan.

Now you know who to ask questions to,

and who is responsible for your wife’s death.

It wasn’t hard to find out that Zhadan was Vera’s father’s former bondsman.

All newspapers were writing about him. He was a people’s hero.

So I went to Chigirin.

I had changed greatly during my imprisonment,

but still I couldn’t help worrying that Vera’s father would recognize me.

My worries proved futile.

From Poland? From Poland?! Is it the goddamned Stiopka?!

- No. - Did he serve in Poland?

No.

By that time Vera’s father was very weak,

almost blind, and wasn’t quite himself.

He kept cursing “Stiopka,” his little girl’s murderer.

Why? Why?

I stood there with clenched teeth, trying not to yell that I didn’t kill her,

that I loved her more than my life.

His valet told me later that Zhadan was in love with Vera,

that he wanted to marry her, and that her father sent him to earn his rent.

That’s when it all clicked.

Yes, it was a crime of passion,

but it wasn’t me who killed Vera but the man who couldn’t become her husband.

No. No, Andrey couldn’t have.

Andrey… His heart is pure and noble.

Are you sure you know your husband so well, Katerina Stepanovna?

I was very surprised that it proved impossible

to find any information about his life after he left to the city to earn his rent,

except for what was in the newspapers.

How did he make his enormous capital?

It’s an open secret.

He used to work in the docks, then traded cloth and sugar.

A former bondsman making millions in five years?

Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it?

Have you noticed, Katerina Stepanovna, who he does business with,

who he is friends with?

Aren’t there too many secrets surrounding your husband?

What is your point?

My point is not everything is as simple as you think, Katerina Stepanovna.

Stefan Yanovich, you have been here too long. We need to leave.

Olia? Did you bring him here? Do you believe him?

Katia, I don’t know.

But if you read the letters,

you understand that something isn’t right about this business.

I decided you needed to know.

How could you think even for a moment that Andrey was capable of this?

Another man’s soul is always dark, Katia.

I want you to know that I’m always on your side.

Only you can decide what to do with all this.

Katerina Stepanovna, I’m very grateful to you for hearing me out.

If you still decide to inform the police about me,

I’d like to ask you to warn me in advance,

because I don’t want to get Olga Platonovna in trouble.

Goodbye.

You think Katia will tell him?

I don’t know.

Love makes people blind, and she loves him.

Does it bother you?

Were the Kiev gossipmonger correct, and you care about your enemy’s wife?

Excuse my lack of tact.

Can I ask you a question?

Why Krakow? The romantics of faraway lands?

In this country, being a foreigner is rather a liability.

So no, not because of that.

The real princes Yablonevskiy probably have no idea

that they now have family in Kiev.

You’re mistaken.

Excuse me, Jan, it’s already dawn.

The guide will wait us behind the passage in an hour.

We should be on our way.

Shall we leave Mateusz here?

Alas…

The two of us aren’t enough to carry the body over the peak.

I’m very sorry, Jan.

I can’t allow my son’s death to be in vain.

It has to have some meaning.

Prince, excuse me,

but Mateusz is already dead. What meaning are you talking about?

He still can help you, my friend.

Bring some rocks for the burial and take off your tunic.

For the highlanders and the Russians, it’s Stepan Gnatkevich

and not Mateusz Yablonevskiy who will have died here.

Having returned to Krakow,

prince recognized me as his son born out of wedlock

and the heir of his title and gave me his name.

So, Olga Platonovna,

I became Yablonevskiy the Pole

at the behest of the last prince in the family,

His Excellency Jan Witold.

Whatever you think about me, I’m not a fraud or a thief.

You are surprisingly calm.

You don’t seem to be bothered by the fact

that the police can be here at any moment to arrest you.

You know what bothers me most of all?

The fact that my wife’s murderer can escape punishment

and hurt someone again.

What are you working on?

I love you too much to bore you with things

like shipping crude material to the sugar factory or logistic details.

You know that I’m interested in everything that interests you.

Do I have a new business partner? How interesting!

No, I just thought

that because of everything that has happened in this last year

we didn’t have time to talk about who we were before we met,

what we went through, what we did.

You know everything about me.

My work, my family.

Yes…

Tell me, how come you became a patron of M-me Makarova?

The girls told me you had been one of their most important guests for years.

I think this isn’t a subject to discuss with one’s wife.

It’s all in the past. Nothing connects me with that establishment anymore.

So you don’t need to worry, my love.

Yes, but I thought you were friends with Liubov Vasilyevna.

You’ve known each other for a while, haven’t you?

Yes, for seven or eight years.

Seven years, that’s right.

Never mind her. How are things at the hospital?

Anything interesting?

Do you really think Katia isn’t safe with Zhadan?

Looks like we have an answer to whether she believed your story.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Calm down, it’s just a note.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Katia, I didn’t understand anything from your note.

Did you find anything that corroborates Yablonevskiy’s story?

Olia, I need to confirm something.

To tell the truth, I still hope it’s not Andrey who is lying.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Why are we going to her?

Are you sure she will agree to talk to you?

No. I’m not sure that she’ll even let me in.

But I have no one else to ask.

She is the only one who works there from the first day.

We’re here.

Maybe I should come with you.

No. In this case, she definitely won’t talk to me.

[NO DIALOG]

Katrusia!

- Katrusia. - Misha.

I’m so happy to see you. You are so big, so tall now!

- How are you doing? - I know a lot about painting now.

Katia, I can teach you if you want. Do you?

Of course I do. You have a real gift.

How is your mother? Is she here with you?

Yes. She has stopped drinking.

Now she lives with the pilgrims and mops their floors.

[NO DIALOG]

Hello, Nastia.

Well, hello.

How are you?

See for yourself. Thanks to your prayers.

Misha says you have been sober for six months.

Are you here to inspect me? Goody-two-shoes!

Nastia, don’t be like this.

I am really happy for you and Misha.

He has grown up so much.

Looks like everything is well with his studies, too.

The local icon painter is happy with him.

He can’t praise him enough.

He says Misha has God’s gift, the ability to see the real world.

He even took him along to paint a church.

THE CHERVINSKIY ESTATE

- Hello, Galia. May I? - Come in, come in.

Lev, my dear.

He left and won’t be back for an hour or two.

I missed you so much, my darling.

Look at you!

He stopped crying at once when his mother took him into his arms.

- My baby. - Tell me, what is master punishing you for?

I fired his mistress

and went against his will when I decided to go back to the theater.

He couldn’t stand it, so he took what I loved the most.

Oh, Piotr Ivanovich…

He took the mother from her son, and the baby needs his mother.

Thank you, Galia.

- Galia! - Goddamn it! Give him to me.

- Come on. This way, quick. - Galia!

Goddamn you. You’ve scared the baby!

Galia, you are getting fresh with me.

The master made me his valet,

so you should be more polite with me, got it?

I will tell the master that his valet is scaring his heir,

and he will change his mind before you know it.

What did you want? Tell me and go with peace!

The master sent a boy to say he and Mr. Garshinin are coming home soon.

He said to serve lunch earlier.

Good grief! All right, I can make it in time.

Get out of here!

Don’t order me around, Galia.

Come on, off you go.

Come out.

Go quietly through the fields.

Our master never rides that way when he is with guests.

Come back tomorrow. Come a little earlier,

so that you get to spend more time with Lev Petrovich.

All right, all right.

Yes, yes, yes. Good luck.

Did he paint it all by himself, without help?

He is so good, Nastia.

All right, enough talking.

You didn’t come here to catch up. Tell me why you wanted me.

Nastia, did you work for Liubov Vasilyevna since the beginning?

I did.

She even used to arrange special nights for me to perform.

The clients liked my singing.

Do you know about a young woman killed at the salon ten years ago?

Not one of the girls.

I know. Of course I know, even more than anyone else.

Madame told us to keep our mouths closed. Of course.

It was a new fashionable establishment, and here you have it.

Tell me everything you know, please. It’s really important, Nastia.

Why don’t you ask your husband? He knows all about it.

Andrey? What does he have to do with it?

He used to be our special guest then.

Judging by the sums Madame pays him regularly, he has a share in the salon.

What?!

How can it be, Nastia?!

Blessed simplicity. Are you really such a naive fool?

As for that woman’s death, I was told her husband killed her.

It’s a lie. No, her husband was arrested and even sent to jail,

but it wasn’t him who took his life.

Who did?

Wow! Look at you, Katerina. What’s bringing you here?

Hello, Oksana.

I came to visit Nastia and Misha, see how they are.

All right, I have to go now. Nastia, can I come again?

Of course, why not? Come if you need to.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

What did she want from you?

She wants to stir up the past. The fool doesn’t know what she’s doing.

We’ll have to come back tomorrow. I need to know the truth.

I will be at the Vladimirskaya Street. Let me know when he leaves.

Nazar, you are early today.

I wanted to be here before Zoriana falls asleep.

She only sees her father in the middle of the night.

Hello, Miss Rodzievich.

Hello, Nazar. I’m surprised to see you sober.

Olia, don’t be like that.

Nazar isn’t a drinker. But at a funeral… well, you understand.

Of course. I understand. I should go. Katia, I’ll see you tomorrow.

I’ll see you then. Let's go.

Go, Katrusia. I’ll be right with you.

Olga Platonovna!

Did you want something? Did you forget to be rude to me?

Olga Platonovna, don’t be angry at me for what I said back then.

It was vodka talking, not me.

A great explanation for someone who doesn’t drink at all.

Listen, I don’t need your apologies.

You can think and say whatever you want.

I don’t care one bit about your explanations.

To Vladimirskaya!

The place of fire, love, and passion! Men come to this salon to have some fun.

Yevgeniy Antonovich, good evening, I’m happy to see you.

I hope you will stay the night. Our girls missed you so much.

Well, if you give me something to have fun and warm my heart…

Only the best for you! Marichka is waiting for you.

Marichka, come here! Look who is here.

I know no bigger pleasure than pleasuring the kind gentleman.

- Merci, merci. - Here you will forget all your troubles.

Come with me.

Mr. Bezus!

Good evening.

Are you here to have a well-earned rest ?

Well-earned is just the word, Mr. Khorunzhiy.

Who works well, should play well, too.

Were you working so hard on solving our problem?

We are good at what we do, and we will solve it shortly.

I wish you success with everything I have.

Give my best to the dearest Rogneda Vasilyevna.

Certainly.

[SOULLESS PIANO MUSIC]

Did you tell any of the girls about us?

It’s my biggest secret. What if someone jinxes her?

We have a house full of jealous women here.

Smart girl.

Andrey Andreyevich hasn’t been here a while.

The girls keep talking about him.

Everybody hopes he gets tired of his family bliss and comes back to us.

By the way, I saw his wife today.

- Katerina? - Yeah.

- Where? - At Nastia’s.

She was asking about the woman who was killed here back then.

I see. Was there anyone else with her?

No, I think she was alone.

Nastia didn’t have a chance to tell her anything, because I came in.

[FOLK MUSIC]

I can’t swaddle Zoriana, and it’s time for me to go to work.

You need some practice to get good at it.

Let me finish these, and then I’ll swaddle her.

These hands should have rings of pure gold on them.

Daughter, you will have all the jewelry you want.

Son, the child needs a mother, not jewelry.

You’re a young man…

We can handle her.

Hello, Pavlina Yosypivna, may I?

Give me the child.

Take the baskets from this man and walk him out.

I don’t need strange people in my kitchen.

Give it to me.

How can I find a way into her heart? This woman is made of iron!

Our Auntie Pavla has enough kindness in her for the whole Kiev.

All right.

Maybe you could find a special present for her to make her heart thaw.

A present?

That’s a good idea.

[STREET SOUNDS]

I thought you should know this. I was at Makarova’s yesterday.

What happened to Liubov Vasilyevna?

It’s not her.

I heard from the girls by accident

that Katerina Stepanovna visited Nastia at the Lavra yesterday.

Yes, Makarova’s songbird.

She came to ask about the murder at the brothel that happened ten years ago.

Goddamn it.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

What did the songbird sing to her about?

I don’t think she told her anything,

but you said you didn’t want Katia to find out about the rest,

and Nastia does have something to say, as far as I know.

Yes, she and her son had a room of their own not because of her pretty eyes.

That’s bad, very bad.

We need to make the bird disappear,

at least for Katia.

I have an idea.

[NO DIALOG]

Yevgeniy Antonovich, do me a favor and explain where you have been all night.

I’m not in the mood to do anyone favors after a night like this.

You come up with something yourself.

Your behavior is inacceptable.

You aren’t just embarrassing yourself; it’s my reputation, too.

I don’t care one bit about your reputation, my dear.

You should have long realized that I am the councilor of state here,

and you are only my wife, so I will do what I bloody want.

If my father was here, you would go back to your gendarme department

he dragged you out of.

There is a slight setback: your dearest father is dead!

[SAD MUSIC]

How can you? You gave your vow at the church.

After all the years of our marriage…

Exactly. After all these years.

Do you think it was easy for me to endure your arrogance,

your ordering me around, your permanent sour mood?

I’ve had enough, Rogneda Vasilyevna. My time has come.

Leave me alone. I’m tired, and I’m going to sleep.

Is everything all right? Bogdan Yuryevich looked worried.

Problems with suppliers, but I think Bogdan will solve them by tonight.

Never mind. You know what I’ve been thinking?

I’ve been giving too much of my time to work and not enough time to you.

But today I will make amends.

What do you mean?

I intend to enjoy your company and not share you with anyone,

so we’re going on a ride after breakfast.

- But how… I don’t… - Did you have other plans?

Nothing special, but professor Verkhovinets expects me.

We’ll stop by and tell Verkhovinets you are taking a day off.

[NO DIALOG]

Don’t look at me like this. I have no news for you.

I had been waiting at the store till late,

but Katerina Stepanovna never showed up.

Olga Platonovna,

you asked me the other day if I believed

that Katia wasn’t safe with Mr. Zhadan.

So, yes, I believe he is very dangerous. One has to be careful around him.

Please don’t exaggerate. I’m wound up as it is.

I sent her a note saying I’ll come to her tomorrow.

I’ll bring her this special present.

[BACKGROUND DIALOG]

I don’t understand. She isn’t here.

They say they kicked her out for drinking.

Misha told me she hadn’t been drinking for six months.

Did they say where to find her?

You goddamned goody-two-shoes!

Let go! Out of my way!

I told you yesterday we couldn’t trust you anymore.

- Go away, Nastia! - I want to see my son.

Come back when you get sober and a little smarter.

I said let me go!

Nastia. Nastia, come on. Come, Nastia.

What happened?

Some bastard planted vodka bottles in my room.

The nuns saw them, started yelling, kicked me out.

What are you looking at?

I said they weren’t mine. I wasn’t drinking.

Nastia, you’re killing yourself. Nastia.

Don’t lecture me. Leave me alone, you goody-two-shoes!

Are you hungry?

Who the hell are you? Another goody-two-shoes?

Here, take it.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Nastia, you said you knew who killed that girl at the brothel.

Yes. I did.

Can you tell me who it was?

No. Don’t even ask. Not for anything in the world.

Do I know that man?

Nastia, it’s important.

Was it my husband?

Zhadan?

Are you kidding me? Andrey Andreyevich, doing these things?

He talks to the lowest prostitute like she is a person. But this?

You said M-me Makarova was paying him regularly.

Yes. Everybody thinks that drunks are like death and blind.

They don’t remember anything people say in front of them.

But I remember how she gave money in her office to him

and also to Bogdan Yuryevich some other time.

Are you telling us tales, by any chance, my dear?

“I know everything about the murder, but I’m not telling you!

I saw Andrey Andreyevich taking the money!”

What?! I even had the murder’s likeness!

His portrait!

Do you remember my bag? The expensive one with the poppies?

It’s sewn inside it.

I won’t say anymore. I value my life.

- Where is that bag now? - Who knows?

I swapped it for Oksana’s perfume last year.

I don’t need it anymore.

What was a noble woman doing at a brothel?

We didn’t have any like her.

Some ladies come to Esplanadnaya to earn some pocket money.

Sometimes Mesdames traps them.

They invite them for a musical soiree

and then put sleeping powder into their water.

And they make dirty pictures with a camera.

Police officers like clean young ladies.

They would like you, by the way.

Thank you so much.

All right. I think I’ve earned my food and the cologne.

By the way, it smells better than it tastes.

- Goodbye. - Nastia.

Where are you going now? I know this shelter for women.

No, I don’t need anything from you.

I’m a free woman. I can take care of myself.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

I don’t believe it.

Vera ended up at the brothel after getting the note from Zhadan.

Maybe that drunk mixed something up!

Nastia started drinking only recently, Stefan Yanovich.

Besides, why would she talk about the portrait?

Alas, you were trying to take revenge on the wrong man.

Where can I find this woman? I want to talk to her myself.

Listen, Stefan Yanovich, she won’t tell you anything, believe me.

Here is what I think.

It’s not by chance that Zhadan’s note mentions the brothel.

Where does Andrey Andreyevich keep all his paperwork?

His books, contracts.

At the office. He has only urgent letters at home.

If there is as much money as Nastia says, there should be some paperwork.

Something like this.

Maybe it won’t look exactly like this, but we need to look for something similar.

Then we can find out what connects him to that place.

But Bogdan Yuryevich will be at the office till late tonight.

I think I know how we can lure him out of there.

Hello, Bogdan Yuryevich.

- Good evening, Miss Rodzievich. - Is Andrey Andreyevich still here?

Alas, he went to the governor an hour ago.

He is to come back tomorrow morning.

It’s a shame.

May I? I placed an advertisement about my store.

I want to see how it looks.

I don’t understand.

So much ado around this Polish prince’s disappearance,

and there he is, walking around the city.

He doesn’t look kidnapped or suffering in any way.

- When did you see him? Where? - Yesterday in Podol, entering some house.

What house? Whose house?

I don’t have the slightest idea. I think it was… a tenement house?

Can you show me where it is?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

No, that’s not it.

A bill… a bill… another bill…

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Here…

Revenues from shipment…

Olga Platonovna, we have been circling Podol for almost an hour.

It has to be here somewhere.

Yes, it’s here.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

God bless you, good people.

Where is that man?

Take me to him at once if you don’t want to see the police at your door!

This house shelters poor and crippled people

who await here for the transition to another world,

but I haven’t seen anyone like him among those chosen by the angel of death.

I have never seen him. You can see for yourself.

Maybe I was mistaken. I was sure it was him, though.

- Maybe he was visiting someone. - I don’t think so.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Katerina Stepanovna?

[THEME MUSIC]