Original subtitles

MARS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT

AMEDIA

present

a MARS-FILM production

The creators of this film did not seek

to reconstruct the events of the Mongol-Tatar Yoke epoch.

The plot and the heroes are the product of the authors' imagination.

ALEXANDER USTYUGOV RAMIL SABITOV

YULIA PERESILD SVETLANA KOLPAKOVA

SABINA AKHMETOVA SANJAR MADI

SERGEI PUSKEPALIS ARTUR IVANOV

ARUZHAN DJAZILBEKOVA DINA TASBULATOVA

KARINA ANDOLENKO ARTEM ALEXEEV

EVGENIA DMITRIEVA LARISSA DOMASKINA

SERGEI SOTSERDOTSKY BORIS KAMORZIN

WRITTEN BY OLGA LARIONOVA

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY MORAD ABDEL-FATTAKH

MUSIC BY ZINOVIY ARVANITIDI

ART DIRECTORS - DAVID DADUNASHVILI YURY GRIGOROVICH

EDITED BY ELENA DENISEVICH DENIS LUZANOV, IGOR REPIN

SOUND BY OLGA SUBBOTINA VADIM RUDOBELETS

COSTUMES BY MARIA YURESCO

MAKE-UP BY ELENA ARSHINOVA ELENA MAMEDOVA

CASTING BY LIKA LEONIDZE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GALINA NAKHIMOVSKAYA

POST-PRODUCTION BY ALENA KORNEEVA

LINE PRODUCERS - VAZGEN KHACHATRYAN ALEXANDER MARTYNOV

PRODUCER ARAM MOVSESYAN

PRODUCER ELENA DENISEVICH

GENERAL PRODUCERS RUBEN DISHDISHYAN

LEONARD BLAVATNIK NELLI YARALOVA

a film by TIMUR ALPATOV

THE GOLDEN HORDE

Episode Two

My lord, have some brine, it draws away headache.

He fell asleep.

Steam bath is what he needs, poor soul.

He got drunken, that pig.

Got drunken at such a moment.

He got drunken because he can't bear

the disgrace his wife puts him and herself to.

In what way did I disgrace myself?

And who was splitting witticisms in front of that Tatar demon?

The maid Masha said

that infidel was eating you, a husband's wife, with his eyes!

What nonsense.

I wonder what they will decide...

My lord...

Give me some water.

Have some brine

and better get up.

Or they'll decide everything without us.

Everything was decided.

Did you see how that Tatar was sneering?

We'll agree about everything.

What a gorgeous gift, Khan. A horse one in a million.

You extended so much hospitality, Prince,

I felt I was in debt to you. Now we are even, I hope.

What accounts can there be between good friends.

You're a great warrior, Prince.

And, therefore, a bad liar.

No need for strong men to pretend.

I don't quite understand, Khan.

We are no friends, and we'll never be ones.

But nor am I your enemy.

I came to fulfill Berke Khan's order.

By no ways can I breach it.

You're not just the Great Khan's envoy,

but, possibly, his successor.

And I think he gives heed to your advice.

Only the Great Khan's son will be named as his successor.

The entire Horde is praying to Gods that he be born.

You're a happy man, Prince.

You have your sons, glory,

a faithful wife and the love of your people.

Whereas I am lonely.

I don't even know where my earthly road will take me

or whether some memories of me will be left.

But you are young and free.

You have the future, heirs and the throne in store.

Recently I thought it is so.

For the first time ever

I wished to become the greatest one.

Because of the words said by your brother's wife:

that women choose the best ones.

It is not what she meant, Khan.

Maybe I misinterpreted her message, Grand Prince.

In the Horde we still worship the deity Tengri.

In Russian it means The Eternal Clear Sky.

And when I looked into her eyes

it seemed to me Tengri Himself was looking at me.

Khan, we have many beautiful girls in my principality.

You can choose anyone of them,

except those already bespoken.

And all of them have blue eyes.

What can be done if I feel for the one already married?

No, Khan.

Then tell Prince Boris

that his wife was evaluated as 30 thousand warriors worth.

I think he will be pleased.

Ah, you, infidel, Judas Iscariot!

What happened, Father Grigory?

What is wrong?

The devil tripped me! I will redo everything, I swear!

You, making the sign of the Holy Cross!

- What has he done? - Just go and see

what mugs he daubed on the walls!

The Holy Feodosy stirred in his grave!

He made St. Nicholas The Wonder-Maker

the spitting image of Father Vasily!

- I'll go and have a look. - Go.

- I haven't finished yet! - You...

Didn't I tell you to follow the cannons?

Faces oval and elongated like eggs,

noses - small and slightly aquiline,

expression - withdrawn, eyes looking through us sinners!

And what did you draw, you rogue!

I'll throw you out of here for desecrating holy images!

I don't know how it happened!

Father Grigory, don't drive me away!

Have mercy on me a poor orphan as I am!

My family is dead, the Tatars burned our house!

Come, come.

Go and wipe off that shameful daubing.

Go.

Gee, he looks like Father Vasily indeed.

You are an apt one.

- Did he drive you away? - He can't do without me!

Oh, my dear lord! Oh and my!

You don't drink wine

Only attending Matins and Mass

And holy molebens

Never looking at lassies

Never adorning yourself with gold or silver

Oh, you, the kindest one

Give me a poor widow just a kopeck

And one gulp of home brew

And one piece of bread

For we sowed seeds

For we gathered the harvest

For we threshed the grain

For we kneaded dough, baked bread

But then the Tatars came

And ate everything and drank our blood...

Shall I shut him up?

Let people entertain themselves.

How do you do, the skomorokh's wife

Woe to see your disgrace

Go and bow to a Tatar

Dance and coo for him

Cry, make fun of yourself

While I sit in a tower house

Seeing nothing, hearing nothing

Thinking about Russian people

Oh, dear lord the Tatar prince

Give some bread for my children

Give young wine to me a widow

I will get drunken and oblivious

Hey, hey, pull up your skirt!

What do I do, woe me?

There's no one to protect me

To feed my children To punish hateful enemy

I will pull down my white scarf

I will put on a horned cap

I will go and sing praise to a Tatar...

For Crissake, Prince, stop this ugly jester.

Oh, oh, Father Filaret!

Forgive me a silly skomorokh!

Don't prosecute me a fool!

Enough, stop it.

For your fun-making. And get away.

Glory to the Grand Prince!

For he bore with truth

and did not punish Grishka the skomorokh!

I hope

the venerable Khan

did not take this foolish jestering as an insult?

Why foolish?

I didn't find this performance insulting. On the contrary.

Good then.

Khan, you were asking about skilled painters.

All of them painting holy images around monasteries.

The holy father will show you the best ones.

Grigory! Come up here.

Here is our best icon painter

starets Grigory kissed by God Himself.

I invite the venerable starets

to visit the headquarters of the Great Khan Berke.

If the Grand Prince has no objections, of course.

I'm too old to go to the Horde.

I'm only preparing myself for the grave.

I've a hinged icon made by Grigory.

The beads!

The precious beads have disappeared!

The skomorokh!

May the devil take him!

See to it he should be brought to the holy father.

Do whatever you want with that shameless one.

We leave such miscreants

short of their hand and tongue.

Twenty six,

twenty seven, twenty eight,

twenty nine, thirty.

Enough!

Terenty, splash water on him and leave him here

waiting for his lot.

Lord, forgive me and my brethren for our involuntary sin...

What are you standing? Go back to work!

Wait!

Bring some kvass with bread crumbs.

Feed this infidel.

That slant-eyed demon!

Miron!

I'm here, my Prince.

Summon Eremei!

You wanted to see me?

Gather the warriors for the Horde.

How many?

40 thousand...

Your prince is good for nothing, Eremei.

Damn that infidel.

Are you alive, skomorokh?

To hell with you all.

Stop blabbering. You imperiled your soul, you sinner.

If I imperiled my soul,

I'll go on enjoying my life.

You hiding from truth in the monastery

or just want to winter out?

I'll winter out, and then we'll see.

Only not a word to Father Grigory,

or he will chase me away.

But who will paint with temples instead of him then?

Gee, you are a shrewd devil.

Holy, holy, holy...

Fear not,

I'm a human.

Then how come you know I daub icons in the starets' stead?

Your hands are stained with paint,

and you've a corn on your finger from holding the brush.

While our glorious Grigory's hands

are clean and too shaky.

Aren't you clever, skomorokh.

Only keep mum about it.

Whom can I tell?

Only the noose and the bough.

I say, maybe

they'll take a pity on you?

The hell they will.

Look, brother,

let me out, eh.

No.

This will be the end of me if I do.

I'll be grateful for this.

I have one thing

you've never laid your eyes on.

As a true icon painter, you'll appreciate it.

What kind of thing?

Your worn-out straw shoes?

A book. With pictures.

Look,

I hid it in the haystack.

They look like real.

How cute.

Will you let me out?..

So, you, advice giver,

your advice didn't help.

If they are short of men in Vladimir,

we'll have to send our Suzdal folks to death.

Oh, will this ever come to an end...

My dear lord!

You better ask your brother

what makes that Mongolian demon so obstinate.

They say his uncle Berke eats people.

No wonder they dare not disobey him!

Old woman's tales!

Oh, really, you clumsy hen?

You've a know of everything never leaving Vladimir.

Boris, betake yourself to Mengu.

Maybe you'll find out something useful for us.

Yaroslav will hound me to death for conspiring behind his back.

He won't know.

And if he does, you may say

you lost your mind from grief, wanting to help.

Or just shift the blame on me!

Tell him 'twas all my doings.

Maybe I really should go?

Maybe he'll drop in a word for me before Berke

when it's time to issue the yarlyk.

What is Berke to us? His days are counted.

Maybe it was the future Great Khan visiting us.

We should get out of that Suzdal city.

You are worthy.

Worthy to be the greatest one.

This one...

This one...

This one...

This one...

Bring the painter.

He's too old, he'll die during the road.

I can't return home without him.

He must arrive to the Horde, dead or alive.

He or someone else. Whatever.

Great Khan!

I'm so glad to see you.

Khan Mengu,

don't bear grudge against us

if the Grand Prince hurt your feelings.

Yaroslav may be quick-tempered

for no reason at all.

The two of us didn't come to an agreement.

Didn't he tell you?

About what?

I asked for something. And he refused.

What did you ask for, Khan Mengu?

Maybe I can give it to you?

You can, but you won't like to.

Ask for whatever it be!

I won't refuse the envoy of Berke Khan.

I want to take away your wife, Prince.

For this I will make concessions.

And Berke Khan

will hear from me many a good word about Prince Boris.

- You let the skomorokh out? - I swear by God I didn't!

You dare to swear by God!

I'd show you if it were not for my monastic vow!

You're leaving to the Horde.

I'm too old for this trip.

Jesus, I won't bear it even for a week.

What's the use of a dead monk?

If you have an apt discipline,

he can go in your stead. The Khan said so.

I have such a discipline.

Endowed by God with talents.

Here he is.

This one?

Don't mind him being so puny -

he can work for many hours on end.

Let's go.

Fear not. You'll have a nice life at the Great Khan's.

I need to take one thing.

What are you talking about?

Let him be.

Go, take that thing and come back.

What if he runs away...

Let's go.

May God keep you.

God will keep him, and I would've died...

Did you find out what that Tatar wants, darling?

I should've left you in Suzdal, you obstinate goat.

And now - there you are.

I don't quite understand, Prince.

So many lassies around,

young and rosy-cheeked, vital as a cornel,

but instead

he needs this one.

He wants to take you away to the Horde.

He's doing that out of spite. But why?

Maybe thus he wants to anger my brother?

Knowing that Yaroslav would rather die

than suffer such an ignominy to happen.

And what about you?

What about me?

Would you suffer your wife to lie down with another man?

What are you blabbering, you fool?

Then why did you say all this to me?

For you to know,

you perky bitch, what you did to your husband.

But maybe you want to please the Khan

- in exchange for his help. - Shut up!

Or you'll be rope-driven to the Horde!

Sold his own wife, that Judas!

Vasya, Nikita, help!

- Vasya! - He had a fit of falling sickness,

I sent him to bed.

And where is Nikita?

He was picked out.

He's taken away to the Horde.

So I'm preparing his things.

Come, come, Avdotya.

- Calm down. - I found his father's armor.

Will he feel hot or cold wearing this?

Run to the voevode!

Tell him he is your only bread-winner.

- I talked to him. - And so?

He said since he's in the host, he must go.

Stop weeping.

Run to the voevode!

- Ask him once again. - And if he refuses?

Beg on your knees, maybe he'll change his mind.

Lads, we're going back to Suzdal.

We've tarried here enough.

Nastya, give me a hand.

- Well? - God Almighty.

You have lost your mind.

- Ain't I a warrior? - With such a braid?

And now?

Sit down, my dear.

God is my witness, I didn't want this.

But your husband brought the matter to the Council,

and they supported the idea.

They did right, my lord.

'tis no good, because of me a small cog,

to send such a multitude of people to the Horde.

What would I have said to their mothers and wives?

Hold on, my dear.

Don't shed tears in people's presence.

Or else they'll think we're forcing you.

God forbid we'll see another Novgorodian riot.

Oh, Nastya, what's gong on!

You're dooming yourself to sure death!

Should they know you are not a man,

they will defile you before you die.

Enough, Avdotya.

I'm scared as it is.

What are you standing? Bow to your deliverer!

Oh, don't, please.

Forgive me, Uncle.

It's not my destiny to die on a stove bed...

My dear ones!

I will go to bring your father back home.

Don't worry about the children.

They'll stay with me until you return.

Stop, pops. Say your good byes here.

No, I'm going with him!

What? Don't talk nonsense!

Let me go with him.

He's my only son - the rest the plague took away.

Left alone, I'd rather hang myself.

All right, pops, mingle in the others midst.

Thank you.

Help, good people!

I don't want to go to that Tatar!

Help, people! Matriona!

Help, I don't want to go to that Tatar!

My husband, my lord!

Why, darling?

Pretty please kill me,

only don't give me away to that monster!

Good people, what are you standing?

Good people!

Oh, Lord, you can hear me, you can see me -

take me in your fold!

Take me in your fold, away from that monster!

- Matriona! - Prince, stop her!

What's going on? For shame!

For shame!

Campfires lit around the city,

no one asleep for two days on end.

I was afraid she'd raise a riot in the square.

What was I supposed to do?

To kill her in front of everyone?

People can put up with famine, but not with disgrace.

Our father was right: honor is our shield.

Your wife hoped I would stand up for her.

But I not only sent her to abuse -

I made her take our disgrace upon herself.

And she took revenge.

You should leave.

Leave - don't rub yourself in people's face.

Send a messenger to Pereyaslavl to announce a new prince is coming.

No way.

You can't cope with your woman, let alone Pereyaslavl.

Go back to Suzdal and rule there.

What? You promised Pereyaslavl to me!

You gave the word of the Grand Prince!

I promised Pereyaslavl to you for a good advice.

Instead you and your wife only brought trouble.

I could have said no to Mengu.

And you would've been left without a single warrior!

I saved your hide, your good name!

You're lying!

It's a lie, Boris! You were not helping me

but saving your own hide!

You sought Mengu's protection

and the yarlyk of the grand prince!

But Berke will give no yarlyk

to a softling in the eyes of his subjects.

Go ahead, strike me!

Strike me, be a man for at least once!

Forget who I am.

Damned woman...

I brought you mare's milk, fat and nutritious.

Drink it. You haven't eaten for many days!

Jesus, why it's happening to us?

Stop whining, I'm so sick of it all.

They are so unkempt and ugly.

Looking like vultures, sneering.

Their speech is like barking.

Now you talk!

If you had been quiet and decent,

we would've been in Suzdal comfortably.

No,

I'd rather die, because it's worth the while.

Did you see how he was looking at me?

As if he had met a demon.

I swear, he got scared,

he got scared of me a woman.

You mean your husband? May he croak, that dirty dog.

No, I mean the Grand Prince!

He is the bravest! And still he got scared of me.

Great Khan,

that girl, she is here.

Bring her in.

She's the daughter of the merchant Karim.

He and his sons were so resistant we had to kill them.

We could hardly drag her away from their bodies.

And no one touched the girl.

Go, Nogai.

I greet you, my dove.

Fear not,

Khan Berke won't let anyone harm you.