Original subtitles

VLASIK THE SHADOW OF LONELINESS

The fact that the Soviet command was aware of the scale of the catastrophe

in the early days of the war

is evidenced by the fact that as soon as in June 1941

they decided to evacuate inland all the Kremlin treasures,

a secret archive and even Lenin’s body from the Mausoleum.

Nikolai Vlasik, among the others, was in charge of the evacuation.

Moscow wasn't a front-line city yet.

The parks, cinemas, cafes, and restaurants were still open.

But the moods of the Moscow people were worsening every day.

In the capital and in the whole country, the fear before the unknown was growing.

The first trains with the wounded were coming from the front.

At the same time, at recruiting stations people begged to volunteer.

As it always happened in our history,

the Soviet people took on their shoulders all the weight of their leaders' mistakes.

No wonder that in his first address to the nation on July 3,

Stalin will say his famous words: "Brothers and sisters!"

Yakov went off to the war at its very first days.

Vasily, a fresh graduate of the aviation college

was eager to go too.

Before his deployment, Yakov stopped by his father.

Their farewell meeting was rushed and not too warm.

In these days, Stalin had no time for his kids.

If he only knew that he wouldn't see Yasha ever again.

Part 11

"Comrades!"

"Citizens!"

"Brothers and sisters!"

"Our army and navy soldiers!"

"I am addressing to you."

"My friends!"

"The treacherous military attack of Nazi Germany"

"on our homeland that started on June 22,"

"is still in progress despite…"

- Opportunity squadron! Go! -" ...of the Red Army..."

Sit down.

"Despite the fact"

"that the best divisions of the enemy and the best troops of their aviation"

"have already been defeated and found a grave on the battlefield,"

"the enemy keeps going forward throwing new forces to the front."

"A serious danger is threatening our country."

"This war has been forced upon us, and our country is fighting to the death"

"with our most evil and deceitful enemy,"

"German Fascism."

"Our troops are heroically fighting the enemy"

'that is armed to the teeth with the tanks and aircraft."

"The Red Army and the Red Fleet, overcoming numerous severities,"

"are dedicatedly fighting for every inch of Soviet land."

- Construction vehicles? - On the way here. ETA — 6 PM.

The geodesists are planning to set a bunker in this area.

- Man power? - The Kremlin sent two young teams.

Here is the list.

Accommodation and supplies ready. We'll provide the calculation.

- Communications? - The coders are working.

Here is the codes list. They are updated daily.

- Camouflaging? - Buildings are screened by the protocol.

300 sets of 50 meter units of camouflage net have been delivered.

Supplies.

The vitamins and supporting supplies are based on the following calculations.

The water supplies are restocked.

Okay, let’s go.

Vlasik!

Greetings, comrade Stalin!

Do you have a garden pruner?

Affirmative. I can find it.

No one cares about anything!

Lenin has left us a great country, and we just screwed it up.

Joseph Vissarionovich!

Now, the last thing. Comrades Spiridonov,

Marchenko, Skrynnik, Golubev, and Vlasik, please stay. Others are dismissed.

Comrades, this is the Party resolution on evacuation.

Please read it and sign it right now.

Sign it, and you're dismissed.

Each of you is personally responsible for their part.

- Yes! - May I, comrade Commissar?

- Go. - Yes!

Yes?

I see. Fine.

Comrade Vlasik, is something unclear?

All clear, comrade Commissar.

- May I go? - You may.

Yes!

What is this cholera?

I tell him, "Comrade Stalin, please let me do this."

And he says, “Go away, Dubinin!”

And makes this American jungle forest.

He says, I need to think, to distract myself. And so he thought.

And distracted himself.

- Why are you sitting here? Clean it up! - Well... I...

Yes!

Come on! Move! Come on!

Moscow was bombed for the first time on July 21,

just in a month after the war began.

No one wanted to believe this,

but German planes were seen above Moscow more and more often

and the first bombs have fallen at the Kremlin.

A direct hit partially destroyed the Arsenal

and killed 20 soldiers of the Kremlin Regiment.

This pushed Vlasik's agency to take extraordinary measures.

Then we'll paint the Kremlin wall

across the perimeter with the colors of city buildings.

We'll cover the merlons with a net.

- Comrades experts... - Yes.

Can we refer to this object first and then...

No. Absolutely not.

The German pilots' key landmarks are the bend of the Moskva River, Strelka,

and Obvodny Canal. We have to cover them,

to disguise them as the streets, and to fill the river with the old barges

- with the roofs painted on them. - Did I make a mistake with him?

What’s his name?

Boris Iofan is the academic, and the artist is Fyodor Fedorovsky.

…creating a visual disguise.

Comrades, I have the Kremlin Regiment and the sappers

beneath the Mausoleum, waiting.

Internal metal structure shields

are easy to deploy, assemble and dismantle.

Excuse me! Here’s the Mausoleum, comrade Commandant.

With these shields, it is disguised as a house with the mezzanine.

Tshusev is there already. He’ll explain you in details.

We'll paint a road crossing on the Arsenal roof.

All the belfries and domes will be painted in gray.

- And we should remove the crosses. - Right.

Vlasik, I knew you were a smart guy but this is really...

- A mezzanine, you say? - It's not me, it's them.

- Thank you! You may go. - Sure.

We have to load the body in time.

Kolya! Who will escort comrade Lenin?

The embalmers. Comrade Molotov issued the order.

I'll have to see to it personally.

Kolya, I still don't get it. Why did they need all this?

Why couldn't each of you get the list of their tasks?

Miron, start using your head!

There is no time for copying! And here, it is clear and obvious.

Come on! Go to Blizhnyaya. The bunker should be ready in two days.

Yes!

That's how I lost the love of my life, old man.

And you say, I can't even commemorate her.

You are a soldier, right?

Then you know the military regulation.

And His...

…life regulation is like that.

One doesn't return such gifts as life.

Especially...

...with such rancor and anger.

- What is your name? - Nikolai.

Just don't...

...forget about her.

That will be her commemoration.

If you didn't console me, you explained it at least.

But that’s very good!

Goodbye, old man!

Goodbye.

Saint Nikolai will look after your soul.

He will.

How did you find me?

That's the only place you come to when you want to hide.

They want you in the Kremlin, immediately.

I’ll be right…

Yes, Miron, Asya was expecting. My child. Let's go.

What happened?

- Where did it come from? - Zhdanov sent it with a courier.

- Does he know? - No one does yet.

I am going to him.

What is it, Vlasik?

Comrade Stalin...

What is it, Vlasik?

Joseph Vissarionovich...

I am sorry. I don't know how to say this.

Tell me. What?

Read it to me, please. I can't see.

Yakov Jugashvili, Stalin's elder son,

the battery commander of the 14th howitzer artillery regiment,

the 14th Armored Division,

surrendered himself under Vitebsk on July 16.

Alert!

Alert!

Alert!

- Alert! - What is it?

It's real bad!

- The Germans will here in half an hour! - What about our troops?

What about them?

Come on! Take her out!

Take her out! Hurry up!

Don’t panic! Don’t panic!

Hurry up, Seryoga!

Hurry up!

Comrade Stalin!

Joseph Vissarionovich, please, I am begging you.

Please come to the house.

You know, it is the Political Bureau resolution!

And if I don't? You'll arrest me and put me in the basement?

That's because you are afraid yourself.

If there is such thing as our bomb, Vlasik, it will fall on us anyway.

Let’s go! Come on.

Put them through.

Yes.

That's right.

Captain Vasily Stalin should fly and kill the enemy.

But he should be looked after.

You’ve got it quite right. I wish you even-numbered strips.

Comrade Stalin, I am sorry.

Maybe we should send a raiding party for Yakov?

Maybe they'll find him?

One by one!

Run! Run! Run!

It’s alright!

Prepare for loading! Come here!

Move! Move!

Right turn!

Right turn! Attention! March to the car, one by one!

Run! Run!

Let’s go!

Okay, you can close it.

- Take it. Follow me. - Come on.

Move!

Watch out.

Put it here.

Okay… Here.

They are preparing an order

to lay mines at the industrial and cultural sites.

After this bomb hitting the Arsenal, it is very unsafe here,

Alexandra Maksimilanovna.

- Are you registering? - Yes!

Count it right. I'm gonna check the car.

- Two here! - Hi.

Hello.

Svetochka! Thanks God.

Honey! Let’s go and pack. We gotta call Marfa and tell them to pack.

Don't come to my room. I need a rest.

- Careful. - Pick it up from the left.

Here.

I’ve missed my little boss.

Dad!

Did you love mom?

Dad!

Yasha...

…was captured by the Germans, my daughter.

You have to pack and go.

As soon as tomorrow.

Dad…

What’s gonna happen now?

Tell me...

Svetlanka…

Have you heard from Vasya lately?

Dad!

What's gonna happen to Yasha now?

It's been a while since I've heard...

...from this crazy boy.

Dad!

It looks like...

I told you everything.

I’d better go.

And you…

Get packed, girl, and...

Go tomorrow.

Get packed.

I guess, everything’s loaded.

Nadya, please slow down.

- Nadyusha! - Dad!

My girl! Where is mom?

They'll meet and accommodate you there.

I'll come as soon as I can.

Lyuda…

Lyuda, forgive me. Just in case...

The main thing is, you stay alive.

This is all I want.

Soldier, front and center!

Yes, comrade Sergeant!

Since we didn't let go of Smolensk

and due to redirection of German forces towards Leningrad and Kiev,

the initial Hitler's plan to finish the war in 3–4 months

has failed.

Well… What?

Zhukov...

Will we let go of Moscow?

Negative, comrade Stalin.

On October 13, Kaluga fell.

What's next? Mozhaisk,

Borovsk, Maloyaroslavets. What?

Lavrentiy!

We have to keep laying mines at the factories, comrade Stalin.

We have to.

We have to.

Comrades...

If you could shoot down a German plane, comrade Captain,

all honor to you.

I don't give a shit about honor. What are you up to?

Nothing contradicting the regulation, the tasks and the duties of the Communist.

You will be training the new Stalinist falcons.

It will be better both for you and for us.

I see. My father called you?

And I've been racking my brains why you won't let me fly anymore.

Now it is all clear. Thank you very much.

I didn't dismiss you, captain Stalin.

I am not under your command anymore, comrade Bochkin.

I am now with the training regiment.

So don't you worry, be happy,

and I'd better be going.

It's a good thing that you are leaving Moscow now.

Why is it so?

The weather is getting worse.

And in Kuibyshev, there will be no rains till the end of October.

- Stop the car. - Stop.

Let’s go. We’ll take a walk.

The Kirovsky District Committee.

It is probably empty now.

Well, everybody has already evacuated.

Good job, all of them!

Comrade Stalin, please!

I know all your rules, Vlasik. What the heck!

- We don’t need this. No. - Hold it.

We'll go alone.

Give me the flashlight.

Who the hell is it?

Screw you... There is nothing here!

Nothing to take but the portraits.

Who are you? What do you want? Who are you?

Whom you've been expecting? The Germans?

Yes, sure. With my heartiest welcome.

I’ve been keeping it since the World War I.

This ammunition came useful now. So what do you want?

I just came to see.

What is there to see? Just the wind. Let's go, I'll show you.

Where are your superiors?

They ran away, all of them. I am my own boss now.

And why did you stay?

My dear, I have my gate-house here.

We used to live there with Petya, my son.

Petya was a carpenter here.

And when the trouble suddenly came, he went off to the front. To fight.

So when he comes back from the front,

- what, won't I... - What?

Won't I offer him a shot of vodka?

No way! I am not leaving my home.

I can understand that, father.

- It’s just that… - What?

I haven't heard from him for a while.

Vlasik!

Find me that bastard.

Bring him here and sit him in this chair. Let him sit and think.

Shoot him after that.

As for you, old man... Come to the Kremlin tomorrow.

Ask comrade Voroshilov. He'll find out about your son.

Holy shit!

- No one would ever believe this. - So don't tell anyone.

Comrade Vlasik!

You are the only one who can approach him.

I beg of you! We need to go.

They'll start bombing in an hour. We might just not make it.

Comrade Stalin!

- Comrade Stalin... - Send the cars away, Nikolai.

We are coming back home.

Yes!

- Kachenkov! - Yes!

- Home. - Yes!

Left turn!

About-face! March!

Comrade Commander-in-Chief, Colonel Stalin has arrived!

- What, you really shot it down? - Affirmative.

That's just great.

Well done, son! Sit down.

- Where is Poskryobyshev? - He said, he had some business...

Let's go to my office. Let's go.

Come on in.

- You couldn’t keep Nino. That’s bad. - Dad, she did it herself.

Of course, herself. I know it all. Sit.

I know. You…

…were having an affair with this actress in front of everyone.

- But she’s married. - They’re getting divorced.

I told you it was too early for you to get married.

But you didn’t listen.

Okay, fine.

I am too busy to teach life to a grown-up man.

Listen...

Vlasik will introduce you to a certain inkster.

Kapler. Do you know him?

He wrote "Lenin in October".

- Is it a good film? - It is.

Anyway, we want him to write a piece about the pilots.

- And since you know cinema so well… - Dad!

At least you’ll be useful in some way.

You’ll be the key consultant of this author.

Dad, how is Yasha?

I don’t know, son.

I don’t know.