Original subtitles

VLASIK THE SHADOW OF LONELINESS

Nikolai Vlasik was arrested on December 16, 1952.

At the time of his arrest, he said prophetic words:

"If I am gone, Stalin is gone."

And he turned out to be right.

The strange death of Stalin followed in 2.5 months.

On that fateful night on March 1, 1953,

the key part was played by Beria’s mysterious behavior.

A stroke hit Stalin in the morning of March 1.

He fell down in a small dining room and lied there for ten hours

without getting any help

since he previously forbade the guards to come to his quarters uninvited.

He was found there only at 10 PM

when courier service came to Blizhnyaya.

First, the guards called Ignatiev, the head of the State Security.

In two hours, Beria and Malenkov arrived to the "dacha".

They told the guards not to disturb their sleeping leader till next morning

although there were obvious signs of a stroke.

Hence, Stalin has spent almost 24 hours without medical assistance.

Later, standing above the Mausoleum, Beria will confess to Molotov:

“It was me who took him away.”

He seemed to know what he was saying.

At the time of these events, Vlasik was kept

in solitary confinement in the Butyrka prison.

They tortured him sophisticatedly.

The investigation was supervised personally by Beria.

Part 14

Comrade Colonel! Senior Lieutenant Yasin at your service!

- How is he? - Shall I change the record?

- This one… Ah-h-h! - Gotcha.

- How long it’s been playing? - Twenty-four hours.

It’s a bit too much. He might just…

He’ll outlive us both. Healthy as a horse.

Whatever you say.

One more hour, and then we'll talk.

- Dismissed! - Yes!

You are so neat handed, Valyusha.

You don’t change with the age.

- Tolstoy. "Bleak Morning". - Yes.

I haven't read it.

And I wanted to read it again.

Blind fool that I was! I dreamt of amending this world

with my unrightful deeds and maintaining law with unlawfulness.

But it is Schiller, Joseph Vissarionovich.

Right. Exactly. It is Schiller.

Do you remember how you played Amelia?

- It’s been a long time ago. - But I remember.

Everything to the last detail.

I even remember your dress.

Comrade mister Tolstoy

added my story about your show to his novel.

His Red Army soldiers staged "The Robbers" during the Civil War.

He did it beautifully, no doubt.

Every word at its place.

Well done, Alexey Nikolaevich.

Valya, I don't understand. What is it?

It’s a jam. From our base.

Plum, cornel, cherry, peach.

Do you have any of your home-made jam left?

You remember? You made it yourself from our apples?

- Yes, I have it. - Bring it, please. You can take these.

But we didn’t get it from a store, Joseph Vissarionovich.

It's from our base at Varfonisievsky Pereulok.

The one with a lab. Vlasik established it...

Valentina Vasilievna, make me some chicken soup.

But choose the chicken yourself and cook it yourself.

Give me the book.

Go.

Are you cold? Here, get warm.

Yeah… You look like…

But, as they say, the looks are not everything.

Tell me to which of your drinking buddies did you blab out the state secrets?

What are you talking about? I don't get it.

You don’t?

Your own friend, Stenberg, the artist, testified how you drank together,

how you kept talking about comrade Stalin

and about comrade Beria.

Indeed, I did frequently drink liquor with my friends and with Stenberg,

but I did this at the expense of my own health

while I was off duty.

I never discussed my work and the state secrets with anyone.

I am not an idiot after all.

No, you are not an idiot.

You are an enemy.

You covered the doctors-killers, you wasted public money.

You gave nice jobs to your buddies.

We know everything about you.

We know that you wanted to kill comrade Beria

and that you were gathering data on comrade Malenkov.

Look at me, scum! I wanna see your eyes!

We know that you conspired against our Soviet healthcare

with Poskryobyshev and other Jews.

And you conspired against comrade Stalin, bitch!

If you know it all, why the heck are you asking me?

You don't want to do it in a good way.

We'll do it in a bad way then.

Nadya, what's all this noise?

Mom, I've been standing at the door for half an hour.

- I even started to worry. - About what? What could happen to me?

Last month you fainted at the street. You forgot?

I remember it.

Are you hungry? I’ve got herring with onions and potatoes. Dad’s favorite.

Yes, I am.

I'll stay here for a while.

I broke up with my husband.

He asked me to.

He is risking his career.

Moreover...

I've been fired from the university.

So I am unmarried and unemployed now.

You didn’t deserve all this.

Why are you so surprised?

That's how the public enemies' families are usually treated.

You mean, your father is a public enemy? What are you saying, Nadya?

They said, if I publicly renounce my dad at the university assembly,

they’d keep me part-time. I said no.

If we show this mug what life is about,

we'll have enough tea, tobacco and other perks

till the end of our prison time.

Go.

Look at this trendy chap.

Stop it, guys.

I have nothing to lose.

Colonel Glushko.

Greetings, comra… Affirmative.

He’s been transferred to the felons. Negative.

Not yet. Don’t worry, comra…

They are our most valuable people. They know what to do.

By the morning, he will be as meek as a lamb.

I understand.

If he doesn’t speak, proceed to extreme measure.

Affirmative, comrade General. Yes!

Vasya!

Tomka!

My bro!

Guys! This is Tomka!

Tomka, Artyom Sergeev, my sworn brother!

Come on in!

Tom, bring your suitcase. Let’s go with us. Come on!

Come on in.

- Don’t even think about it. - Or what?

You’ll do as I say if you want to live.

Shepherd, why is he so cocky?

I don’t know, Wild. He might be hiding a blade. Check him, please.

Cut this bitch! Do it!

Chief! Chief!

Come here! Open the door!

Let’s go! Come on!

Oh, Vasya, Vasya…

My dear beautiful people!

I have a train to catch at the sunrise. Goodbye, Moscow!

- Hello, Siberia! - You are so lucky.

You are welcome to join me!

Where? And what about my hockey and football players?

My swimmer and gymnast girls? They’ll go to Siberia with me?

Tomka! I selected the best in this country.

What, are you so dizzy with other people’s fame?

These words sound familiar.

Dad?

Daddy!

Dad, are you here?

Dad! Where are you? Stop hiding!

Dad!

Is my dad here?

It is strange! Dad! Where are you hiding?

- Dad! Come out! - It is not about the father, Vasya.

It's just that we both love you the same way. We are worried about you.

We care about you. And you are killing yourself, Vasya.

With your drinking. You lost your profession.

You’ve got no family.

Look at yourself, Red.

You really became red.

Your face did.

- What are you doing? - Come here, bitch!

- What? - Did he send you?

- Did he send you, bitch? - What…

Bitch!

Bitch!

You are an idiot, Vasya.

Tom!

Toma! Tom!

I fell from my bed, chief.

You should have been more careful.

One should sleep at night, not to roll over in their bed.

To gather one’s strength.

You're gonna need it in the logging camp.

And so will your wife. And your daughter.

By the way, the cripple that fell from the bed together with you…

Bang!

He was useless and causing trouble.

So think carefully.

‘Cause you are useless too.

Have some pity of your girls.

Tom!

Tom!

Tom, wait! Tom!

- Come back! - Screw you!

I can’t, Vasya. I have to catch that train.

Let me drive you to the train station.

Please.

Let’s go.

I’ve been thinking about it. The present shouldn’t cause…

Say, Lenin's collected edition.

Soon it will be two dozens of these editions, huh?

- I saw a great horse. - A horse is a funny gift.

Some seedlings, maybe? He loves planting.

- What about a painting? - Anastas, really! Make it a monument.

- Yeah… We have to think. - Listen!

Let us take a walk.

Breathe some air. We've been spending too much time indoors.

- Okay, let’s go. - Yeah.

I thought Nikita was the best friend.

All of us are the best friends here.

But sometimes we need to give each other a break.

Right?

Well, Lazar Moiseyevich, where do you think you will go?

I want to come back to Georgia.

I will make wine. Nino always wanted to live at grandpa’s vineyard.

And you can go down, to your metro. At least you can be a driver there,

and you could get us jobs there too.

Don’t go pale! I am just kidding.

See you at the master’s!

- I don’t like this. - What?

When I visited the master on Monday, we took a walk.

- Yeah… - And he is now very short-winded.

So I wanted to play along with him and started breathing loud.

So I tell him, we are all getting older. And he just snapped.

He says, that’s you who are getting older. You are the old cheese.

I’ll throw you all in the trash, and soon.

So…

We'd better stick together, just in case.

You see, Lavrentiy is already up to something.

- We should bring Molotov back. - And keep him closer to us.

- And Zhukov! - Why is that?

Why don't you get it?

You are a son of such a great man!

I wish he were a street cleaner or a shoemaker.

At least I'd be happy.

Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?

Why? I've never had life and I never will. You know that, right?

We'll even share death.

- I’m gone when he is. - No, Vasya.

No.

Come on, Tom.

You are right, he is great.

Listen! You know what? Let's go to my place.

I’ll send you by air tomorrow night. Siberia certainly isn’t going anywhere.

- What's going on? Everyone's there? - They are gathering, comrade Stalin.

Does it remind you of anything?

A funeral.

God forbid, comrade Stalin!

Back then, in the beginning of the war, I said to Vlasik

that God was dead.

I was mistaken then.

How is he, by the way?

Who?

Face to the wall.

Let’s do it like this.

As you wish.

Are you praying?

- What day is it today? - What?

Day…

Okay. It’s December 21.

Stand by!

Stand down!

This time you are forgiven.

Damn!

Don’t even think of dying.

Come here.

We’re taking him to the Infirmary.

We’ve went…

…a very hard way together.

A long way we went together.

And I feel that we are quite fed up with each other.

Or is it just me?

Not at all, comrade Stalin, all of us here…

I didn't mean that...

…you were fed up with me.

I meant quite the opposite.

Well, all kidding aside.

We have another year of life ahead of us.

And it will be tough for us all.

Leave him, guys. I'll take it from here.

Can you get up yourself?

This is your second heart attack, Nikolai Sidorovich. It is very dangerous.

I look at them…

They are talking squirrels.

But sometimes these squirrels grow huge fangs.

I remember...

It was on the same day, and I turned...

…younger than now.

And I proposed to keep the Defense Committee

for ruling the country in peacetime.

And what happened?

Quite a present you made for me!

First you agreed, but later, at the plenum...

None of the Party executives were ready...

What is it, really?

Each time I want to ease off the Party, you all get defensive.

Comrade Stalin, I’ve always kept loyal to your position.

Don’t lie to me!

Lavrentiy…

You forgot.

I know everything about everyone.

Everything.

Father! Sorry for being late! I had to pick up the present!

It doesn't look much but it will keep you busy in the old age.

- Working with the jigsaw… - I told you not to come here like that.

Come on, dad! Do you think I'm...

Dad, come on, we've all been there.

- Tom came to visit me. - I know. I asked him

to visit you, fool, and to talk to you like a brother.

But it seems that Artyom just wasted his time.

Get out.

Uncle Nikita is probably doing dance squatting now, right?

Dad, please! They are all drunk! They might not even notice!

Vasya!

Why do you do this to me?

Why?

Forgive me.

God will forgive.

- Go. - This clown…

Take this loafer home and make sure that nothing happens to him.

Yes!

Dad, that’s me, your little boss.

Svetlanka…

- This is for you. - It can wait. Go inside.

Dad, don’t get upset.

- Go inside. - Joseph Vissarionovich!

- You go too. - Hello.

Hello.

What are you doing here? Go inside!

I will replace these people. But...

What do I do with my kids?

Forward march!

Where?

Where, I am asking you!

Where? Stop!

Stop now!

You can pass.

Comrade officer!

- Colony prisoner Vlasik at your service. - Sit.

"From the Central Committee"

"of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,"

"the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR"

"and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR"

"to all Party members"

"and all working people of the USSR."

Mom, what took you so long?

Nadyusha, I was waiting for a nurse.

I forgot to buy your medicine.

I’ll go to get it.

Well, girls…

Did you miss your dad?

That’s it. I am here now.

I am not going anywhere.

Hello?

Dad... It's for you.

Yes.

Yes, Vlasik.

I am hungry.

Nikolai… Sidorovich.

Dubinin!

Dubinin.

Well…

Let’s take a walk.

Dubinin, my dear man, try to remember all you can from those days.

Well…

They hardly celebrated Sveta's birthday on that year.

But on February 28,

the master with his men were sitting almost till morning.

Then he saw them off.

And then he said to Lozgachev, ”Don’t wake me up, I’ll sleep late.”

“You go to sleep too.”

Damn! And the guards went to sleep?

They listened to him, Kolya.

I'd just shoot them for this listening.

Listen, Dubinin, let’s go there on the sly.

I wanna see it with my own eyes. Feel it with my feet.

Let’s do it.

The officers would come only in the morning.

The duty soldiers started sleeping at nights.

That’s alright. There’s no one to guard.

And…

In the morning...

They check the motion detectors... It's all good.

Well…

It means, the master is asleep.

The day has gone and…

…the boss didn’t go out. Everyone started to worry.

But who would risk to come in?

Besides you, no one could do that uninvited.

- No one could. - And Valya Istomina? Where was she?

Valya…

They called her off the "dacha" on that day.

I see.

Yeah... And in the evening, a mailman came.

Lozgachev exercised your right to bring in the mail without invitation.

And then he found the master lying on the floor.

Were they all insane or what?

With the guards asleep, anyone could go through this door,

give him an injection of some shit and get away

while those parasites were sound asleep. Cholera!

What is there to say, Kolya? What is to say?

Lozgachev reports to the commandant that Stalin is grunting on the floor.

The commandant calls the Minister of Defense.

Comrade Ignatiev gets scared and starts calling Beria.

- But Beria… - Beria.

- He said not to call a doctor. - I should have shot this dog.

They came, they looked...

Beria says, "Why are you panicking? Comrade Stalin is asleep."

Yeah, sure.

He's been lying there for almost 24 hours.

Without a doctor. They took him there later.

Vasya was running around and screaming. "You killed him!"

But who would listen to a drunk guy?

That's how it was, comrade Nikolai Sidorovich.

What’s going on here?

Eh... That's my relative. He came to visit from the village.

I am showing him around.

I didn’t know, comrade watchman, that former head of security

was your family.

Follow me.

Post No. 1.

How did an outsider get to the highly secure area?

That’s what’s up.

I don’t want to see you here anymore.

No one is longer interested in the tyrant’s life and death.

The tyrant, you say?

Then who were those people who wrote 3 million denunciations?

Against each other.

It should be done at the convention!

Resolutions like this should be announced!

This is politics. Politics!

Is something unclear?

All global newspapers will pick it up! And that's good for us.

We took away the tyrant's body, we liberated the people

from the tyranny. That’s it.

Nikolai...

Hello, Kolya. Hello.

Shall we sit?

I called you several times. Didn't your wife tell you?

She probably forgot.

I…

I said many things about you, Kolya.

Why are you looking at me?

Why are you looking? People say things under torture.

You know that better than I.

I am sorry.

Please forgive me.

God will forgive.

You know...

I’ve met Vita. Yeah…

When I worked at the colony in Asbest.

She’s married, she’s happy, you know…

- She asked to say hello. - Yeah…

Turns out, she didn’t testify against any of us.

Goodbye, Volodya. Be well.

- Comrade Major… - Hey, you!

Nikolai Sidorovich... Is that you?

You were at the service yourself. You know the regulations.

You can’t go there. You are not allowed.

Do they take my man out?

Hi there, Nikolai!

Yeah...

Here I go again,

collecting money for the house of God.

Goodbye, namesake.

Right?