CHANNEL ONE
FILMS DIRECTORATE
DAGO FILM STUDIO
PRESENT
SEVASTOPOL. NOVEMBER 1917
- Mom& - Be quiet.
Mrs. Kolchak, open up! A check-up of documents!
Be quiet, please.
Oh, my God. I forgot my Bible.
You can¡¯t come back.
It belonged to my grandmother. I forgot it near the door.
No, it¡¯s dangerous.
Go break it!
Break the windows!
Check the back door!
What's up there?
It¡¯s empty!
They're gone.
Check outside!
Come here¡­
Here it is.
Stop!
Slava, don't look!
Thank God you¡¯re alive.
ADMIRAL
WRITTEN BY ZOYA KUDRYA CO-WRITTEN BY VLADIMIR VALUTSKY
DIRECTED BY ANDREI KRAVCHUK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY IGOR GRINYAKIN ALEXEI RODIONOV
ART DIRECTOR MARIA TURSKAYA ALEXANDER ZAGOSKIN
MUSIC BY RUSLAN MURATOV AND GLEB MATVEICHUK
COSTUMES BY MARIA MORDKOVICH EKATERINA GMYRYA
SOUND BY VLADIMIR LITROVNIK KIRILL BODROV
VISUAL EFFECTS BY SERGEI SAVENKOV MAXIM AKSYONOV, ARMAN YAKHIN
ADMIRAL KOLCHAK KONSTANTIN KHABENSKY
ANNA TIMIRYOVA ELIZAVETA BOYARSKAYA
SOFYA KOLCHAK ANNA KOVALCHUK
SERGEY TIMIRYOV VLADISLAV VETROV
MIKHAIL SMIRNOV EGOR BEROEV
GENERAL KAPPEL SERGEI BEZRUKOV
PRINCE KUDASHEV SERGEI MUCHENIKOV
NINA PODGURSKAYA KSENIA KUZNETSOVA
ROZA KARLOVNA BARBARA BRYLSKA
ATAMAN SEMYONOV ANDREI I
KHASAN SEIDULLA MOLDOKHANOV
GENERAL JANIN RICHARD BOHRINGER
GENERAL KNOX IAN KELLY
LEADING PRODUCERS DMITRY YURKOV, NIKOLAI POPOV
PRODUCERS ANATOLY MAKSIMOV, DJANIK FAIZIEV
EPISODE FIVE HAPPINESS
PETROGRAD 1917
Hey, young lady! Come with us!
Only one family photo is left¡­
Now you¡¯ll eat. I know that you are hungry.
Wait, I¡¯ll help.
Here¡¯s some milk and bread.
You should eat like two now.
For you and your baby.
I was so happy. So unduly happy.
Now came the atonement.
- Kolya is no more. - Nina, please...
Not even a grave is left.
But I¡¯ll have his baby.
I¡¯m too weak to carry it.
Sorry. We¡¯ll keep trying.
We will.
- We¡¯ll survive. - Yes, we will.
Ah, there is a letter from Sofya.
From Sofya? For me?
No, not for you. For Alexander.
There is no address here.
Where from did it arrive?
Some sailor brought it and ran away.
I couldn¡¯t even ask him anything.
What they¡¯ve done to all of us¡­
I thought Sofya was in Paris.
No, I think she¡¯s still in Sevastopol.
You know what¡­
Send it to Alexander. He must be looking for his family.
All my letters to him were returned.
I don¡¯t know where he is.
SEVASTOPOL 1918
Slava, try this on.
It¡¯s too big for me.
You¡¯ll put it on top the sweater.
When will you come?
I¡¯ll wait for your father here. And then I¡¯ll come.
We¡¯ll be together again, I¡¯ll do everything for this.
- You believe me? - I do.
Sofya, here¡¯s some milk and eggs for you.
It¡¯s time?
Rostislav, it¡¯s time.
I¡¯ll be with him. Not to worry.
Slava, now tell me your full name.
I am Vanya Tishkin, the son of the cook Nina Tishkina.
I¡¯m her only son.
And you don¡¯t know a single word in French, right?
Or in German as well.
Mom, don¡¯t worry. I will manage.
Khasan will take you to your grandmother in Kamenets-Podolsky.
And you will write letters to me every day, all right?
You¡¯ll be fine there. Slava¡­
It won¡¯t happen again. Normally, I don¡¯t cry.
It doesn¡¯t count.
Tell Dad that I didn¡¯t cry when leaving.
No need to see me out.
I¡¯m a big boy.
Oh, my God¡­
- I¡¯m ready, gentlemen. - Let¡¯s go.
Here.
Goodbye, dear Slava.
Good bye.
My Jesus, Poor child¡­
IRKUTSK. JANUARY 1920
Damn.
Be quiet.
So, your mission in America ended with nothing?
It didn¡¯t even begin.
On arriving, I learned about the shameful Brest treaty
Trotsky and Lenin had signed with Germany.
This matter polarized the government.
But it was concluded.
Ukraine was given away to the Germans.
The Fleet and the Army were demobbed.
Russia didn¡¯t see such humiliation even during the Mongol Yoke.
It was a real blow for me.
The cause of my whole life was destroyed.
And then you began a war against the Bolsheviks,
or rather against peace for Russia.
What a strange understanding of the national good.
As a member of the previous Russian government,
I considered it my duty before our allies to continue the war with Germany.
But Russia didn¡¯t war with Germany anymore.
I asked the British government to accept
my military services in any rank whatsoever.
Then I left to Mesopotamia.
But in the end you turned up in Russia.
Yes.
I realized that a war for Russia should be held in Russia.
And you rallied forces with General Kornilov.
No. On my way to Mesopotamia
I was summoned by Russia¡¯s ambassador in Beijing.
BEIJING. SPRING 1918 RESIDENCE OF RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR
Sorry, gentlemen. Prince Kudashev is busy.
Who¡¯s there with the Prince?
Vice-admiral Kolchak.
General Janin, General Knox, I will report your arrival.
Don¡¯t disturb the prince. We¡¯ll wait here.
Don¡¯t be so pessimistic about Russia¡¯s future.
In the south, the Bolsheviks are confronted
by Kornilov¡¯s volunteer army.
The civil war is beginning.
Kornilov is making progress and has taken Rostov,
but just a short distance away from here is Siberia and the Urals
where the Bolshies¡¯ positions are still very weak.
In Omsk, our coalition is presented by the Directory
with the best part of Siberian regiments under its command.
But the Directory is torn apart by political contradictions.
The White Movement needs a strong leader, and your name,
Vice Admiral, is the first in this list.
Can you explain in detail?
The great Siberian campaign will begin in Harbin.
If you gather enough forces and move along
the Eastern Chinese Road to Siberia,
you¡¯ll be then supported by the Directory¡¯s troops
and the Czech legion of ex prisoners of war
who had risen against the Bolsheviks.
Sorry, gentlemen.
This conversation has been a little complicated.
Did Kolchak agree?
He is a Navy Fleet Commander.
It¡¯s a tough decision for him to take command of the land forces.
But it would be ridiculous!
It would be irrational not to use a man like Kolchak here.
THE EASTERN CHINESE ROAD 1918
Excuse me, Madame.
Mikhail?
My God, Anna.
What a surprise.
What are you doing here?
My husband is going to the Far East to disarm The Pacific Fleet.
Your husband? You mean he is a Red commissar now?
I have no right to judge him. Such are the times.
The times are equal to everyone.
And where are you going?
To Harbin.
To Harbin? Why?
Kolchak is there.
He is in Harbin?
Will you excuse me, I must go.
Good bye.
HARBIN. NORTH CHINA
It¡¯s devilishly cold here, like in Petrograd.
Any news about Sofya?
The Americans and the British keep looking.
No word from Sevastopol either.
Thank you.
SEVASTOPOL
What are you goggling?
They¡¯re standing there, as if alive.
They come afloat, and we have to clean the mess.
Who is that one?
Admiral Yakovlev.
No, this one is Lvov.
Who¡¯s this woman?
Just a woman.
My dear Madame¡­
Nikolai Grigoryevich Lvov¡­
May he rest in peace. Let¡¯s go away from here.
Why? Why?
There we are¡­
Go¡­
What shall we tell Mr. Kolchak if you come to any harm¡­
He¡¯s gone.
He¡¯ll be back.
There¡¯s a rumor he¡¯ll be back,
and he¡¯ll chase all the evil force from Russia.
We¡¯re waiting for him, and so should you.
The mirror.
What for? I¡¯ll tell you myself.
You¡¯re beautiful, so what thin.
¡®tis was awful when you had a stroke.
We were dead worried for you.
You¡¯ll live to see your son married.
Very well, Sofya.
Only promise you won¡¯t cry.
Let me fluff your pillow¡­
Lie down¡­
I¡¯ll go kindle the samovar.
- Good day. ¨C Good day.
How is she?
Reading his letter again.
It was sent ages ago, but she keeps reading it.
Let her read it.
Maybe she survived only thanks to that letter.
VLADIVOSTOK 1918
Let¡¯s have a drink.
At least we are safe here.
Here you go.
We¡¯ll stay in Vladivostok for a fortnight
and then will leave to China or maybe to Japan.
And from there we can go to America,
France or wherever you wish.
To us.
Serezha¡­
I want to leave now.
What do you mean?
If we leave, I will be shot as a deserter.
No, you¡¯ll have to wait for two weeks.
Let us celebrate.
Have some local caviar¡­
Serezha...
let me be sincere.
I want to see Alexander.
He is in Harbin. I know it for sure.
What do you mean ¨C to see him?
Just to see him.
And should he ask you to stay?
It¡¯s impossible.
He will never ask me a thing like this.
I said: should he ask you to stay?
Stop torturing me, please.
No matter what you say, I will go.
But will you come back?
I will.
I don¡¯t know, Anya¡­
I promise to be back soon.
Just help me to get to Harbin.
No.
That¡¯s too much even for such a patient husband as myself.
Excuse me.
Sorry. Here.
What a marvel.
Here.
What?
I¡¯m asking only for half of its price.
Very well¡­
But if don¡¯t want¡­
Not at all. Here.
Here you go.
One second class to Harbin.
Very well.
Here.
When will be the soonest train?
In a week.
In a week?
Revolution, Madame.
HARBIN. NORTH CHINA
Button up.
No, thanks.
Atten-tion!
They don¡¯t pay us money.
Our boots are all worn out¡­
Cut it out!
We found the volunteers, sir.
Any further orders?
Don¡¯t keep them in the rain.
What a mess¡­
At ease! Fall out!
We won¡¯t even form a platoon from this rabble.
I think Kudashev is too optimistic.
May I introduce myself. Ataman Semyonov.
I need to change, Mister Semyonov.
I¡¯ve no objections.
Kindly leave the room. I¡¯ll invite you in due time.
No problem, Admiral.
Here you go, fella.
The Russian Directory wants to make you the war minister.
But I can offer you something better.
What do you need me for, Grigory?
You have a name, sir.
Honestly, who am I for the allies?
with no noble background or education.
But Nakashima is of a different opinion.
Yes, Japan provides me with weapons.
And Nakashima, unlike the French or the British,
doesn¡¯t twist my arms with all this democracy crap.
How are you going to pay him?
With Vladivostok? Lake Baikal? The islands?
My dear sir.
There is no hurry about payment until we have the unified,
indivisible and powerful Russia, as you love to repeat, Mister Kolchak.
So? Are we together?
We won¡¯t come to an agreement.
Good bye, Mister Semyonov.
If we won¡¯t, we won¡¯t.
I don¡¯t ask twice.
Mr. Railroads didn¡¯t agree.
But one day he will be begging to become my valet.
Let¡¯s go!
Sir, you have chosen a too long and too slow approach.
But we have several thousand manforce in Harbin.
And hundreds of thousands in Siberia not brainwashed by Red agitators.
We must make them fightworthy.
We must advance and steal a march.
You mean, dear sir¡­
Yes, I decided to go to Omsk.
The Directory is offering me the post of the war minister.
You mean all our efforts in Harbin were in vain?
It was a waste of precious time.
Rear Admiral Smirnov will bring the formed troops to Siberia.
I trust him.
I¡¯m not sure the allies will like this idea.
So we¡¯ll see if they are our allies or not.
I¡¯ll turn over the duties in a week.
THE EASTERN CHINESE ROAD
HARBIN. NORTH CHINA
Don¡¯t move.
You¡¯ll give the personnel list to Rear Admiral Smirnov.
Carry on.
Speak up.
I¡¯ve good news and bad news.
Anna is coming here.
Today¡¯s papers.
News from Sevastopol.
Rear Admirals Alexandrov, Kaskov, Lvov, Vice Admiral Novitsky
and head of mining division Kuznetsov were killed.
Now not only the Baltic Sea, but also the Black Sea has its heroes.
What a strange uniform, Alexander.
I didn¡¯t even recognize you, as you didn¡¯t recognize me.
Of course I recognized you.
One year has passed.
I look awful.
Don¡¯t talk like this, you can¡¯t look awful.
But admit, Alexander.
Admit what?
You didn¡¯t recognize me.
Have we changed so much?
Jesus¡­
My dear, my adorable Anna.
What are you talking about?
Take the wheel. Come on.
Be careful!
Our Father, Who art in the heavens,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
I know we have to pay for everything.
But in war, poverty or exile I want to be with you.
If you make a wish after leaving the church, it can come true.
So, be careful with your wishes.
I¡¯m no scared.
Let it be so.
In the church I realized that I didn¡¯t confess for a long time.
The Chinese priest wouldn¡¯t understand you.
No, the problem is that I lost confidence in people.
You don¡¯t need to say some special words.
Just pour out your feelings.
You know how my father teased my mother?
We¡¯d all sit around a big table, and he¡¯s say:
¡°You know, children, how your mother enticed me into marriage?¡±
Mother would blush, and Father laughed merrily.
I wish just for a single day like this with you.
But you¡¯ll never tell our children how I enticed you.
Our children will never sit around a big table, laughing merrily.
There¡¯ll be no big table or children for us¡­
But so what?
I am the happiest woman right now.
I¡¯m in love.
That was my confession.
Back then in Petrograd, I thought I had lost you for ever.
I didn¡¯t try to look for you only because I wasn¡¯t sure¡­
Alexander, I am here with you.
Just tell me: do you love me?
I am so happy, Anna.
You mean more than life for me.
Then kiss me.
On the way here I was like in a happy dream.
Where are we?
In the house of my cook Sung Lee.
Kind of a fishing villa.
I feel hungry.
Sung Lee¡­ We are hungry.
You are turning me away in the end.
Don¡¯t talk like this.
You promised to your husband you¡¯ll be back.
And to you I promised to stay.
What a light-minded woman. Not fit for a war leader.
There is no time for irony.
I must urgently leave to Omsk, to utter uncertainty.
That¡¯s why I¡¯m going there alone.
I¡¯ll let you know as soon as possible.
And you will come, if you choose to.
I¡¯ve made my choice.
I¡¯ll be waiting for you.
IRKUTSK. JANUARY 1920
We are waiting for your answer, Mr. Kolchak.
I didn¡¯t want to deal with Semyonov.
I had heard a lot about his atrocities.
Don¡¯t pretend to be so sensitive.
You were controlled by the British and the French,
and Semyonov ¨C by the Japanese.
That was the only difference between you and him.
I had no agreements with the allies.
I saw them as an instrument to save Russia from the Bolsheviks.
You wanted Russia to summon you.
But instead there came a brutal Cossack.
And you took offence.
You are right,
I waited for Russia to summon me.
And at last it happened.
For how long you remained the minister of war in Omsk?
For about 30 days.
And soon there was a coup
in the Directorate to install your autocracy?
Probably. I didn¡¯t seek power.
I took is as my duty, or rather as my cross.
The soldiers were against the coup.
They could have left the front and moved towards Omsk.
Or you were so confident they wouldn¡¯t?
Even if I had some doubts on this account,
they were allayed several days later.
SIBERIA. NOVEMBER 1918 THE EASTERN FRONT
I promise and swear before Almighty God,
His Holy Gospel and the Life-Giving Cross:
to be faithful and invariably devoted to our Fatherland the Russian State.
I promise and swear to serve Russia¡­
as its Supreme Ruler, without sparing my life,
not being carried away by kinship, friendship, enmity or greed,
but remembering only about the revival and prosperity of the Russian state.
In conclusion of my oath,
I kiss the cross and the words of my Redeemer.
Amen.
THE SUPREME RULER OF RUSSIA GIVES AN OATH OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE EASTERN FRONT 1918