A Star Media Production Maria Poroshina Olga Arntgoltz Konstantin Milovanov Viktor Horinyak Pavel Delong Anna Arefyeva Roman Kurtsyn, Olga Makeeva Yelena Dudich, Anastasiya Lukyanova Vitalina Bibliv, Nataliya Vasko Nikolay Boklan, Vitaliy Linetsky Directed by Dmitriy Petrun Written by Natalia Shimboretskaya In cooperation with Yelena Belenko Score by Daniil Yudelevich Director of Photography Aleksandr Krishtalovich Art Director Vadim Shinkaryov Sound Design by Yegor Irodov Edited by Valeriy Kuzmichev Executive Producers Anton Mikhaylov, Dmitriy Olenich Produced by Yekaterina Yefanova, Galina Balan-Timkina, Vlad Ryashin Officers’ Wives Episode 1 Sverdlovsk, May 1941 [Will they let us hand them some money?] [Depends on the escort. If they’re bad, they won’t.] [They’re walking them from the train station.]

I haven’t had any news from my husband for three years. They just kept saying “it’s being investigated.” And then suddenly a note got through. “They’re walking us to camp. I just want to see you, honey.” And I… Just a glimpse, just… They’re coming! They’re coming! [Squad, as skirmishers! Make a corridor.] [Squad. Guns!] [There they are! There!] Kolya! Kolya! Kolya! Let me go. Kolya, I’m here! Katya, how are you? – Kolya! – How’s Nadya? We’re okay. The girls are with us, Nadya and Varya both. Varya is here. No news from Maria. – Daddy! Daddy! – My girl! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! My girl! My girl! – Varya… – Why waste the medicine? She’s gone.

– Varya… – She’s already halfway up there. My daughter… Save her, hide her. My Varya. She’s delirious. She’s talking gibberish. Take her out, before she gets everyone in here sick. Serezha, come on. Grab her feet, come on. But be careful! Leave her here for now. Then, we’ll see. [Varya! Varya! Varya!] Kalinin, June 1941 [Come on, come on, come on! Faster!] [Come on, come on! More, more! Row, row, come on!] [Again, again! You’ll do it. Varya! Come on, come on, come on.] [Great job, Irina.] [Good job, Varya.] [Varya! Varya! Varya!] All right, Antonova, you’re done with the test. Good job. Krasotkina! Krasotkina, come on, come on, come on! Krasotkina, come on! [Come on, Krasotkina… All right, row to the shore now, you oaf.] Where will you get rowing like that, Krasotkina?

She only has one way to go after school. To marriage! [Bravo. Plane.] Yeah, marriage with that pilot. Not you bunch of dimwits. There’s a fellow on this shore who really wants to go to war. He packed his boots, his spoon, his cat, he even packed his old brown hat… Rita! Why a pilot? They have nice uniforms. Why, you want to marry one, too? One thing’s missing from his kit: he forgot to pack his wit. Come on, Mitya, don’t be a lout, always have your wits about. Well, Mitya, your only choice now is to become a pilot or you’ll never get Rita. They won’t let me, my eyesight’s too bad. And you’re a little bastard, Varya. Come on, Mitya, it was just a joke. Vladlen Ivanovich! Vladlen Ivanovich! The Antonovs, to the headmaster, it’s urgent! Varya and Nadya. Come on. – Hello. – Straighter, straighter. – Let’s go left. – Higher, higher. – Where? Left where? – Straighter! Higher! It has to be higher! Higher!

Yeah, lower. Why are you putting it higher? – There, looks good like this. – Come on, it has to be higher. All right, leave it. An officer’s wife is she who will always wait for her husband to come back from the war. If he does not come back alive, she’ll do everything for others to consider him a hero. And if his heroic status is taken away unlawfully and he is charged with treason by mistake, a real wife will follow her husband to the end, and if need be, she will perish next to him, even during times of peace. Here, comrades… An excerpt from the graduation paper of 10th grade student Varya Antonova. The topic was “Decembrists’ Wives.” So, what did she call that, shall we say, opus of hers? “Officers’ Wives.” Everyone wrote about a different topic, and she... It’s the same topic! The Decembrists were officers, too. The officers are gone with the old regime.

What we have is Commanders of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Right? Well, she wrote about the old regime, didn’t she? Or here, the paper of Nadya Antonova… Not much better, it has the same subtext. “Killed in vain…” “…the elite of the officers destroyed…” It’s suggestive, comrades! Can you explain what you’ve written? What did you write about? The Decembrists’ wives shared their husbands’ fate in the labor camps. Didn’t they? What is this? I’m asking you, what is this? The paper on the topic assigned. Don’t play stupid with me. Come in. Oh, Katya, Katya… You’re a smart, beautiful woman. I gave you the job at my own risk. I’m not even asking you what you left Moscow for. And I accepted your kid…

and that “niece” of yours, with your last name and no papers, I just trusted you, expecting a mutual understanding in return, so to speak… And you? What are you toying with me for, huh? Katya… – Katya, come on. – You do know I’m married? Well, where’s your husband, where is he, huh? – Where’s your husband? – That’s none of your business. How so? It is very much my business. But this… this is my business, isn’t it? It’s clear as day that Varya’s parents were arrested. What’s hear real last name, huh? I’ll find out. I’ll find out everything. Including who gave you the right to give your last name to the children of enemies of the people. You’ll answer for this. You will, Katya, yes ma’am. Sure I will. Katya! [Nadya, let me go.] Are you tired? You want some milk? No, thank you. [Let me go!] Varya, where are you going? Please!

I’m not going to let you go. No, wait! Varya! Mom! – Oh God. – Tell her already, Mom. I’m sorry, Aunt Katya, I didn’t think it would turn out like that. Although that’s not entirely true, I was thinking about Mom when I wrote it. She says she’ll go. Where will she go, Mom? I have to go. I let you down. Varya, come on, please. I mean… Mom! Varya, running away means admitting your guilt. And what exactly are you guilty of? Sit down, now. I have decide what we do next myself. Give me some time, girls. I thought that if Mom ever reads it… if she sees it, she’ll know I haven’t forgotten about her and Dad. Come here. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Moscow, June 1941 If you need Semyon, he’ll be back in an hour. Got it, Irina. Sayenko residence, I’m listening. I see, I’ll be there. Glasha, who was it? Who was it for?

Wrong number, Irina. I… I forgot to buy the greens, I have to go to the market. Take off your apron. Huh? Right. Be right back. Stop right there! I won’t let you steal. Right… Go! Scumbag. Read all about it! Buy the Pravda newspaper! Read all about it! – How much for the greens? – Two rubles. – Come on! – Well… One ruble on market day. All right, I’m buying a lot of it. Give me the one… the one over there. – How much for all this? – Five rubles. – Five rubles. Great! – Take it. Hello, Katya. Thank you. Good day to you. What are you buying? I have some news for you. There is a good lonely man living in our building. I had them find everything out, I go there to do his laundry and clean. Cut some of that rib for me, please. Glasha, I need your help. It’s a disaster. Something with the girls? You have to take them somewhere far away, do you hear me? Again? Hey, don’t give me the greasy stuff. The lady of the house hates it. Isn’t fat a good thing? I can’t eat any fat, I have plenty of my own. Right?

What did they do this time? It doesn’t matter. The important thing is, can you take them to your relatives, anyone? Katya, everyone left my village to earn some money in the city. Come on, don’t be stingy with the paper! Good. Wrap it up good so it doesn’t leak. I can’t ask anyone else. Here, take the money, no change needed. No change. – Thank you. Thank you. – Thank you. You… You should ask Irina, the lady of the house. You used to be friends with her. She won’t say no, will she? Come on, come on. Asking is free. Nothing’s changed here in three years. It’s just the tenants changing. Everyone who lived here in your day, they all… – Hello. – Hello. Hello. Come on, Fima, come on. Go play your pipe. Can’t Irina help you somehow? She’s got a lot of relatives in the village, they’re always hanging around. Besides, she owes you one. – For what? – What do you mean, for what? They moved into your apartment before it had time to get cold.

And Semyon has been doing good for himself, do you know what office he has now? Hello, Ira. Recognize me? Glasha, go to the kitchen. I’m sorry for barging in like that. Glasha, go to the kitchen. Are you nuts? I can understand her, but you? Are you trying to get me sent to a camp? No one’s seen us… The walls have eyes here, don’t you remember? I remember that you have relatives living in Priozyorsk. Hide the girls there. Nadya and Varya. Varya… Kozub? Are you out of your mind? Ira, please! Did you know that your Glasha… whose place she goes to to “do his laundry.” I’m too scared to say when she’s around, and you… You’re only thinking about yourself. Not myself, the girls. I see you’ve decided to keep our furniture. And the pictures, too. It’s all government property. Don’t you remember? Ira, I’m begging you. Please help.

Only with a piece of advice. Give Varya up to wherever they keep children of public enemies. And have a calm life with Nadya, if they didn’t nab you then, they won’t touch you this time either. And get married, you’re still in the market, you’ll get someonegood. Semyon! He can’t see you here… Katya, go! Go! Katya, I’m begging you. Hurry up. No, up there. Hide. Get in there and hide. Wait for me there. Semyon, I saw you there through the window. I’ve been waiting for you, lunch is ready. What’s the matter? I just saw you in the window. Katya… Katya, my dear… Come on, don’t cry. She’s always been a peasant, and she never changed, no matter how pushy she was. I mean, come on, suggesting that you marry… While Nikolai is still alive, huh? Bastard. Well, come on. Come on, don’t cry.

I just… I did it for the girls. – Katya… – Well, Glasha… Come on, what is this? Take it, I’m begging you. Thank you. – And… And here’s some more. – More what? Here’s a brooch. Maria gave it to me when I nursed Varya with scarlet fever, remember? Give it to Varya, let her have something of her mother’s, at least. – What is this for? – I’ve been meaning to tell you. The major who lives in the Kozubs’ apartment now… Well, my major… he got a hold of a paper, just for me… She… Typhus, at the Ural… During redeployment… When they were transferring them from one camp to another… So, our Varya is an orphan now. Katya! You’re mopping? There’s…

A man has come from Moscow, from the uh… Well, from, like… you get it, right? They were asking about you and those writers of yours. He confiscated the papers. And also… Katya, your address, well, I… I, uh, I had to… I had to say… Katya, believe me, it wasn’t me. It’s the literary girl… She’s, uh… Goddamn observant! Hey! No running here. – Good day. – Hello. Major Yermilov. Let’s go inside. Go write in the yard. I’ve already talked to them. Could you offer me some tea? What did you make them write there? An informant’s report? I know why you’ve come. Children… They’re just children. My daughter and Varya, they aren’t guilty of anything, do you get it? They aren’t responsible for their parents. Isn’t that what Comrade Stalin teaches us? Take me, do you hear me? Charge me, arrest me… But don’t touch them. You’re holding yourself pretty well, it’s like it was written about you. You can have the notebooks back. Better to tear them to pieces, of course.

They’re rewriting their papers. I hope they won’t be as romantic this time around. Why are you… Why are you helping us? What’s Varya’s last name? Stepan Kozub was my Commander in the Civil War. I never expected them to shoot him as an enemy of the people and send me to live in his apartment. So that’s how it is. Wait, it was you? Glasha said… Was it you who found out that Maria died at the camp? Yes, during a transfer. Have you told her daughter already? I couldn’t. Would you please do it? I’m not going to cry. Mom didn’t like it when I cried. You don’t have to go anywhere. Something big could start soon, anyway, so… we’ll all end up God knows where. You think there’s going to be a war? Shush, who ever said “war”? It’s not your first year in a wife’s uniform, you have to understand. What about “provocative rumors”? And you shouldn’t hide Varya behind your last name.

Right, when is she turning 16, this October? Let her get her passport in her own last name. Oh, and… Your girls have some good friends. No matter how long I asked them for your address, they wouldn’t give it. Mom, what if Dad… he’s like like Varya’s mom? I don’t know. I just don’t think about it. I hope that… Do you know why we gave you the name we did? It means Hope. Dad and I had a long argument about it, and then he named you and said, “Now, there’s always going to be Hope between us.” Come on, take it up. Hey, girl! What are you so happy about? War! War! Kalinin, August 1941 I think that if I see a real German up close… I’ll just die from fear, right there. What, you getting ready to welcome the Germans already? Come on, down with such defeatist thoughts. Mitya, what are you bossing us around for? Look at Mr Skirt Commissar over here. You’re nasty, Varya. We’re not sitting on our thumbs here.

It’s the work front. What front? They’re digging moats for Germans on the outskirts… Do you know the norm? Everyone has to dig two cubic meters per man. Mitya. Well, remember me? [Oh, Rita. It’s Rita.] I’ll just be two minutes, I’m leaving to serve. I’ll be at the HQ, translating documents. – Nice! – Full rations, money, diploma… Fighter Krasotkina! Well, Rita, you’ve gone and done it again. Oh, come on, as if it was something rare. Right, Mitya’s going to come running to touch me. Well, bye. Rita! Thank you. See you, guys. As soon as I found out about the field mail, I’ll write you all. [Write us. Bye.] Varya… Were you serious about going to the front lines? – Like, real front lines? – Yeah. If you’re going, I’m going with you, got it?

Got it. There, found this in the mailbox. No stamps or anything. It’s from Maria Kozub. If you’re reading this letter, it means that a good man made it to Moscow. Our paramedic nursed me, even though everyone else had already buried me in their thoughts. Katya, how is my Varya doing? Is she alive and well? So they got the answer wrong, the one about dying during transfer? So she’s alive? Katya, you’d better go back to Moscow. Find a job. We’ll help you find a room to rent. We can do it now. It’s total chaos everywhere. Yuri has a heart of gold. You have to trust him. Anyone else wouldn’t do it, and he… Careful. I’d defend him to the last breath. Katya, if Yuri said he’d help, it means he’ll take care of your girls. Those silly girls are running around army offices, trying to get to the front lines. Are you going to let them? Who’s going to take them? They’re too young. Well, did you walk Semyon out? I did. They sent him to make some sense of it. Suddenly, everyone forgot how to fight wars.

The failures are all happening because the army’s a mess. They were cleaning out the enemies, but they haven’t gotten all of them, apparently. It’s because of them, do you understand? Them! Easy, easy. Easy. Katya, calm down, calm down. Right, so we get in line fast. – Mitya! – Girls! Our names aren’t on the list. Well, they’ll be there soon. We’ll take the oath and they’ll accept us, what can they do? They took Mitya, why won’t they take us? Because we’re girls? Hold on to the accordion, please. But, uh… don’t go anywhere until I come back. I’ll go take the oath. Oops, sorry. – Red Army Soldier Ivanov! – Here! – Front and center! – Yes, sir! I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics… … joining the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army… Let’s fall in line. I am always prepared at the order of the Workers' and Peasants' Government to come to the defense of my Motherland… the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and, as a fighter, I vow to defend her courageously, skillfully, creditably and honorably, And if through evil intent I break this solemn oath,

then let the stern punishment of the Soviet law, and the universal hatred and contempt of the working people, fall upon me. Permission to speak? – You again? This isn’t a game. – Please. This is an oath. Face about! March out of here. If I’m not a fighter, why are you giving me orders? March out of here! Red Army Soldier Terentiev. Front and center. Still not tired from holding it? So they didn’t take you to war, girls? Nope, they didn’t. Could you take us as orderlies? I’ll drag your bag around, Nadya will take your accordion. Yeah… Lyosha. Lyosha? This is the army, Lyosha. I’m Fighter Kozub. Varya… This is Nadya. Our friend Mitya is somewhere around, too. – Last name? – Terekhov. Here. Nadya, I actually wanted to become a pilot… Couldn’t do it so far. – A pilot? – Yeah, no pilot episode for me. No pilot episode… So, what brings you to our town, pilot without an episode? I actually went to Moscow to get into a theater school, but then the war started, so I went to the recruitment office. [Last name?] I said, “I can fly, I’m an athlete…” Sign here.

Yeah… I can jump with a parachute, they said “well, fly home, then.” The recruitment office… Home. Funny, isn’t it? Where are you from? Kharkov. But I can’t make it there on time. So I’ll just stick around here and fight. Why not? It’s cool here. Well, give me the accordion. To cars! Valya, bye. The accordion. Varya! Where are you going? Varya! Wait, come on, wait a second. Guys, come on. Come on. Look, she’ll fall down. Come on, come on, come on. I’m holding you. I’m holding you. Jump. I was last time I was in Kharkov in early summer. Then I left, and my mother’s home with two sisters. Dad’s in the front lines, probably… Of course, if there was an Arts Institute in our city, or even a theater school, I wouldn’t have left home. I like it home. All of my friends are there, I know everything, I’m used to everything. Why did you take up the arts? You want to play this thing and sing? Oh, sorry. In fact, I went on an Oblast tour with a tent circus.

– A tent circus? – Yeah. Were you a clown there or something? No, why? I was an aerial artist. I’m a graded gymnast, there. I got 37 rubles per show… For my age, that’s… It’s as if you don’t believe me. I’ll show it, then. Here you go. Attention… Hop! Bravo. The Terekhov Flip. You’re an artist all right. Here you go, artist. Grab something to eat. You should have taken a bowl and a spoon, not an accordion. Got it? Yeah… First order of business on the front lines. Where did you get that friend who knows everything? My father was military. Nadya’s, too. Mitya listened to me, that turned out all right. How did your military fathers allow you to come here? Quiet already! We’re marching out early. Go to sleep. Come on. Mitya, hold the door. Yeah… Nadya’s like that. If she’s asleep, even a shelling won’t wake her up.

I bet she won’t even know how she got here in the morning. Really? She won’t get mad at you? Why get mad? We’re doing it for her, it’s stuffy in there. She’ll be better off here. Okay, okay, okay… Here. Hold it! Where are they from? On whose authority? Comrade Commander, we’ll get to the front lines whatever it may cost us. You imps. You just want to play. Go have some sleep. Tomorrow we either send you back or register you. That’s it, go to sleep. Nadya’s in love with you, Pilot. What, did she say that herself? I understand her without words. Our fathers were friends, and we grew up together. You charmed her with that accordion. Maybe I like her, too. Quiet today, isn’t it? The Germans must be tired of bombings, maybe I can get some sleep tonight. No, Glasha. You have to be alert. And the landlord is asking you to take two shifts. No one’s there to catch the bombs. Nothing from the girls, I don’t know where they are.

Varya doesn’t even know that her mother is alive. Irina… What’s wrong? We’re doing okay on our own. Yeah… I wanted to ask you if Vera and Nadya were on the front lines. They aren’t writing, are they? No news from my Semyon either… Katya! I’m sorry for what happened back then. For throwing you out like that… And then I said some things on the way to the bomb shelter… Don’t be angry that they didn’t defend the Kozubs and your Nikolai… He did, and what now? Was he much help to the Kozubs? And himself? And we settled in your apartment, but if we had an order, what were we supposed to do, say no? Make the labor camps our next address? Katya, if you want, you can go back to your apartment and live there. What are you doing in the street cleaner’s quarters, huh? And I won’t be that scared.

Nothing from Semyon, either? Today, they announced that his rations are canceled. We don’t know where your husband is. “Maybe he’s fighting valiantly, or maybe he’s cooling his heels in a German POW camp.” Cooling his heels? My Semyon? See how it turns out, Katya? We both are officers’ wives, and we were different. My husband was fighting, yours was in prison… Now we’re even. Nadya! Nadya, get up. Can you hear me? There’s fighting. Our guys are fighting! Come on! Go! Germans! Where are you going? Let’s run over there. Mitya. [Your predicament is hopeless. Come to the side of the German Army.] [You will be treated and fed well.] [Your fighting is pointless. Stop the pointless fight!]

[The commissars are lying to you.] [German commissars will give you...] Come on. Come on, Nadya. I said come on. [a good welcome, feed you and find you a job.] Nadya! [Come to the side of the German Army.] I said let’s go! [Your predicament is hopeless. Come to the side of the German Army.] [You will be treated and fed well.] [Your fighting is pointless.]