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 2 Katya! You know… Girls, what? Ira, why are you crying? OCTOBER 1941. MOSCOW Come on, go! Nadya. Varya. Where are the girls?

I knew they would release you. There are more over there. They’re all dead. Here are their papers. No graves, nothing. Like Mitya. I barely remember Dad. There are only snatches and glimpses. I remember one thing he said, though. A soldier can be killed. That’s his fate. War and death always go together. What remains is our memories about them. He’s alive. Comrade Sayenko, come here, quick. Nadya, it’s our guys! Lie down! Everybody on the ground. Take off your tunics. Come on. Take it off! I tell you, it’s the Germans. Hush! Down! Are there any kommunisten und offizier here? Let’s go back! Nadya!

Get up! Nadya, it’s our guys! They are Russians! They are alive. Yes. Fine. It is… It was for Nikolay Ilyich. The car is on its way. Where are they sending you? What if you are going to Moscow? They say it’s the major front right now. If you see my Semyon, by any chance, please help him. Of course I will. We don’t have much time. You need to eat something. Sausage! Why don’t you have some sausage? My dear friend. Nadya. Are you… prisoners? Would you prefer to stay in the woods? You’ll die here, silly! Just don’t tell them you were in the army. You’re going home. Why didn’t you try to escape when they sent you here alone?

Where would we go? They are everywhere, except for the forest. We had to go. Half of the villagers are wounded, and here they at least give us some food. I still can’t believe this is really happening to me. The uniform, the car with a chauffer, a division under my command. All these honors make me feel weird. But the weirdest thing is that I’m happy. War is the only thing I can do. Who are you? Where are you going? Where from? I can speak German. We are from Moscow. We go to school there. We’re on our way home. We were on vacations, staying with my old nanny, when the war began. Are you parents communists? Are they with the army? My parents were killed before the war. Hers, too. Herr Major. Let them work for the medics. They keep dying on us. We have almost nothing to feed them and no medicine.

They’ll probably let the healthy ones live, but these ones they’ll shoot. Hush! They can hear you. There’s no use in lying to them. You shouldn’t have showed off your German. They will never let you go now. Are you going to work for them? Yes? They are well-behaved. Good-looking, too. Have you noticed? What? What are you talking about? Varya. Rita. The beautiful one. She won’t last long. She’s got shrapnel wound to her stomach. People used to talk about her and some general, prancing around, so proud and haughty. Something happened to her later. A bombing or her first hand-to-hand combat. Her hair turned white overnight. Where do you think you’re going? OK. Just make it quick. Hey, Russians! Go back! Wait! I’m going with you. To Moscow. Everybody who’s smart is going there now.

The generals and commies have left the city. Their apartments stay empty. I don’t care if the Germans come there, too. At least I’ll have some fun. Come on! Varya, I can’t. I’m done. We won’t make it if she goes with us. Look at this limping wreck. You go ahead. Go. You will be there before us. – Do you remember the address? – Yes. Find Glasha. Tell her we’re alive and are on our way home. OK? OK. We’ll have some rest and go on. Right? Nadya, hold on. Here. Look, there’s a bridge. We have to cross the river. What? I can’t. I’m done. Nadya, we have to. We’ve got the papers. Mitya’s, Rita’s, and others’.

We have to go on. Come on. Otto! Otto, hurry up! God, Otto, where are you? Are you coming? Let us go. We’re going home. My mom doesn’t have anyone left but me. Let us go! Come on, get up. Quick. Come on! Go. Silly girls. Go. Get up, quick. Come on. Come on. What? Are you scared? Did they teach you to shoot people in the back? You want to get there? Swim! Come on! Swim! Are you scared? Move it! Swim! Come on! Go! Go ahead!

Come on! Swim! Swim! Varya! Varya! Varya! The streets are crowded. People are running around in panic. People say that the government has left to Kuybyshev. I don’t believe it, Glasha. I don’t believe they’ll abandon Moscow. We have company. They brought news. – Hi. – Hello. Varya Kozub and Nadya Antonova. Do you know them? Yes. Right. They are dead. The Germans killed them. We were travelling together. So, I’m here, but they are dead. Are you crazy? Ladies? I brought you horrible news.

Come on. Come with me. Here they are. Our dead girls. Both of them. They’ve been sleeping for over 24 hours. So, you’ve buried them, haven’t you? What are you staring at? Were you trying to steal their apartment? You red-headed bitch! Get out of here before I tore your red hair off! How dare you come here? Take your stuff with you and never come back. Bitch. You naughty girl! Here’s some hot water. Auntie Katya! You were going to tell me something important but I fell asleep. It’s OK. Read this. Your mom is alive. People say if someone is considered dead and proves alive, it means they will live a long life. We’re almost done. Comrade Colonel, I’ve talked to the soldiers. Where the hell are you going?

I’d love to talk to you now, Comrade Antonov. What the hell are they doing? And I’ll have to answer for this. The soldiers love you. Your seniors, too. They keep telling me, talk to Antonov. What was the hardest thing for you when you came back to the army? Restraining from unnecessary risks is the hardest part. You always want to do everything yourself. I see. You see? Damn it, this is really bad. They don’t stop for a second. One more question! Have you… No. Commissar Krugov! Sir, look! Over there! Give it to me. Over there. The more you know the better you can write. They saw us. Where are you going? Go back! They’ll kill you! Go back! – Comrade Antonov? – Yes. The soldiers told me a lot about you. Now we are staying with you. DECEMBER 1941. MOSCOW AREA. ARMY RADIO SCHOOL Cadets! Fall in line! Girls, where are you going? You’ll get frostbites! Fall back in line. Your business can wait. Roll call goes first.

There are things that can’t wait. Don’t you know it, Uncle Commander. I’m not your uncle, thank God. Fall in line. Comrade chief commander! What if the war ends before we graduate? The Germans were beaten badly near Moscow. Say thanks to General Frost. In spring, they’ll start offense. So, don’t worry. You’ll have time enough to fight. Hello. – Hello, comrade commander. – Hello. – Let’s go. – Come on! Go! Hold the line! Good. Dress! Attention! My name is Mark Kogan. I’m your master sergeant. Keep your ears warm. Your hearing is your major weapon. I didn’t want to look like a cartoon German soldier. Silence! Front pass! Right turn! Right turn! Right turn! Right turn! Fall back in line. No talking in line! You can call me Mark One. No laughing!

You will call me that anyway, just not in my face. Right turn! To the barracks — march! For those who are in a hurry — double-time. Thank you, sir! Girls, wait for me! – Glasha. – Yes? Bring one more plate. Are we expecting guests? Just in case. What if Nikolay comes? Fine, I can do it. No problem. Here. I talked to the caretaker. He says they’ll give Nikolay’s apartment back to him. They’ll probably evict me. Who cares that I’m a widow. They’ll simply kick me out. Ira, wait. Don’t talk about Semyon like this. You haven’t got a death notification. There’s no such thing as POWS. There are only traitors. It’s better for him to be dead than MIA. Take your coat off. Come on.

You’re saying this because it’s New Year and you feel sorry for me. Just do it. Where will I go then? You’ll stay here. Let’s unpack it. Don’t be silly. Sit down. Let me take care of your suitcases. Don’t be so shy. They are from the flight school. Our neighbors. You can hang out with them. But only till 1 AM. You must be at your barracks by then. Or we’ll turn into pumpkins like Cinderella. Anyway. I expect you to behave… to hold… Well, you know. It’s a pity you haven’t got your uniforms yet, though. It’s not the feathers that make the bird, Comrade Mark One! Left turn! At ease! March! – Kozub. – Yes sir! What is this? What were you thinking? Give it back! It’s addressed to my mother, not you. I saw the address! Did you? It’s a miracle that you got into this school with a background like this. Do you wish to be expelled?

I don’t care. I’ll write to her anyway. They have no right to withhold my letters. Anya, wait! I’m coming. Nadya, shall we go? – Do you hear it? – What? Is it that actor, Nadya? It’s him! Nadya! The quiet girl! You’re alive. She doesn’t say much but I know she always gets what she wants. So you made it after all. I’ve been looking for you. Nadya had saved your accordion like a true hero. Never mind. I see you’ve got yourself a new one. Yep. My accordion. Anyway, I got what I wanted. I’ll be a pilot. Better tell us how you got out of that mess. Only a dozen of our guys survived. We were all wounded. We found our way to our side of the front. Then we went on to Moscow. Nadya, Varya, they came for you. Kozub, you let everybody down with your letters. Comrade Sergeant! Where are you taking them? Back off, cadet. It’s New Year’s Eve! Can I go with you?

Back off! Sergeant, easy! This is our guy. He’s a bit tipsy, that’s all. Have fun. Where do you think you’re going? Stay here. Comrade Sergeant! Where are you taking these sweet girls, if I may ask? I don’t have orders to discuss this. Come with me. Lyosha, that’s it. They’re under arrest. Get in. Go ahead. It seems that Katya’s radar is always tuned for you. She always knows when you’re going to come by. So many New Year’s presents! Thank you. I can only stay till 5 AM. That’s good. Thank God. I wish the girls were here. They’ve already at their school. Pity. I thought I’d see them today. Don’t panic. It’s just me. Come in. This is Danilkin, war correspondent. Katya, Glasha, we have company! I’m not company, I’m on duty. Collecting material for an article on the heroic brigade commander’s work and, most importantly, leisure time. Come on. He’s following me like a dog, chatting all the time.

What about your wife, your family? Why aren’t you with them on New Year’s Eve? I’m married to my job. Where are you taking us? Tell us the truth. Are we going to celebrate the New Year at Lubianka? Her father is brigade commander Antonov. – Stop it. – Did you hear me? Damn it. Go find out what’s wrong. Yes, sir. Comrade Sergeant, we need to push the car. Get out of the car. Give us a hand. Come on. – That’s nice. – Let’s run! Now! – Where to? – Doesn’t matter. Are you crazy? Where are you going? Stop! Varya! Stop! You’ll get us into trouble. Oh God. It’s so slippery. Varya, you idiot! Where were you going? I slipped. Get up! What are you doing? Come on, get up! Come on! Once more! Come on, push! Push!

For his brigade’s actions in the battle of Moscow, commander Antonov was granted an Order of Red Combat Banner. He would never tell us himself. He’s too modest. I hate blabbers. I will respectfully shut up. Ira, champagne? OK. – Is it for you? – I’ll get it. Hello. – Look who is here. – Comrade Major! – The party is in full swing. – Hello. I’ll take care of it. – Hello, sir. – Hi. A penalty drink for being late! Fine. But only if commander Antonov proposes a toast. I’m better at giving orders than speeches. To our wives and mothers. To our beloved women. To your patience. This is my editorial office address and phone number. Ask for Danilkin. It’s a shame it didn’t work. I asked Comrade Yermilov to bring the girls for the holidays.

He helped them to enroll in the radio school, though. Daddy! Comrade Major, mission accomplished. At ease. Dismissed. What took you so long? You won’t have time to catch up. Comrades! We can make a great group photo. Comrades! Look at the camera. Dad. Attention! You bastard! Where do you think you’re going? This is a classified facility. Hello, Comrade Mark One, sir! Are Nadya Antonova and Varya Kozub back? I need to talk to Nadya. They are all the same, these silly girls. You have no business climbing the fences here. Get out! Could you pass her my note? I’ll probably spend the next 5 days under arrest for absence without leave. I said, get out of here! Quick! At the double! I said, go! – Will you pass it to Nadya? – What did I say? Please! Gee up! Goddamned acrobat. Terekhov, are you there? Terekhov is at the detention quarters. Got it. I only need a minute. I have a letter for Terekhov. OK. Just make it quick.

Terekhov! – What? – Lyosha, are you sleeping? I’ve had enough sleep to last me a year. OK then. I brought you a letter. The lady who brings groceries gave it to me. – Is it from Nadya? – Yep. – Give it to me. – Just a minute. Let me read it first. “Dear Aleksey. Thank you for your heartfelt letter. Varya and I are fine.” Is Varya that other girl? Pasha, I’ll beat you shitless when I get out. – Antonova! – Yes! Come here. – This is for you. – Thanks. Why don’t you meet him in person? Writing letters is all you two are good at. “My dear silent girl. We are up to the ears in our studies, too. Trying to master all the tricks. Our graduation is not so far away. I hope they’ll send me to a fighters’ regiment and I’ll have a chance to protect you. Protect your sleep, protect your life. I want you to be happy for me. You might remember that my family is in Kharkov.

I still haven’t heard from them. I do have news for them, though. I wonder when I will get a chance to tell them that I’ve met the best and quietest girl in the world, whose beautiful name means Hope.” That’s enough! Look at you! Leo Tolstoy! How can you do this behind Nadya’s back? This is personal! We’re reading this like a novel. Maybe we won’t have anything like this in our lives. We’re going to war soon. Everybody go to your banks! Lights out! Go to sleep! Lights out! The attack planes demonstrate an in-place turn with retreat towards bearings and simultaneous switch of formation leader. This maneuver will come unexpected for the enemy anti-aircraft guns, disrupting aimed fire from the ground and fighters’ attacks. That’s what I call creative approach.

Who is the formation leader? Aleksey Terekhov, our best cadet. There is a commission at the school today. Ptashuk won’t let him go on a date. Bullshit. The flights will stop as soon as it gets dark. My mom gave it to me. It’s for good luck. Are you out of your minds? It’s freezing outside! It’s their first date. She can’t wear footclothes. She’ll have to suck it up. You look great. Still, this is crazy. Wearing pumps in this cold! They are beautiful. Are you jealous he didn’t choose you? I prefer guys who play balalaika. Accordion is stupid. What is all this? A beauty salon? I have to go. May I? You signed her leave pass, remember? His landing gear won’t come out. Terekhov! Your landing gear is stuck!