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 Eight AUGUST 1945. STUTTGART, GERMANY. MILITARY HOSPITAL

The girl has a serious head wound, she needs urgent surgery. The boy has to go to the ER. Come on! And you? Nadya’s mine. Help! Help! I’m begging you, help me! Come on, somebody do something. There’s something that you can do. Hey, it’s not me you need. There’s a famous neurosurgeon in the next town over. He has to do the surgery. But… He’s German. If you could bring him here. We will. You’ll have your surgeon. – Hello. – Hello. You served under Antonov for almost three years. How would you describe him? As a competent commander… and a person with a soul, who’s always been against pointless casualties. That is the only reason why he had the gall to cancel Army Commander’s orders. In hindsight, comrade Antonov was right. Right… And… The episode about Antonov’s capture

you wrote about in April? It was my mistake. Or rather, our mutual mistake, force majeure. Antonov wasn’t captured. On the contrary, he helped capture many German soldiers. The military collegium finds Nikolay Antonov guilty as charged. However, taking into account his great contributions in the past, the collegium has decided not to carry out a criminal punishment and recommend that Antonov be reduced to a lower rank. – What? – It’s okay, Katya. – What? – We’ll get through it, too. Katya! Katya! Semyon! Katya! Katya, what is it? Herr Agner, it’s ready. Nadya, about what Vasya’s dad said… I don’t want to know anything. Me and that German woman… We…

She has a son, just like our Viktor. I shared food with her. That’s it. Do you want to know the truth? Nadya’s father is German. Yeah… But you didn’t even ask why we had to hide her and register her as our own daughter. Well, this is why. Otherwise, these children go to a special orphanage. The woman who saved Nadya said that he was a doctor. Maybe he’s still alive. What? The girl will live. And I hope that there won’t be any serious consequences for her health. Thank God. We’ll leave her here for monitoring. And you can take Viktor to her room, too. Thank you. Thank you. Yours? I has son… too. Herr Agner, you’ll spend the night here. Where is your son?

He went missing on the Eastern Front. He’s making inquiries, but we still don’t know if he’s alive. And who was he? His son is a doctor, a surgeon. He doesn’t want to say “was.” The professor is very tired, the surgery was very difficult. The last letter from Peter came during the summer of 1943. He said he’d met a Russian girl… Barbara… and they were going to have a child. Maybe you’ve heard something about him? No. And the Goltzmans have come back to their apartment. Alla came today, she wouldn’t stop thanking us. And that awful colonel got evicted. Well, that’s right, everything is just. People love you for a reason. Love you and respect you. I know what people say about you in the building. Glasha, stop trying. I’m okay. I lied to you about the kid, Nikolay… Didn’t work out. There goes Mom. Come on, come here.

I’ll carry you. That’s right. Where did you get Natasha? I left her with the nurses. I stole her. Right, my daughter? I’m passing through, only a couple of minutes. How are you? – It’s hard, Yuri. – What is it? You have to look at everyone, listen to everyone… There are as many fates as there are people. Yeah… And everyone wants to go home as soon as possible. I know, it’s the same back in my district. I have to go. Take care of Natasha. Bye. I’ll sit down a minute. There was my daughter, and I missed her, like a… A late child I was looking forward to so much, but still… – Anna. – Yes? I wanted to talk to you about that German doctor. Your daughter is very lucky, it’s like he’s glued to her. He’s taking care of her as if she were his own.

Thank you. I don’t need anything from her. [The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR] [has issued an order.] Good day. Papers, please. […the 3rd of September is now a national holiday,] [the day of the victory over Japan.] Give me! Everything is in order. I won’t keep you any longer. Teenagers like you checking my papers is all I need right now. It’s okay. Lately, there’s been a lot of scum with someone else’s papers in uniform. So the checks are necessary, just bear with it. I can see it, you know. I know that you’ve packed your duffel bag, and you’re hiding it from me under your bed. You’re waiting for a knock on the door, like that time. “Let’s go, comrade Antonov.” Do I give you some water? Yes, two glasses, please. Thank you. What do I do? – Thank you. – Just bear with it again? I’ve thought about a solution. We should get a divorce. I mean, you and the kids will have it easier. You’ll keep the apartment. It would be a shame to lose it. Are you… Are you serious now, talking about a divorce?

So you think that for an apartment, I’d… Oh, comrade Antonov. Come on, give it to me. Go home. I said go home. Go, I have to be alone, do you understand? You don’t throw men like that away, they get taken right away. – What? – That’s right. What do you want? Nikolay, wait. He’s been following you since the boulevard. What, you don’t recognize me, Nikolay? Vasya! You’re alive? Neudakhin, alive! Why wouldn’t I be? I was killed dead, but I got better. Katya, let’s go. Here, the papers about being freed. After the hospital, they sent me to filtration, as a former POW. There was that bastard there, a colonel… So they loaded me into the train car with everyone, and… And it was spring, it was May. Such a damn shame. In the other cars, everyone was

going home with the victors’ flowers, and us… Like cattle. And children screamed nasty things at us at every stop. Thank you. He fell asleep. Go home. I’ll come later. Comrade Yermilov asked me to tell you that you don’t have much time. Lyosha. Easy, easy, easy… Nikolay. Our Division Commander was relieved of command, they took everything… Even sent his wife back to the medical company. Like in that tale you mentioned, what was it called again? About the donkey and the dying lion? Yeah! Well, I’m not a donkey, Nikolay. I’m with you. I won’t leave you, just say the word. I’m ready to… What… what are you doing? Do you have any weapons? Do you? Give it to me! Give it to me! I won’t let them. Sit down. This is an order. Katya, open up. Hello. Katya, Nikolay, I’m sorry…

Mom told me that a soldier came to see her, she said he’d come to stay with you. It was… it was me. Hello… Ninel? Hello. Vasya? Shall I go? I didn’t warn you, I’m sorry. She was one of the reasons I came. We’ve been writing to each other since 1944 through the late Fima. – There. – Vasya. – See you. – See you. See you. I wasn’t home then. And Mom, Dad and Sveta… A lot of people got shot then. Well, it’s okay. We’ll be back. We’ll find them. We’ll give them great tombstones. I’m not going back there. I’m not. There are secret agents in the hospital.

Lyosha, your sister can’t stay here, or she’ll get arrested. And Nadya is staying here, don’t worry. Let’s go. Quick. Let’s go. Let’s go. After them! I think we lost them. Good job, Lyonya. Lyosha. Lyosha Don’t cry. You’re a Terekhova. Freeze! Freeze! Damn it. And since she is my sister, I walked her to the destination. I helped her get away, didn’t I? Get away from what? Her crime is getting married. Today’s date, your signature. For this, you should get… I shouldn’t have left her here. Forget about studying at the Moscow Academy. Our boys will remember everything about you, your affair with the German woman, and this. There was no affair with a German woman.

Send me home. I feel sick already, looking at these churches, these streets, these rooftops. Feeling homesick, are we? You don’t have much choice. Either they leave you here or they send you to the boonies. I don’t care. As long as it’s closer to home. Nadya. Are we going to be running around much longer? Do you want me to leave? I can see you’re angry. What do I do? Do I kill that German woman? Do I burn the stuff she gave Viktor? What? You know how it is with my sister. And you’re still being quiet. Quiet Girl. He’s really happy, he’s found his son. He’s alive, he was captured, now he’s going home. I’m jealous of you, you’re going home soon too. They aren’t letting Yuri and me go yet. Look, Nadya… That woman, Glasha. She’s there in Moscow with you, right? Yep. I need a favor. If something happens to me…

Let her take care of Natasha. And Yuri. Oh, come on. Anna, come on. Of course, I plan to live long, and have a good time at my daughter’s wedding with your Viktor. It’s a line from their song. “When we part, we die a little each time.” Thank you. Thank you. DECEMBER 1947. MOSCOW Thank you. Let’s walk over there. – Hello. – Hello. Wait for me here a bit, okay? And we’ll definitely go for a walk somewhere. Staring there… Get in line. What are you standing around here for? – Vasya, I’ll be going now. Well… – Wait! – Vasya! – What? You better apologize now, two-bit hero. I don’t care that you have a lot of medals. I have mine here, where are yours? Left them in the kike’s bed? That’s it. Vasya! Vasya! Easy, easy, easy. Sir.

Sir, get back. Back up, sir. You bastard. We need your help again, Nikolay. Vasya got arrested. For a fight. He stood up for me. And the cops arrested him. He got transferred to Lubyanka for that. And the cops won’t say what for. Definitely not for the fight. He’s scheduled to get married to Ninel in a week. No one’s going to get wooed by medals there. Do you really need that? Glasha, go where you were going to. Where are you sending him to, Katya? Glasha! She’s right, you know. It’s obvious that Vasya got arrested because he’s your man. All the more reason for me to go. What kind of cowardice would it be? Just leaving the man and not helping him. You think you’ll help? I’m coming with you then. Katya, Katya. Stay here and wait. And what if you don’t come back today? Well… You know where my duffel bag is. You can get it to me if anything happens.

You must have a lot of time to waste it on such nonsense. I wouldn’t recommend starting with insults. Comrade Neudakhin was arrested for anti-Soviet propaganda. Here are the statements of his comrades-in-arms, whom he told on numerous occasions, with great conviction, that the Germans lived better than we did in the USSR. And here. He’s gone through the entire war. It wasn’t for you to follow him and believe random tip-offs. There, plus he was captured. Yeah, although… You have firsthand experience with that. Right… It used to be time of the enemies of the people, is it time of the POWs now? Traitors. Neudakhin was given a chance… And he blew it.

He’s walking in your footsteps. Yeah… comrade Antonov. Yeah. Go interrogate comrade Antonov. Yes, sir. Up! DECEMBER 1947. STAROVYE VILLAGE, TRANSURALS. [Moscow speaking. All the Soviet radio stations are transmitting.] [The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.] [The USSR Cabinet has issued an order to put] [new 1947 roubles in circulation starting December 16, 1947.] [Small coins will not be exchanged, and will stay in circulation at face value.] [To exchange the bills that are now in circulation…] Good morning, Zoya.

Maybe it’s good for you. Been up all night. I don’t know any peace from you. I’m leaving soon. I’ll get some wired and go. At the same time as reforming the currency… Yeah, as if they’re waiting for you. To forbid people like you from coming to big cities to annoy the locals there. Here you go, you got a letter. And your money’s in it. They sent a lot more than what’s in here. I won’t even go 100 kilometers with this. I took what you owed me for the room. You’ve been living here pretty much for free. It’s all going to be worthless pieces of paper, anyway. That’s low. Don’t get cheeky with me. Are you trying to go end up in the forced labor camp again? Get out, go wherever you want. Here, take what I have. Take me to the hub. Old ones? Who the hell needs them anymore? Don’t look at me as if I’m guilty of something, Peter. You just can’t find them anymore. Verstehen? You’re getting on the train today,

you’ll be home in a day or two. The local fraus will kill for you. You have the same thing we have, men are a rare commodity. You’ve done so much for me. We’re not stopping anywhere. We’ve wasted enough time already. What, are you trying to get stuck here forever, looking for ghosts? You have one choice. Either you go home or you go back to the camp. What is it? Jump out. Oh God. You’ve come back, my dears. – Glasha! – Viktor, go to Glasha. Well, what? Look. Remember Glasha? I… I… I… Look at how much you’ve grown. You didn’t exactly have a ritzy life there either, right? – Hey. – Hello. Hello. Are my parents home? Lyosha was sent to Ryazan. We’re only here for 24 hours. How is it at home? Long story. Basically, your mom is running around, trying to get a meeting with important people. Your dad went to help the guy they sent to Lubianka, well…

Your dad, too. He got arrested? My girl. My little beauty. My little dear. You’re my daughter. My dear daughter. You look so much like your mother. Just as sweet. My honey… Honey… My honey… Viktor. My little honey. Give her back! It’s… it’s my daughter. And where’s Barbara? She’s not here. I’ll be back soon. I’ll be back. Is it her…? Shut up. Well, what is it? Is it your daughter? No. I was wrong. See, I can’t even leave my desk, they keep coming. I even eat here. Kliment, you’ve known Nikolay since ’21…

I know, I know. I am aware of his situation, you don’t have to repeat it. What did you bring, Katya? Did you make it yourself? Yep. I might as well open a gift museum soon. But I’m flattered, I am. Remind me, what’s your job? I’ve been around army bases with Nikolay since when I was 18. Is an officer’s wife a job? I want to propose a toast to you, can I? I respect wives with strong personalities like yours. This is the kind of life you have to find, Bozhko. She’ll always be with you, even if you’re up there tickling the sky or crawling down the bottom. And she’ll never stop loving you, their emotions are strong, too. They put their hearts into everything they do. Have a seat.

A lot of people can’t find a place for themselves now. They walk around moaning, joking that they wish the war came back for an hour. It was simpler back then, who your enemy is, what to do, we had more freedom… And now? If you don’t help me, I’ll just go to the next person. I think we can sort this situation out. Maybe it won’t be quick, but it will be done. About your Nikolay, and… whoever he was defending. MARCH 1948. MOSCOW. I asked you not to make noise. – What? – Are you doing it on purpose? And get the damn cat away. I’m allergic to fur. This cat is the best gift you can give these days, look at how many rats there are around here. So it’s more likely that you’ll go. Glasha, stop it. Why is she being like that, huh? As if we went to live with her, not the other way around. Right, a goddamn princess, with her elegant hair and all.

This is for us. Is it our guys? Shoo, don’t be so curious. I meant the cat. The fur… Masha. Tell your maid to close the tap better. I can do it myself, I can tell myself, or you. Okay. They called me about Stepan’s case. I was happy, some news after months of silence. We had a talk. And then, suddenly, “take the criminal away.” Just like that. That was probably when Maria Kozub, nee Obolenskaya, ceased to exist. I can’t come to Moscow, I risked going here. I wanted to see my granddaughter, your grandson… And then… I’ll go someplace people like me are allowed to live. You’re not going anywhere. The children are coming the day after tomorrow. What do you mean, the day after tomorrow?

That’s right. To celebrate Nikolay’s birthday. Nikolay, tell me one thing. Have you seen Stepan? Just once. He only managed to say: “If you can, tell Masha to be strong.” I’ve been doing that for ten years. Did he suffer? Did they beat him? They beat everyone. It’s a different kind of people there now. Come here. Right, right. Yep.