SAVING LENINGRAD
I'm sorry, but I don't have a single photo of him.
I was head over heels in love with him.
It was because of Kostya Gorelov that I happened to be on that ill-fated barge.
I can remember that evening: the cold, the shore of Lake Ladoga,
the brick building, and the tiny photographer's parlor.
I was wearing someone else's footwraps.
Kostya was sitting. I was standing next to him.
The photographer said: "Say cheese!"
But we didn't even have enough money to pay for the photograph.
In an hour, he'd go up the front.
He gave me his watch
so that I could pawn it in the morning
and buy the photograph from the photographer with that money.
That night
there was an air raid.
A bomb hit the house.
Everything burned up:
photographs, negatives.
And this is all that was left.
It's 80 years old.
It's never been repaired.
It's still running.
Make way!
I can't imagine you living alone there -
when evacuated, in another place, in another city after Leningrad.
My dad used to say that to move somewhere from St. Petersburg
is like an animal changing its habitat.
It's like making an elephant live underwater.
It's impossible.
And you haven't been anywhere farther than the Summer Garden.
I didn't know that you're going together.
Mom, don't be offended.
I'm not offended but
if you decided to get married, then I think I should at least be aware of that.
Why did you decide that I'm going to get married?
At your age, going on a trip with a man
means a lot.
Don't do anything stupid.
Okay.
Take care, too, mom.
I'll be okay because I'm home.
And who knows where you'll be.
Mom, I have to go.
Go, I'm not holding you here.
Remember that I have nobody but you.
Go faster.
They are waiting for us.
My fault.
Let's go!
How much time did I give you? You're an hour late.
It's 45 minutes, Comrade Sergeant.
Three extra duties for unauthorized absence.
Will comply.
Hello. You've returned?
Well, thank you, we can say so.
Sasha?
Did you see Nastya?
Oh, God, what am I saying? Come in.
I'll stay just for five minutes. Hello, Maria.
Hello.
I was granted amnesty.
It turned out that the ruling was signed a year ago
but somebody mistook the article in my case for another
so it took a while to figure it out.
So, Nastya isn't here.
Nastya just left, it was just a moment before you came.
I thought she came back to grab what she forgot here.
Come in.
You know, it's the fourth day that we've been living without electricity.
We sit in the dark in the evening.
Our daughter is going to get married.
To Kostya Gorelov, a cadet.
They met a month ago,
and she fell in love with him.
Are they really going to send you to the front?
I wish I'd seen my daughter.
You haven't seen her.
She left.
That's not my fault. She's got your temper.
-Will you have dinner? -I don't have time for that.
She left.
You're leaving.
And what about me?
Have you forgiven me?
It was my daughter.
I disowned you only for her sake.
You were gone, and we had to live on.
As a wife of an enemy of the people, I could lose my job.
Of course.
I just...
You're already late.
Here's a potato, put it in your pocket.
Sugar.
Keys.
You should have a set of keys. They'll give you days off, right?
It's time.
I have to go.
I'll see you off.
Oh God, what a terrible day it is!
The whole of the city is under siege.
According to our data, there are over two million people in Leningrad right now.
One week ago, we destroyed the largest food depots there.
If we keep the city under siege, they'll eat all of the food reserves,
and famine will begin in a month.
What could interfere with our plans?
Lake Ladoga.
It's a big lake, and we can't blockade it like the Neva.
We've blocked the entire Russian Fleet there.
The Russians realize that and are trying to establish a water route
over the Ladoga, which they'll use to continue to evacuate people
from Leningrad.
How would they accomplish that? You said their fleet is blocked.
Yes, but on the Ladoga, there are a few old vessels.
They're barges.
There are about a dozen of them, some of them are decommissioned and unserviceable.
But they'll use them because the Russians
have no other options to arrange a crossing.
There have been more columns moving from the city to the shore of Lake Ladoga
in the last few days.
We're keeping track of this route.
We launched an airstrike here two hours ago, near Irinovka.
Okay.
Good done, Gorelov!
We can't embark all of those wish to.
The barge will flounder with so many people aboard.
Well, everything will probably be alright. Let's assume that.
But what if it won't?
What if everything won't be alright?
Does it mean that we'll drown people? Am I right?
My son, a cadet, will be on that barge.
Do you think that I want to risk his life?
We need to ship people.
The berth is overcrowded now.
If we manage to sail today, it means there's a way to save ourselves.
If we don't, we'll die from famine.
That's the point.
We need to put out at night when we're less likely
to be attacked by their air force
and try to make it while it's dark.
We won't make it while it's dark.
The journey will take about 12 hours.
It's now dark from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
That's ten hours.
We have to make it in ten hours, captain.
I'm telling you again;
we need a way to save Leningrad, and it has to be found.
How many people will you take aboard, captain?
For a risk-free journey.
About 600 people, no more.
Have I understood you correctly that this is without freight, captain?
Right.
I fully agree.
1,500.
Cadets, officers, plus vehicles.
The barge will sink, Comrade Military Commissar.
I understand everything, the evacuation.
I understand that there's no other way.
But there'll be people, damn it!
I know the 752 like the back of my hand because we shipped cattle on it.
The rivets come off it.
All of it is decayed, I swear.
I don't need to lie to you.
This vessel will flounder.
The first wave will tear it into pieces.
Where did you see a wave, captain?
It's dead calm.
Dear comrades,
the question is simple:
who will be responsible if anything happens?
Let's decide and designate a person.
And this person will tell us whether he'll take this risk or not.
If you're talking about risks, I'll tell you again,
my son will be on that barge.
He's an artillery school student.
His surname, Gorelov, is on the list.
Load the barge to the brim.
I assume responsibility. That's it.
Your rear sight is wrong, Comrade Sergeant.
Shut up, cadet.
Go, my darling, just go.
Let's go.
Go to the barge. I'll find you there.
Okay.
Guys, who took my footwraps?
You'll clean toilets without a break.
I, the combat sergeant, am telling you this.
I hate nepotism.
I'm sorry, Comrade Sergeant.
Company, fall in!
Ten seconds.
Comrades, listen to me attentively.
The loading procedure will be as follows:
the civilians will be the last to go.
The schools' personnel will go first.
Naval Medical Academy, proceed to the barge.
Civilians will go afterward, if there's room for them,
on a special command.
Go, go, go!
There are so many of them.
Pomerantseva.
Step aside.
I'm telling you again, listen to me.
The military goes first.
Civilians, step to the right.
Step to the right, stay out of the way.
Comrade Sergeant, may I step out just for five minutes?
-Where? To see your father? -No, but I really need to.
Put suitcases and other luggage on the back.
The crew will put it away so that if there's a wave,
nothing will be swept overboard.
Don't stand in the way. Wait for the order.
Go. Go. Go.
-I'll take you there. -They won't let me.
Why? Move on.
Make way, comrades. Step aside.
We have a special boarding pass.
Madame, follow us.
Thank you, son.
Greetings!
Lady, I've told you that the military goes first, go down and wait for the command.
Lady, step back.
But my suitcase.
She's with me.
Okay, go.
Leave the luggage.
The old lady is with me, too.
No, no, no. Your old man will execute me.
Madam, I'll fix the handle later.
Madam, go back.
Keep up the pace.
-Medics, how many of you are there? -340.
Lady, all of the luggage must be left up there.
You can't take your luggage into the hold.
-What are you doing? This is my suitcase. -Please, give it to me.
She has a special boarding pass.
Do you know who she is?
Who?
She's Admiral Makarov's daughter.
They're running back and forth like cockroaches.
Go there.
Keep calm, comrades. Where are you going?
You can go up there only with the Section Commander's permission.
Good luck!
Telegraph me from Novaya Ladoga.
Sure.
So long, Comrade Captain 1st rank!
And forgive me if something happens.
So much depends on you, captain.
I'll try to make it while it's dark.
Send your son to my tugboat.
It's safer there.
No.
I want him to stay with others. I don't go back on my word. Good luck.
We're casting off!
We have no other options. This isn't our first time, damn it.
Go check the oil on the tugboat.
-Add some oil if necessary. -Will comply, commander.
Boy, I'll rip your feet off.
Watch out, old man.
During the voyage, one hour after we cast off, the holds will be locked.
There must be no one in military uniform on the deck
for the purpose of conspiracy.
- Am I understood? - Yes, sir!
What do you think? You won't find a better place on this barge.
Do you kiss everyone like that?
No, only you.
You lie so often that I don't believe you.
Why? Maybe I want to marry you?
And I'm not lying but solving a particular problem.
We have to sail together.
That sailor doesn't care whose daughter you are or who your father is.
He doesn't even know who Admiral Makarov is.
Okay, I'm going to the shore to my fellows. I'll be back soon. Lock the door.
Don't let anyone in.
I'll be back soon.
Look, Admiral Makarov died 40 years ago. He was killed.
He's a hero of Port Arthur. That's right.
You said she's his daughter. How old is she?
Did I say? I didn't tell you that.
You've mistaken me for somebody else.
Push. Push.
Stop! Stop! Get away from the car.
Can't you see, can you?
-What do you have there? -It doesn't matter. Get away.
Put it back.
We're casting off the barge.
We expect to see the result by morning.
I hope to God.
These bastards fly over lake Ladoga as if at home.
- We are sailing away in an hour. - Yes, sir.
Come on, show me.
This is for you. It's the order to call off the artillery team.
Orderly, assemble the commanders for me.
Yes, sir.
Comrade Company Commander, Captain 1st rank Gorelov summons you.
Embark them, I'm summoned. You're on your own.
Gorelov is back.
Don't scatter around the desk.
-Good boy, join the ranks. -Yes, sir.
Don't run after girls.
Am I understood?
Yes, sir!
Dress! Front!
A division was burned on that shore yesterday.
About ten people survived.
I'm talking about a new attack.
We need you to provide a company of cadets.
We're talking about you, Maxim Petrovich.
Withdraw your company from the embarkment.
Will comply.
Is your equipment alright, by the way?
We have rifles, but there aren't many bullets.
Ten bullets for each artilleryman.
There aren't any machine guns.
That's bad
that there aren't any machine guns.
The artillerymen stay here.
Embark the medics and hydrographers on the barge.
Artillerymen! Sergeant Bakin!
That's me.
Stop the embarkment.
Will comply!
Artillerymen, halt, one, two.
About face!
Stop the embarkment.
Why stop?
March to the shore, on the double!
Kolya.
-Find my son. -Will comply.
Come with me, your father is calling for you.
-Where? -To Captain 1st rank, Gorelov.
We're forming up.
Captain is calling for him.
Give my watch back, Comrade Sergeant.
I'll give it back when you deserve it.
You must join the ranks in two minutes.
You may go.
We have a combat mission
to do a forced 9-mile forced march in five minutes.
Check your equipment, change your footwraps.
Begin.
Put your weapon down! On one, two, three.
Now, civilians, the first group may proceed.
- Follow me, girls. - Leave your luggage on the deck.
And go to the hold without your luggage.
Go.
-Why are you so wet? -I just fell into the water.
Then take off your shirt and put on this.
Father, are you serious?
Yes.
Why? My guys are out there.
Kostya, I know everything about your guys.
I just made this order.
You will sail on the barge.
Why? Who decided so?
I did. I'm in command here.
And I've decided this for sure. Get changed.
-What does it mean that you decided? -It means what I said.
I can't do it. And you can't, dad.
Stop talking, Kostya.
You're not a child and we aren't in a kindergarten.
Things are really bad at the front now.
I hope you understand that.
No.
Hello.
Comrade, what am supposed to do with this devil's piece of wood? Where can I put it?
Why a piece of wood?
This is a grand piano.
You should know that the very great composer...
I don't care if it was Leo Tolstoy! It weighs a ton.
And that's about 150 passengers.
Cut the ropes and to hell with it.
Don't you dare cut ropes.
I have an order from the Philharmonic. Here it is.
Damn it.
-Excuse me. -What do you want?
I really need to get to the shore.
You won't manage to get back, we're setting off soon.
-I don't want to go. Please, help me. -What?
-I don't want to go. -You don't?
I don't.
-Okay, is this your suitcase? -It's mine.
Go quickly. Watch out. Hold on tight.
Mikhail, what are you doing out there?
Make way.
Why risk dealing with uncivilized people. Your life doesn’t matter to them.
Make way.
Come here.
Liza, don't worry.
Go, I'll take care of it myself.
Make way.
There are 1,500 people, but the number is inaccurate.
I think there are more.
-Good luck. -I'll need it.
Make way, make way, make way.
We're going back.
-Why? Why did you get changed? -I'll explain you later.
The embarkment is over.
Crew, prepare for sailing.
What's happened? Where's your soldier's uniform?
If you keep silent, I'll get off this barge right now.
What am I supposed to tell you? Firstly, nothing bad happened.
For you, nothing has changed at all. We're sailing together. What do you want?
-Get off me. -Stop. Let's talk later. I kindly ask you.
Who's smoking? Stop it.
It's smoke from Cadet Babintsev. His soles are burning.
Comrade Platoon Commander,
I have calluses all over my feet since I don't have footwraps!
-I can't run anymore! -Run!
Your legs have become shorter and your ears have become bigger.
Change your running technique. Try to use your ears.
Comrade Platoon Commander, Gorelov is gone.
He went to his father and hasn't returned to the ranks.
He's a deserter. You'll report it upon our arrival.
I'll send it to the special department.
Pick up the pace.
I'm sorry lady, but your suitcase has to go with the other baggage. That's the rule.
-Here it is. -I'll take it there.
Hello, Nastya.
Don't you recognize me?
I'm an investigator.
I investigated your father's case. I came to your place on Moika twice.
Don't you remember me?
I remember.
Epistolary genre:
letters, diaries. Do you have any of them?
Are you here alone or with your mother?
I'm with my boyfriend.
-And where is he? -Who?
Your boyfriend that you've mentioned.
He's stepped out. Why do you need him?
You wore gloves then, too,
although it was May.
June.
He was arrested in June.
You were frightened of me then and always stood behind the bookcase.
Do you like people to be frightened of you?
It's professional.
I'm accustomed to the fact that my clients don't like me, to put it mildly.
Have you settled somewhere over here?
In the hold.
I can offer a more comfortable room to you.
Inside the car.
I was looking for you.
Meet Captain Petruchik, the NKVD investigator
who investigated my dad's case.
And this is Kostya Gorelov, Captain Gorelov's son.
Vadim Petruchik.
Cadet Gorelov.
So, guys, we're going to travel together, right?
By the way,
where is your senior officer?
What was his name?
Okay, I'll go find him myself.
This man has figured everything out about you.
There are reports saying that in the next few hours,
the Russian air force will make another attempt to land.
They need the left shore and a channel.
But most of all, I'm interested in Lake Ladoga.
What barge do the Russians have there?
There can't be any.
No barge, no boat, not even a floating piece of wood.
Everything must be destroyed.
-Let's get out of here? -To where?
Does it matter? Down there.
Why did you chicken out?
I didn't chicken out. Believe me, there was a reason.
That's a long story.
-What was it? Tell me. -I wanted to be with you.
Is it weird?
So, it's my fault that you chickened out, right?
It's such an honor to be a girl whose boyfriend deserted the army for her.
I'm honored.
Don't look for me anymore.
There
on that shore, you're not there. But the enemy is. Understand?
Our task
is to land on that shore and dig in.
Leningrad needs a channel.
That's why the enemy should be flung back.
That's an order.
We're Russian people.
We're on our own land.
We can't be frightened.
Yesterday, we left that shore.
Today, we must
get back there with your help, warriors.
We should accomplish the task
or die.
Maria Nikolaevna, we've received the reports; should we publish them?
Of course, Zoya.
Hello. Have you settled in? How are you?
I'm okay. Thank you very much.
As we suffered from the bombing and were left without a home,
they put us in line for evacuation.
-I see. How is your cat? -It's getting used to it.
It's a wonder that it survived.
It's a war. There are many wonders.
-My husband was released from prison. -Are you serious?
Hello.
They sent him to the front at once. I don't know if that's good or bad.
That's good, of course.
-Hello. -Good afternoon.
Don't shit yourself, Andrey.
We should sell our lives dearly.
Here, take my watch. That's a present.
Take it and stick with me. I won't abandon you on the battlefield.
Will comply, Comrade Sergeant!
-I mean you, too. -Will comply.
We should stick together
at a 15-foot distance.
Our goal is to safely get to the nearest cover.
-Am I understood? -Yes, sir.
Come on!
Quickly!
Keep low!
- Follow me! - Forward!
Don't stop!
- Where are you going? - Go forward!
Follow me!
Forward!
Don't cry, Andrey.
I'm not crying. I have calluses all over my feet.
You've found a good position, you sons of bitches.
We can't even approach.
Bullets.
Give me hand.
Take them.
I see I've made you run.
We're leaving. Leave.
They're attacking us. I told you to get out of here.
Stand up, go, go.
Please, get me out of here.
I don't want to die. Please, help me.
Please, get me out of here.
Wait. Wait.
Wait a bit, wait, I'll...
I'll get you out of there. Shush!
Stand up. Andrey, stand up.
We should go another 30 feet and they won't be able to hurt us.
Andrey, stand up.
-Comrade Sergeant. -Andrey.
-This is hell! -Get up!
It's dangerous here.
Listen to me, comrades.
The ladies' bathroom is on the deck.
Men can relieve themselves off the deck, you know that.
-Where are you going? Are you alone? -I'm alone.
Your hold is there with the soldiers. Go round there.
Only civilians and officers with their families can stay here.
-Go. Go. -Okay, I got it.
Drinking water is here.
Break into two column.
Into two column.
Let's go, let's go.
Pomerantseva? Follow me.
Stand here.
What?
What's your problem?
I don't have any problem, but this girl is going to have one.
-Because of me? -No, don't worry.
I don't have anything to do with it. Excuse me. Come here.
What do you think you're doing?
No, darling. Please, explain yourself.
Have you finished school? You have to study for one more year.
You're a student.
It's prohibited to stay on the deck.
Don't push each other and proceed to the hold in an orderly way.
Congratulations. Your husband is back.
-Back? -Yes.
I saw him walking and didn't recognize him right away.
Thank you.
Sasha.
It was in the morning. He said hello to me.
I couldn't mistake him.
Thank you.
Hold on. Hold on.
Hang in there.
Forward!
Lie down!
Who are you?
I have a Ph.D. in biology.
So, you're Dr. Doolittle.
Comrade Sergeant,
those sons of bitches have a machine gun on the right side. We can't break out.
Take our soldiers and storm the hill. You have ten minutes.
Do you understand what I said? Perform the task.
Yes, sir!
Andrey, take off your boots.
You'll have to run fast.
I'm ready.
Let's go.
Break into platoons.
-I'll point him out. -Has he done anything already?
No, I just want to know this cadet's name.
Attention.
When I call your surname, come front and center, then go into the hold.
-Tikhomirov. -That's me.
-Miklashevich. -That's me.
-Andreev. -That's me.
-Borisenko. -That's me.
-Rotov. -That's me.
-Bogdanov. -That's me.
Volkov.
Stop. I told you not to go ahead.
I can stab you in the ass with a bayonet.
We should devide into two units.
Three of you, follow me.
The others stay here.
Where are you going?
Wait here for a command.
- Follow me! - I am trying.
Thank you.
I'll shove this watch into your throat,
captain's son.
-Scherbinin. -That's me.
What's your surname, cadet?
You are not in the list.
- What's your surname? - I'll deal with it.
Hold on, son.
Hold on. Hold on.
Sergeant.
Take two of your soldiers and take away the injured.
There must be some reinforcements.
It's shallow there. They won't come close.
Load up and go to Novaya Ladoga.
And you?
The artillery will cover us. And there'll be reinforcements.
We've driven them back from the shore. Now it'll become easier.
I leave this with you.
Thank you.
Take away the injured, Dr. Doolittle.
We are leaving.
How come you mistook your uniform, cadet?
Why didn't you go ashore when they commanded to enrank?
I didn't hear the command.
I heard it, everyone heard it, but you didn't.
I didn't hear it because I was in the hold.
Do you have any witnesses?
I have no witnesses.
You're covering up for your girl.
Was it her who led you astray?
She didn’t lead me astray.
Do you know that her father is an enemy of the people, a traitor, a German spy?
Didn't you know that?
How long have you been together?
About a month.
Look, cadet.
There are three volumes of evidence
and the confession written by this girl's father in my car.
He confessed that he did subversive work in Leningrad.
He's also responsible for the fact that we're retreating
and suffering casualties now.
I could lend it to you. Do you want to read it?
No, I don't want to.
Stand at attention, cadet!
And don't talk rudely to me, or I'll whack you like a dog
and throw you overboard, no trial, no record.
Am I clear?
Clear.
So, Captain 1st rank Gorelov is your father?
My father has nothing to do with it.
You say he has nothing to do with it.
I'll bring you to the special department
tomorrow in Novaya Ladoga.
They will figure out what to do with you in no time.
With both of you.
Your father won't help you.
You can forget it.
May I go?
No.
Hold on. We'll be there soon.
Dr. Doolittle,
we're leaving.
Do you hear me?
We're leaving.
I'm staying.
The barge must be somewhere over here at the moment.
They've covered most of the distance.
I received a message from the captain of the tugboat just a moment ago.
Should make it by dawn.
As soon as they report their arrival, we'll start preparing the next vessel.
All right.
Meteorological observers say there'll be waves in that very sector,
low cloud cover, and a squally wind.
It'll be a force-nine gale.
You say your son's there?
Yes, sir.
In poor weather conditions, the enemy won't be able to use its air power.
That's a good thing.
Go back to the berth.
We'll hope that everything will be alright.
Stand up!
There's a storm.
-Where's Tusik? -I don't know. I haven't seen anything.
Tusik. Tusik. Where's Tusik?
- Where's my dog? - Whose dog is it?
-It's ours. -It's mine.
It's ours.
Pomerantseva, is this how you use the bathroom?
Get out of here.
She's crazy.
Why is she not asleep?
You're expelled.
You're not a student of our class anymore.
Step away from the car.
I tell you to stand back.
-I think I'd better go. -It's early.
I'll talk to her.
Go to the hold, lady.
It's dangerous out here.
Comrades, don't panic.
Stay where you are!
I need to cover the instrument.
Go to the hold, I tell you.
Galina Sergeevna, go to the hold. I'm okay.
I said, go to the hold! Get out!
I'd better go. She's crazy.
Untie me.
-Who was swept overboard? -I don't know.
-A civilian? -I don't know.
Who was swept overboard?
Please, tell me, who was it?
Girl, where are you going?
Hold onto me!
Quickly!
There's a breach one on the port side.
Give me the support.
Nastya.
Don't even try to...
Get down.
Nastya!
There's a lot of water in the hold.
The people are panicking.
What should I tell them?
Tell them that we won't change the route. They should pump out the water.
Got it.
Stay.
Come with me and help me!
Hold it.
Pull it there! Into the hold.
Put it there. Slowly. Hold it. Help him.
I'll go call someone to help.
- Nastya! - Make way.
Officer, we need ten people to help us up there.
Guys, ten people go up, quickly.
Guys, do it, quickly. Five. Six. Seven...
Nastya!
- Quickly! - The others should stay here.
Hold on!
Pump.
Pump it, guys. One. Two.
The barge has gained weight. We won't pull it out.
- Send a SOS, Sasha. - Yes, sir.
Damn you!
Attention, all vessels!
There's a vessel in distress in the sixth sector.
Barge 752. It's carrying people.
1,500 people.
Nobody will risk going to this sector in such a storm.
There's nobody to save them.
The barge will be here in an hour.
According to our data, there's no cover.
You'll have to get up early, Hans, and meet that barge.
The field marshal is celebrating his birthday tomorrow.
Make a present to him. Take off before breakfast.
When you come back, I'll personally feed you and allow you to sleep.
Everything will be alright, general. The field marshal is going to like it.
Remember that the fuel is enough only for one-way trip.
He's crazy.
I'm happy that our child, our girl, will go to school.
I want to come back from the Tian Shan and be with you on that day.
Surprisingly, you always imagine such important events in a somewhat banal way,
as if it's nothing special.
Darling, true happiness doesn't require any frills or exaggerations.
What's this?
Comrades, don't panic.
Quickly, quickly.
Air attack!
We'll die.
We'll die here.
Shut the hell up.
Don't panic. We should get out of here.
Give me a rifle.
Who has got a rifle?
Give me a rifle! Quickly!
Now.
- Pass it here! - And bullets.
Do you have more rifles?
-Kostya. -Nastya?
Where are you?
There aren't many bullets. Here's what I've got.
Fire!
Load!
Fire!
Commander.
-Repeat. -I've got a problem.
-We need to leave. -Leave for base.
The field marshal won't get his present.
-Lieutenant, whose car is that? -What does it matter?
We have to push it into the water.
I won't assume this responsibility. I don't want to be court-martialed.
I see. Neither do I.
Whose car it this.
This is a car of the Estonian government.
There are documents and archives in it. What's up?
-Who escorts it? -I do.
I'm an NKVD captain.
Got it.
Captain, there are people down there.
The barge is sinking.
There's much water in the hold. It's filling up.
It looks like all of us will end up badly.
We need to unload the barge and remove at least something.
Then we'll have a chance to pull through.
I think it's better for you and me to leave the Estonians
without their archive than to kill people and be court-martialed.
-Bring them here. -Will comply.
I won't grant my permission.
I'm a skipper. I'm the captain of this barge.
The tugboat has sent a SOS.
We are all in distress.
According to all of the rules, I'm in charge here,
irrespective of ranks and titles, captain.
Do it.
Five cadets, come up to me quickly.
Stop.
-Come out, lady. Go to the pilot house. -I'm sorry, I...
I'm telling you that I don't permit it.
I couldn't care less about what you said!
-Let me help you. -Okay.
Step away from the car! Step away from the car, I'm telling you!
Guys, stop listening to that shit. We have to save people...
Stop!
...children!
Wait, there's...
My girl's there.
Step away from the car.
-Get out. -I don't want to take a sin upon my soul.
Push it, guys.
Look, he's a diversionist.
He's a traitor. And his father is a Captain 1st rank.
It was him who gave us this decayed barge.
He's a traitor and enemy of the people.
Shut up.
-What did you say? -I said, shut up, Comrade Sergeant.
-What did you say? -I said, shut up.
I have evidence and it's not your fate that's being determined now.
-Put the gun down. -Shoot me. Shoot me.
Wait, comrades.
Follow me.
Let's go.
Let's kick off the piano.
Wait.
Be careful, comrades. One of the casters falters.
One, two, lift!
Push, guys.
Be careful, comrades.
I told you.
It falters.
-It doesn't want to die. -Who wants to?
Turn it. Let's turn it on its side.
One.
No. Two.
Do whatever you want.
Sailor, tell them down there to bring women and children to the pilot house.
Make sure that it's women and children only.
-Nastya. -I'm here.
Throw everything you see on the deck into the water: sacks, kegs, suitcases.
Throw everything into the water.
Commander, I won't make it.
Walter, don't panic. Everything is okay.
Everything will be okay, Walter.
No, it won't maintain altitude.
I have to go back.
Sasha, what's up there?
They've destroyed half of the engine.
What's up on the barge?
They're getting people out of the hold.
Lower the dinghy, Sasha.
-We need to bring them here. -I'll do it, captain.
Be careful.
Go ahead.
Mitya, give me Tusik.
Come here.
You can't take your dog.
- Why not? - That's a rule.
Mitya, I am staying.
Give me your hand.
- I am staying with you. - Calm down.
Children go first. Girls, go up there.
Another group.
Only women and children can be here.
Go up there.
One by one.
I don't think this will help you.
Push it.
Makarov, there's no more room.
Please, wait. My girlfriend is in the hold.
She's slim, she'll squeeze in.
No more room. Go help push the car.
Push it. Push it.
Nastya.
Squeeze in, I beg you.
Do you feel well?
I'm okay. Don't worry.
Did grandpa stay on the deck the whole time?
Yes, he did.
He was a true hero. Everyone who survived said so.
And on the deck, which I never got to,
the most terrible things happened afterward.
-Comrade Sergeant. -What?
-Do you know him? -Yes.
This guy is from our company.
Move on, soldiers.
Nastya! Nastya!
Nastya!
Swim here.
Hold on, guys.
Pull them on the deck.
Easy, easy.
Put him here. Carefully.
We're here.
Come on! Pull them! Give your hand.
Come on.
Have you come back to return my watch, Comrade Sergeant?
Exactly.
My God.
Our daughter has grown up so quickly.
I haven't noticed because I'm always away on a mission.
What a beautiful life she'll have!
But there's some insecurity in the world, sometimes even much insecurity.
May God keep our child away from the war.
Hello, Zoya. What about the reports? Have we received them?
Yes.
The Germans have already reached Pushkin and Petrodvorets.
My God, what will happen to us?
Anything else?
The Germans are said to have bombed Lake Ladoga all night long.
They sank several of our barges.
But there isn't a word about it in the reports.
I understand.
Thank God that there isn't a word.
You and I work for the editor's office.
We should trust official statements,
but not rumors.
Get to work.
Here's the order.
This is the transcript. You can read it.
It seems that they are convincing me that barge 752 is unsuitable to carry people.
That's likely to be true, and there's a risk.
But if the barge doesn't sail, I'll be shot tomorrow. That's it.
I have no other options to transport people.
The passenger fleet has no access to Lake Ladoga anymore.
It can't get there, but we need to evacuate people.
I insisted that the barge be loaded up to the brim.
I said that my son will sail on it.
My words are recorded here.
I can't cancel my decision.
Make way.
Step aside. Step aside.
Is the car waiting for me?
For me.
I wanted to say goodbye.
Take care of him.
Tell your boyfriend not to stick his neck out, okay?
Good luck.
That's what those two days were like to me:
September 16th and 17th.
There were 872 of such days in total.
My father was killed at Nevsky Pyatachok.
My mother worked for the editor's office for as long as she could walk.
But in December of 1942, she froze to death in our apartment.
Every day, each of us did as much as we could to fight the enemy,
saving oneself and one's relatives, and saving Leningrad.
"Barge 752"
SAVING LENINGRAD