BELARUSFILM
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Brest Fortress was built in the middle of the 19th century
at the western border of Russian Empire.
Powerful fortifications, fort systems made this citadel impregnable.
New arms minimized the defensive qualities of the fortress...
but not of the people who protected it.
About 20 years after WWII Sergey Smirnov wrote a book
that revealed the truth about defenders of the fortress.
On May 8 1965 Brest Fortress was awarded the honorary title "Hero Fortress".
In memory of the fortress heroes,
in memory of defenders of the motherland.
TV and Broadcasting Company of the Union State presents
With the support of Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
With the support of Federal Fund for Social and Economic Support for Cinematography
THE BREST FORTRESS
21 June 1941. Brest. City park.
We can have some ice cream.
Tell me about the movie.
Let's have some ice cream!
I remember everything.
At the city park, as always on Saturdays, there was dancing.
This is me.
Alexander Akimov.
A foster student of musical platoon with the 333rd regiment.
My parents were killed in Spain in 1937.
My brother was my only family left.
And this is Anya.
Just Anya.
But for me she was more than "just" Anya.
Hold on a minute. I'll be right back.
Sasha, why are you not with the unit?
Moska asked me to help.
All their musicians left. Last trumpet player left on Wednesday.
- Foster student of musical platoon Akimov! - Yes, sir.
I order you to return to the Fortress immediately!
What are you yelling for? You are neither my father, nor the commander!
Why are you yelling in public?
Tell starshina Kovalenko to punish you.
I'll be back to check on it.
And don't play so out of tune.
About turn!
Forward march!
And he calls himself my brother.
Family of military officer, please get together!
- Anya, come here. - I am here.
Freeze!
It's easier to manage the regiment than you lot.
This is my home.
My fortress.
It's quite big.
Hard to explore all of it.
But I knew some places here that if I wanted to hide...
no one would find me.
Thank you.
Brest city. Railway station.
There are no tickets today!
I'm telling you all, there are no tickets today!
There are no tickets.
No army reservation. Nothing.
I have only three days to go there and come back.
Ask those who told you that to give you tickets.
We don't have any.
There's nothing I can do.
Listen, my wife and my little child are in Daugavpils.
I must bring them to my place of duty.
July 20th. That's all I can do.
Remove the reservation.
Comrade commissar, I'm telling you as I would to my own relative.
I am forbidden to touch the reservation.
That's only for certain orders.
That means no?
Maybe it's for the better. Why bring them here when everyone is leaving?
What exactly do you mean?
So hot. Like in a desert.
What a day!
Hello, comrade commissar.
Hi, Nikolai.
- Bringing a movie? - Yes, I am.
Come on, come on, come on!
Tugushev.
Kolya is fast, but Tugushev is faster.
Dear, I could not come yet. All is quiet at the fortress. There will be no war.
I am just unlucky. Let's play again.
You didn't leave, comrade commissar?
How can I leave you?
Brought a movie?
Yes, I did.
- ...and some beer. - Maybe we can do without beer?
Tomorrow is Sunday.
People rest on Sundays.
So I'll have some rest too.
Three beers.
And mineral water for the children.
He remembered the children!
We didn't forget anything, did we?
Let's go.
Did you bring it?
Yes, I did.
Probably about love again?
About love.
I got in trouble, comrade starshina.
I suppose to punish you? Where did he see you?
I played out of tune. And my brother has a good ear.
- What did you play? - "On the hill."
Learn it by the morning.
You will play it tomorrow.
Stop music!
Hrush, what are you doing?
Comrade lieutenant, this is some kind of "Swan Lake."
So when do you think the war with Germany will start?
I've been assigned to investigate the spread of panic rumors about war with our ally.
I believe and see that you are a communist, an honest man.
How could it happen then, Pyotr Mihailovich,
that you are being called a panic-monger?
Ask those who call me that.
Help me, Pyotr Mihailovich.
My rank is not very high.
But tasks before me are huge.
I clearly see that you are not at fault here.
Who is spreading the panic?
I asked you to come here, so we could talk candidly.
- Who is it, comrade major? - Me.
I blurted it out a couple times without thinking that the Germans are going to attack soon.
Haven't heard anything like this from anyone else.
There is no panic.
Sleep soundly.
Look, lieutenant, if they attack, we'll all be trapped here like in a boiler.
8 thousand soldiers in the Fortress.
This mass of people will not have time to exit through the Northern Gates.
Everyone with their children, women, old ladies.
With all their stuff.
Most of the soldiers should be moved outside fortress walls,
where main army units are positioned.
This is what I, a commander who has been through two wars, have been saying!
And will continue saying!
And what about the fourth army?
They will not abandon us here? Right?
They will not, if everyone is where they are supposed to be!
Here soldiers are in one place, commanders are in another.
Where soldiers are without a commander panic breaks out.
That's common knowledge, comrade lieutenant.
I understood you.
And I find our conversation to have been very useful.
But please keep it secret.
The hearing for your case is scheduled for the 27th.
Allow me to go, comrade lieutenant.
- A movie is starting at the clubhouse. - Yes, sure.
- Hurry up. - We'll be on time.
Sonya.
Will you stay?
Look how some people live.
Thank you, comrade major.
[German speech.]
Petya.
Your tea is cold.
Go to bed, Katya.
This is how German subversaries appeared in Brest dressed in our uniforms.
Loss of power and water in the Fortress was the work of their hands.
What's wrong?
Today another defector from the Poles came to our outpost.
He said war is going to start today at 4am.
- You believe it? - Of course not.
Only this week alone we caught ten of them,
and each one keeps saying that today or tomorrow the war is going to start.
Actually, I'm upset because of Anya.
Our girl has grown up. Before she used to tell me everything.
But now, whatever I ask, she just shrugs her shoulders and that's the end of it.
Maybe she is sick?
This sickness is called Sasha Akimov.
Our Anya fell in love.
That's how it is, daddy.
Remember you said we'd go fishing?
No, your parents won't let you go.
I'll leave quietly, when everyone is asleep.
Alright, Anya, you play for a bit, and I'll go have a smoke.
Let's get married!
Did you ask, if I want to?
You don't believe me?
I'll be right back.
Hello.
- Last name? - Kolya.
I brought the movie.
22 June 1941 03:58
Trainings?
Can't we get some sleep.
I'll go see what's going on.
Get down!
What is this?
Trainings.
Run!
- Where? - Home. I'll find you.
And you?
- Where's Anya? - Don't worry, we'll find her.
Where's Anya?
Petya, is this war?
- Katya! Come on! - Did you take everything?
Hold tight.
Run!
Katya, do everything like I taught you.
Go hide in the basement.
- Petya! - Stay calm.
Come on, sonny.
- Your hat. - When it quiets down, I'll come find you.
She will find us, won't she?
Stay here.
- And you? - Don't go outside without me.
I'm leaving. Bye.
Run. Run!
Andrey!
Mom!
Hold her.
Don't fall for provocations!
Go! Go! Go!
I had imagined war.
But I could not have imagined war. Not this war.
Everyone was expecting it.
But nobody expected it to come so suddenly.
Simple and scary.
I was running to that house.
That was the meeting place.
In case of war.
That was written in the instructions manual.
But that manual was probably left there.
In the house that was destroyed.
- You can't go there! - Let me in!
No arms without commander's orders!
I was not allowed to carry arms.
But I had my own weapon.
For which I did not need permission.
Seems to have quieted down.
Mommy...
Sonny...
Crawl to the basement.
Run, sonny...
You can't come in here!
Fortress. Volynsk Fortification. The hospital.
You can't! Surgery is in progress!
Fortress. Kobrinsk Fortification. Northern Gates.
Stop panicking!
Fortress. Kobrinsk Fortification. Eastern Fort.
Go back!
Back to the barracks!
Stop panicking!
Back to the barracks!
Lad!
- Play! - What?
Play anything!
Stop!
Lad, are you nuts? Run for your life!
- Where's your weapon? - Get lost!
Commanders, come here!
We are lieutenants.
Lieutenants? I don't see it.
Get yourselves in order. And report properly, otherwise I will shoot you as panic-mongers!
Yes, sir.
Everyone return to the barracks. Take weapons and take up defense positions.
At the double!
Fortress. Homsky Gates.
Where are the Russians? Only Germans are on air.
Maybe this is trainings?
What kind of trainings is that?
As you were!
Sorry, comrade regiment commissar.
Stop panicking!
Is the commander here?
I see.
I am taking command.
Starshina, get the regiment together, give out arms.
Disperse at the windows.
Don't let the Germans cross the bridge.
Don't waste ammo.
Continue trying to contact the city.
I am Fortress...
Fortress. The 9th frontier post.
Listen to my orders, to arms!
Not enough arms! They are buried under the rubble.
- Chief polit officer? - Dead.
Everyone, who has weapons, come to me.
The rest - try to get whatever you can from underneath the rubble.
Germans!
Frontier post...
... to battle!
Follow me!
Need a man on first floor.
I am Fortress. I am Fortress.
We're holding down defense. Battle in progress.
Waiting for reinforcements.
Fortress. Barracks of the 132nd NKVD battalion.
What unit is this? Who is in charge?
I want to see the commander!
NKVD lieutenant Vanshtein!
As your superior officer I order you to leave the barracks and, after breaking up into smaller groups,
make your way out of the Fortress...
If we leave our positions, the Germans will break into the fortress,
and here we can keep holding them off, till reinforcements arrive.
Execute the order, lieutenant!
Two divisions are on their way here.
Further sacrifice of people's lives is senseless.
- And you, sergeant? - Senior sergeant Novikov.
Do you know what happens for disobeying an order?
Comrade major, I'm sorry. I don't know you. Can I see your documents?
Of course.
You are right. I commend you for your vigilance.
And your boots please.
- What about boots? - Show me your boots.
Our boots have nails that are round, the German have square ones.
Look.
Square!
Stop!
The badge is German.
But the nails were round.
Sonya!
Kolya!
- Kolya, I'm here. - Sonya, I'll be right there!
Germans are retreating south.
Sonya!
Kolya!
Quiet!
I can't take this anymore!
I'm so scared!
The Germans are there!
- Please! - Quiet! It's me.
Don't cry. I know that you are strong.
I am Fortress. I am Fortress. Battle in progress.
Holding down defense. Waiting for reinforcements.
Comrade commissar, look!
Our people from the hospital!
Look.
I see a nurse there, who treated me earlier.
What's gonna happen, comrade commissar?
Starshina, you are coming with me.
- Yes, sir. - Leave your weapon.
Everyone else disperse at the windows.
Take aim at chest level.
Follow me.
What a choice of cover.
Down!
Everyone go to the basements!
We need to go to Brest.
Find out what's the situation there.
Is the task clear?
Yes, sir.
Execute.
Look how many people they killed!
Ammunition.
Get in.
Do you have ammunition?
What ammunition? Get in!
Let's go. To the Northern Gates.
Kobrinsk Fortification. Officers housing.
I was looking for my brother.
We lived here.
Our family.
And the Pochernikov family.
- Uncle Vanya! - Crawl to the window.
Have you seen my brother?
Help me.
Shura don't.
Come here.
Sasha, get out of here.
No.
That's an order.
What are we going to do?
I'm not letting them take me captive.
I'm with you.
I understand everything.
Without you and the children I do not want to live and I'm not going to.
Forgive me.
You forgive me.
Go look what they are up to.
Go back. We won't get through here.
We couldn't get through.
We're waiting for reinforcements.
I am Fortress. I am Fortress.
Battle in progress. Holding down defense.
Waiting for reinforcements.
Comrade major!
- Tanks are coming! - Easy, lieutenant.
If only we had an anti-tank weapon!
I told them so.
Third one.
I wish we had an anti-tank gun.
To battle! Get the grenades ready.
Gather arms.
Take positions.
Don't fire without an order.
[From song in movie:] Our iron is burning hot. You will be mine. You're not going anywhere.
Who fired?
Fire.
Our folks.
Aim.
Fire.
Koptun, grab the grenades.
Load.
Attack!
Charge!
What's your name, son?
Lieutenant Akimov.
This is how my brother died.
On the first day. On that first endless day.
The very first order to retreat during the course of the war...
was given by the German commandership on the 22nd of June 1941 at 11:00am...
here at the Brest Fortress.
We have 18 people left who are capable of holding a gun.
There is no medicine, water, or food.
What do you think, where are our people? Why are they not coming?
Or maybe they'll come soon?
What should I tell our soldiers?
By morning they'll be here.
They'll be here for sure.
Has everyone been buried?
Yes, sir.
What's the situation with water?
There's an ice box in the basement. Should be enough for a day.
Then what?
By morning our reinforcements will come and will send them all...
It's dangerous to stay here.
The building is badly damaged.
You will all come with me.
You'll stay in the basements of our barracks till our reinforcements arrive.
Where is Anya?
I thought she was with you.
We must go.
I did not know what was going on.
I did not know what to do, where to go.
One thing I knew for certain.
I must wait till morning.
Because in the morning our soldiers will come.
And everything will be over.
23 June
Soldiers, commanders, you are facing a choice. Decide.
Either you go under fire and die...
or find within you the courage to surrender and live.
Your situation is hopeless.
Your struggle is useless.
We have come here to free your country from the Jews and the Bolsheviks.
We will build a new life.
One without hard labor camps and collective farms.
Surrender and you will live with us.
Shall I shoot them?
As you were.
To each his own.
Give me your hand!
Comrade lieutenant, allow me to report.
Foster student of musical platoon with the 333rd regiment Alexander Akimov.
Take him to the basement.
Comrade lieutenant, where is Anya?
What?
Anya?
I saw her running to you.
Take him to the basement.
Let me go!
Where are you going?
I will find her!
Akimov!
Sasha!
I will find her!
Don't!
Please, don't!
Please, don't kill me!
No! No!
Please, don't!
- Bring him here. - Report this to Fomin.
Faster!
I remember Fomin and Zubachev.
They had a small detachment at Holmsky Gates.
They held the enemy back from crossing the bridge.
This was the first time that I saw a captive German.
Maslov!
What is he saying?
He is saying that most likely Minsk has been taken.
He is saying we are far behind in the rear.
Why do you need Minsk? Why are you here?
Why did you come here?
You are lying.
Comrade commissar, come look!
Ours!
Behind him!
- Alive? - Yes.
Good job!
Come on!
Lieutenant Karelin.
123rd air force division.
Commissar Fomin.
Tell us. What's happening in Brest? In Kobrin?
Why is our aviation silent?
Where is our army?
There are no air fields left.
They have all been destroyed.
Germans have taken Brest. Our army is retreating towards Minsk.
Comrades.
Fighters.
The Germans are offering us to surrender.
They are offering us a cowardly life in captivity.
They are mistaken.
We are soldiers of the Red Army,
and we will defend our motherland till the last drop of blood.
There is no other choice for us.
24 June
Mister, give me some water.
Don't have any, dear.
Yes, you do. Please, give me some, Mister.
Where is your family, Kostya?
I don't know.
I left them at my house, in the basement.
But now I don't know.
I don't know anything about mine either.
You can't drink this.
It has gasoline.
I remember that morning. Or was it day?
I woke up and saw hands.
They were Kovalenko's hands.
He was carving a whistle for me.
I looked at it and thought to myself, what would I need it for?
We must unite our forces and go for a breakthrough.
Who are we waiting for here?
Breakthrough. Immediately. Tonight. Or we will lose everyone one by one.
What breakthrough? The fortress is surrounded.
Brest has been taken. Breakthrough to where?
To captivity? Death? Where to?
We are dead men already, comrade captain.
Yes, many of us will die.
Maybe everyone.
But while we have strength, we must keep fighting.
We must go for a breakthrough.
Write down the order.
What number?
Order number one.
24th of June 1941.
The Fortress.
The situation in the Fortress requires an immediate exit.
Strike out "an immediate exit."
Write down "organized military action."
For the continued battle with the enemy...
the commanding leadership, commissar Fomin,
captain Zubachev, lieutenant Vinogradov, has decided...
to unite the remaining military units...
into a joint group.
With combined forces...
tonight, on the 24th of June,
we are going for a breakthrough.
...for a breakthrough.
In order to reconnect with the regular units of the Red Army.
...of the Red Army.
And to continue fighting the Nazi invaders.
Germans are on the bridge!
Everyone take your positions!
Come here!
Listen carefully.
Judging by the constant exchange of fire at the Terespol Gates and Eastern Fort...
I can tell that our men are still fighting there.
Try to get to them whatever it takes.
Report our situation to them.
And tell them about our decision to go for a breakthrough.
Tonight! Try to get to them before the breakthrough begins
and come back here.
Alive!
Comrade commissar, may I go?
No, you may not.
Drink some water. This is all I have.
Give it to the wounded.
- Execute the order. - Yes, sir.
Take this to the wounded in the basement.
- Execute. - Yes, sir.
Easy, easy. Everything's alright.
Finish it yourself.
Doctor?
On Saturday a whole shipment of cold mineral water was brought to the store.
To the basements!
I couldn't make it!
You go to the Eastern Fort. Our men are there.
Tell them about the order that tonight - breakthrough.
I will tell them.
I knew that nothing would happen to me.
Because I had to deliver this order.
Anya...
It's hard to get out of here right now. Stay here for a bit.
I can't take you with me.
I have an order.
I must deliver it.
Do you hear me?
There was no water.
Actually, it was all around,
but you could not get to it.
All routes to the coast were under constant fire.
For one cup of water, for just one mouthful of it...
people died.
What little water could be obtained was saved.
For the machine guns.
Comrade major, allow me to report.
Foster student of musical platoon with the 333rd regiment Akimov.
An order:
Tonight there will be a joint breakthrough.
The signal - a red rocket.
I am lucky with Akimovs.
I am Fortress. I am Fortress.
Battle in progress. Holding down defense.
Waiting for reinforcements.
25 June 01:55
It's time.
Follow me.
Let's go.
Go!
Follow me!
Tereshenko, where did it hit?
My shoulder.
Vereshenko, help him!
Yes, sir!
Retreat everyone!
Retreat!
Comrade military physician.
Yes.
I did everything I could.
Show compassion for yourselves and your loved ones.
Spare your children.
Do something, commander.
Anya!
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm not just asking you, Katya.
You cannot order me.
I won't go.
Then no one will go.
You are my wife.
The wife of a commander.
People will follow you.
We have lost Anya already.
I don't want to lose you all too.
I want you to go.
This is your last and only chance.
You must bring up the children.
You can do it. You are strong.
You are very strong.
You are the strongest.
Anya.
Anya, do you hear me?
You have to go.
Your father is looking for you.
He's there. He's waiting for you.
He's in the barracks.
You have to go.
You have 15 minutes left.
Sonny, go!
You have 10 minutes left.
Daddy.
Anya!
Alive!
Sasha!
You must go! You will go together.
I am serving in the military. I'm not going anywhere.
Akimov, this is an order.
Do you hear me?
She will not go without you.
Do you hear me?
She will not go.
Yes, comrade lieutenant.
Execute.
You have 5 minutes left.
26 June 15:58
[Inscription reads: "I die, but I do not surrender."]
Having exhausted all other options...
the Germans decided to drop a two-ton-kilogram bomb on the Brest Fortress.
I am Fortress.
Battle in progress. Holding down defense.
Waiting for reinforcements.
Dance! Dance, bastard!
Commissars!
Jews! Communists!
Stand to the side.
I am a commissar.
A communist and a Jew.
Commissar Efim Moiseevich Fomin...
was executed by a firing squad at Holmsky Gates...
at the end of June 1941.
In 1957 he was awarded with the Order of Lenin.
Posthumously.
An order:
Exit the Fortress one by one.
Stay alive.
As long as possible.
Thank you, comrades.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
Goodbye. Thank you.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
Major Pyotr Mihailovich Gavrilov...
was taken captive, while seriously wounded, on the 32nd day of war.
Like most who survived Nazi captivity, he later fell victim to Stalin's repressions...
was expelled from the communist party.
And only in 1957 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
- Is this all of us? - Yes, sir.
I ran away.
While they were taking the captives through the forest, I ran away.
While I was on my way here, a bomb went off near me.
I am deaf now. My ears can't hear anything.
While we still have strength I order you to go for a breakthrough...
through the encirclement area.
Nikolaev, you will take charge. I will stay here. I will cover you.
- But... - Execute!
- Don't be difficult. - Yes, sir.
Come here.
Help me.
Keep this safe.
You are lucky. I know you will get out of the Fortress.
And one more thing...
Tell them everything you saw.
Tell the whole truth.
Tell them about us.
Do you hear me, trumpet player?
You don't hear me.
Go.
Go, Sasha.
Go.
In 1965 the commander of the 9th frontier post, lieutenant Andrey Mitrofanovich Kizhevatov,
was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Posthumously.
My Anya and the whole Kizhevatov family, as well as the families of other defenders of the Brest Fortress,
were executed by the Germans in autumn of 1942.
The banner that Kizhevatov had given me I have kept to this very day.
Just as I have kept my memories.
And faith.
I believe to this day.
And you believe too. They are all alive.
Everyone who I told you about,
and those who we don't know much about.
They are all alive.
Somewhere.
And at that time I was just about the same age as you are now.
The sky of blue beyond the river is dark,
Wait a little, and you will hear a cricket sing,
And a silly bird will suddenly
frighten the disturbed peace and quiet.
I can hear the crack of a paddle nearby,
The new day has come a little too early…
I only feel warm when you are by my side,
Everything will be all right from now on.
It’s calm now The night is fading out slowly,
It appears each of us knows something
But unable to hide the tears, The inevitable payment for the communion.
Don’t let me die before I get to know How it feels to be happy...
The blue sky has hidden itself, as if waiting for something,
Winking to those who are not sleeping,
Happiness will suddenly squeeze your heart
And will not say anything Though it may be something very important
The dawn will get wet again, embarrassed,
Pretending to be a haze in a grey rain-coat,
There's nothing here what there used to be before you,
or, maybe, there is something, but very different.
It’s calm now The night is fading out slowly,
It appears each of us knows something
But unable to hide the tears, The inevitable payment for the communion.
Don’t let me die before I get to know How it feels to be happy...
SUBTITLES WRITTEN BY: Katia Kutyavina (Seattle, WA, USA) E-mail: djkatish@gmail.com
For all other English subtitles to Russian movies made by Katia see: http://www.podnapisi.net/en/ppodnapisi/search/sA/264490
Closing song by Leonid Agutin "Ne pozvol mne pogibnut" was translated into English by Alik Bagapov.