EPISODE NINE
What is it with him?
Hey there, Yegorovich.
Good day, Vasily Josephovich.
Hi, Red.
Look at you.
Listen can you get him ready to ride.
I want to have a ride with the kids.
Yes, Vasily Josephovich!
Heíll be ready in a jiffy.
Egorovich, do you
have anything to drink?
Only moonshine. You want it?
Alright.
Good boy, RedÖ
Do you make the moonshine yourself?
Yes. I get by without any help.
The vodka in the shop is expensive
but I have to drink somethingÖ
Whatís a working man to do?
Alright then.
Does Galya come here often?
No more than you.
The children are growing up as though they
were orphans yet the both of you are alive.
I would get that whip and really
teach that mother a lesson.
What about the father?
The father as well.
You know me, Vasily JosephovichÖ
I donít beat around the bush.
I have a lot of work, Yegorovich.
Daddy! Daddy!
Youíve become so heavy!
Daddy, guess
- is this a chicken or a rooster?
A rooster.
Look at the pretty flowers!
Youíre tearing me apart here! Someone
said something and you just believed them?
Katya is worried, your father
is worried, everyone isÖ
Iím done worrying.
So what? Itís a pass.
So I called her into my office once!
What do you expect e to do, take the tram?
So big deal - I called her in, we spoke,
 I asked how she was doing!
Thatís all.
People are so strange! When anyone else wants
 to know how someone is doing - thatís fine!
But when Beria wants to know
- heís a bloody executioner!
By the way, I freed more people that I 
put away - just so you know!
So youíre not even
denying having spied on me?
What am I supposed to hide?
I just asked her how you were
doing, how are things, that is all!
And then?
What then? What?
Do you report to my father?
You father, Vasya, is the kind of person
who has no desire to know everything.
He already does.
Do you understand that I cant
live with her as my wife anymore?
Why not?
What has she ever done to you?
Did she cheat on you or something?
Was she rude or
disrespectful or something?
She can tell her girlfriends all kind
 of bad things about you - so what?
Id a man supposed to react
so angrily at everything?
Maybe with her girlfriends
but not with you.
Goodbye, Lavrentiy Pavlovich.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Why am I always the one at fault?
Go ahead!
Harder!
Well, Michailovich! Will
you give me Dzadzivallo?
I canít, Vasily JosephovichÖ
and you know why.
Afraid of Lavrentiy?
There is only one man in the USSR
who doesnít fear him and thatís you.
Thatís why Iím telling you that
Dzadzivallo will play for the Air Force.
Vasily Josephovich... I wanted
to ask you for something.
Alright go onÖ Iíll do what I can.
Who do you want released?
Have you heard of the
Starostini brothers?
Of course I have, who hasnít?
If you can get the older one out of prison
- I will forever be in your debt.
He ended up there out of pure stupidityÖ
He punched someone who
shouldnít be punched.
You know where all of this will goÖ
I see.
I will be forever in your debt! And not only me
- the entire country will thank you.
Alright, Michailovich, Iíll try.
But you should write
the transfer requestÖ
Write that you donít need him anymore
and that you have enough coaches as is.
Write that you donít see a reason why Dzadzivallo
 canít transfer to the Air Force team.
Then I will get Starostin out of prison.
Vasily Josephovich, if Beria finds outÖ
He wonít do a thing
- he doesnít know football anyway.
People told him that Dzadzivallo is a
 brilliant coach - so he believed them.
But he really is a great coach.
Iíve seen many coaches in my day
ever since I started doing this in 45.
Givi is a genius.
So tomorrow you write
that he is now shit.
That he stopped seeing the game.
He will be happy to go anyway.
Michailovich, I heard
you and you heard me.
Conversation over.
Work on your strikes.
Go on passÖ
Dzadzivallo! Come here.
Letís talk.
Are you ready to come coach for me?
I will put in a request to grant you
the rank of Major Engineer of aviationÖ
And if you get me that cup
- thereís a promotion in it for you.
Soon as we get the documents from
HR, we will prepare a room for you.
At first though it will be just room
in the dormitory on Verhnyaya Maslove.
Close to the stadiumÖ
Dinamo?
Of course Dinamo. But Iíll get you an
apartment next year, that I promise.
Is there anything else
your little heart desires?
What about Beria?
He wonít do a thing. Youíre a free man and
you can coach for whichever team you want.
But you know how he isÖ
And you know how I am.
I donít leave my friends behind
- father is eternal.
Understand?
Yes.
Thank you. Iíll be seeing you soon.
The pool will be of great quality
- much better than this one.
Thanks to your help we might
be done sooner that we planned.
Our Air Force team will have a place
to train, the Labor Union team as wellÖ
Are we letting them in as well?
There are no other places - there are only
 four pools for Moscow and Leningrad.
Well then itís a good
thing weíre doing this.
As soon as we finish we will
hold a national competition.
If we had fifty of these
- then things could really take off.
Thatís true.
Vasily Josephovich, we need to
go to another site, time is short.
Alright then go on without
me and report back to me.
Or do you need me to hold
your hand through it all?
No, we can handle it.
Look at the one in the orangeÖ
Alright then, get going.
Yes, sir Lieutenant General.
Work with the hands!
Alright, go rest.
Thatís enough for today.
Girls, you really need to
put more effort into itÖ
Hello, pretty lady. Letís
get to know each other.
My name is Vasily, whatís yours?
Iím Kapitalina.
Thatís a nice name.
Are you the new coachís assistant?
Why would you think that?
Let me help you.
You help everyone out of the water?
No, just the gifted ones.
I saw you swimming and
couldnít just walk by.
Oh. Well forgive me but
I need to get changed.
Vasiliaeva, a talented athlete.
She has been national champion
many times, 19 national records.
InterestingÖ
Pump the brakes, will you?
Lady, can I give you a lift?
LookÖ
Take that.
Vasya!
Alright thatís enough, Kappa!
Alright, peace!
WellÖ Strawberry drink.
All natural. High quality.
Here.
No, Iím going to have
something with a kick.
Vasya, can you live one
day without the vodka?
Sure but then what will people say?
What kind of general are you if
you worry about what the people say?
Or are you chicken?
Me?
Fine.
Am I supposed to eat
a cucumber with this?
Do you need to top it off with food?
Look at the nature,
breathe in the fresh air.
Youíre a good man, Vasily.
But you have way too many bodyguards.
Youíve suddenly become
so talkative, Kappa.
Iím not being strict enough with you.
Well then perhaps Iíll leave
you, Vasily Josephovich.
Youíre not going anywhere.
Kappa, what are you doing?
Kappa, stop!
Kappa!
Youíre crazy!
Iím going to catch you!
Comrade GeneralÖ
Iím going to catch you, Kappa!
Weíll catch herÖ
No we wonít, sheís the
national swimming champion.
You canít catch me.
Kappa wait up! Stop!
Catch up!
Youíre crazy.
SoÖ
Can I help you out?
Go on.
Not until you kiss me.
Alright.
Itís so cold!
Tell me you love me.
You know.
Say it.
I love you.
Do you?
I love you.
So cold.
Youíre a dangerous man.
Itís amazing!
How does he do it?
916Ö
311Ö
46Ö
Bravo!
Incredible!
Comrade Messing! Comrade Messing!
Can I write the numbers?
Please, of course.
Thank you.
Well, you wrote a
19 above, 115 below, am I right?
There we go.
Thatís amazing, Comrade Messing.
Bravo!
Quiet down, comrades.
Comrade Messing!
Can you tell me how much change I have
in my pocket if even I donít know it?
I can try.
He wonít guess.
You have three rubles and 65 kopeykas.
Yes, 3 65 you can check.
3 60, but whereís the fiver?
Wait, this canít beÖ this canít beÖ
There should be 3 65!
Look in the other pocket!
Yes!
Bravo, Comrade Messing!
Bravo!
Bravo!
WaitÖ
Could you please answer
some questions I have now?
Could you please name a number?
Well, five.
Alright and another one.
Ten.
Very good.
I would like to ask the member of the audience
who is sitting in the 5th row on seat 10
to come join us on stage.
Please.
Kappa, thatís you!
Thatís me.
Go on!
Iím not going! Vasya!
Go and donít worry.
Please come.
Iím sorry.
Sorry.
Weíll wait.
Donít worry.
Thank you.
Alright, could you please tell me if there is
anything youíd like to know
 about this pretty woman?
Her entire biography.
Does this lady want the entire
audience to know her biography?
I do not.
Is there anything you would like
to know from the Maestro himself?
Whatís going to happen
to me in three days?
In three days you are going to have
a big championship which you will win.
YesÖ it is so.
Will I have good or bad
changes in my personal life?
Your personal life will have
many bright eventsÖ many.
Both good and badÖ
A little vague, isnít it?
I can be very specific in your case.
You are going to drink vodka tonight.
With your Shurin.
And then you will have a fight with him.
Bravo.
Comrade Messing, may we come in?
Yes, of courseÖ Vasily Josephovich.
Come in.
Come in, please.
Hello again.
Please.
Sit down.
You are incredible Volf Grigorievich!
You recognized me without even looks.
Iím taken aback, honestly!
Whatís her name, do you know?
Of course, she has a beautiful Russian name
- Kapitalina, isnít it?
WellÖ yes.
Aida Michailovna, she is my wife.
A pleasure to meet you.
You as well.
You should work in national security
- youíll know everything about everyone.
Vasya, canít you see
that they already do?
Well yeah, pretty muchÖ
Please forgive us but Volf Grigorievich
is very tired after the show.
Yes, of courseÖ
YesÖ
The pressure is very intenseÖ
Aida, itís not nice of youÖ Aida, stop.
We should go.
Forgive me please.
Volf Grigorievich, can
you really tell the future?
Sometimes I can.
Can you see mine?
Your future is in your hands.
Is that a good thing?
He just told you
- you have to decide that for yourself.
What of her? What will happen to her?
SheÖ
She will be your last love?
Did you hear that?
Youíre my last, Kappa!
Stop it, will you Vasya!
Volf Grigorievich, what are
you drinking? Cognac, vodkaÖ
I can run down to the store real quick.
Please, please, no alcohol.
Vasily Josephovich, thereís
no changing her mind.
How about you and I get together
alone and have a proper chat?
I will remember you said that and
I will look forward to that moment.
You will have to tell me all about
how I should proceed with my future.
By the way, there is a football
game the day after tomorrow!
You should come, Iím inviting you.
Iíll get us seats together.
And just like my father I
donít take no for an answer.
You need to be there, Volf Grigorievich!
Is that when all the guys run
around chasing a ball together?
Correct.
Iím not exactly a fan but I will come.
Itís a deal!
Bobrov is great!
If you only saw the
goal he scored last time!
And the pass he got from
Shuvalov was a beauty.
That was quite a game!
But today we will see
something even more interesting.
That I promise you.
Well then letís have a drink for
Bobrov, for football and for Sevka!
Whatís Bobrovís rank?
Captain.
You should give him Major
for the way he plays.
Donít rush it, dear
boy. Youíll spoil him.
Give him ranks- he plays, a flat- he plays
but what happens when the presents run out?
What will he play for then?
He wonít.
I have mine on a tight leash.
All my boys know that for losing they
can lose their rank, apartment and head.
Just joking.
They play better when theyíre
afraid then when their loved.
So Iím taking Bobrov from you.  A
diamond like that needs to be in my crown.
Yes, VasenkaÖ
Letís have a drink.
Whatís your name, you pretty thing.
Kapitalina.
KapitalinaÖ
Thatís y wife, Lavrentiy PavlovichÖ
Vasya, I canít keep up with
you! Youíre a man about town.
Lavrentiy Pavlovich, letís
talk about something different.
You mentioned Bobrov and I just want to
let you know that Iím not giving him to you.
Heís mine.
Why donít you meet the famous
psychic Volf Grigorievich Messing.
Comrade Messing and I know each other.
Very well.
Hello, Comrade Beria.
Hello, Volf Grigorievich.
Sit down at my table.
Please forgive me.
Take a seat.
Please.
That was a great goal Bobrov scored.
Maybe you should call him over here 
during a break - we can have a round.
He has no business drinking,
he still needs to play.
And by the way, Lavrentiy Pavlovich, Bobrov
will leave the team over my dead body.
Listen, VasiaÖ when did you and Katya
get a divorce? I kind of missed that.
You missed that, did you?
Lavrentiy Pavlovich, how badly do you
think my VVS will punish your Dinamo?
I think that questions such as these
need to be directed to Comrade Messing.
Heís the one who can
look into the future.
Isnít that right, Volf Grigorievich?
What?
Tell me, what will be
the score of todayís game?
I donít know.
Thatís hard to say.
Is it?
I can try.
I think that the ones in
blue and yellow will winÖ
You hear that?
The game will end in
3-1 in their favor.
Yes, 3-1.
So have you heard the voice of
the prophet, Lavrentiy Pavlovich?
I assume, Volf Grigorievich, you remember
the price those prophets had to pay.
For every wrong word they said.
Regrettably they also paid for
every word that was true also.
The match is starting.
The teams should assemble on the field.
Dinamo Tbilisi and the Air Force team.
The field has become
a real battlegroundÖ
The members of the Air Force team
are rushing to the enemyís gatesÖ
Here they are entering
the penalty line andÖ
The Dinamo defender kicks the
ball out from under Tarasovís feet.
DInamo is counter attackingÖ
Gakoberidze passes to Oreshkin but
Bobrov overtakes them mid fieldÖ
He sprints with the ballÖ
Vasya assembled a great team.
Yes.
He got almost everyone. Master likes it,
says that he finally got his life together.
Do you think Master is
grooming him to take the reins?
I donít know, anything is possibleÖ
The people love Vasya.
The army too, by the way.
Will you shut up, Iím trying to listenÖ
...grabs Bobrov by the shirtÖ
Vaska is great.
All the strongest players on one team.
They will thrash Dinamo.
If he ever gets in Masters chair
- we are all doomed.
So what do we do now?
Stop overreacting! So Vasily
got involved in sport! Who cares?
Take a look at the field,
Lavrentiy Pavlovich!
This is just the beginning,
that I promise you!
Kappa, look closely, this
isnít a 400 meter swim!
Come on, guys!
Long and short passes, uses his head
and the ball goes to Vladimir Morgani.
Just you waitÖ Dinamo isnít
exactly the little league!
Let them warm up.
He takes the ball and continues
moving towards the goalÖ
Two Dinamo defenders clash with himÖ
Thereís a struggle and two
of them fall to the ground.
Good job!
Vasya, he feels people with his heart.
Good boy.
Heís not holding backÖ
Heíd better check himself.
Perhaps someone should slow his roll.
Cut it out, Nikita. I
want no part of this.
Come on, Bobrov! Come on!
Get in there!
You donít want no part of what exactly?
The boy likes sports and thatís great.
But thatís where he should stay.
Heís too brash and drinks like a fish.
Heíll step over anyone if you
let him, Clement Efremovich.
Over usÖ over you.
We need to have a plan of protection.
Who are you passing to?
Come on! Take the side!
Come on!
Come on Sevushka!
Get the ball, will you?
Get it together you guys!
What do you propose?
This isnít a matter to be taken lightly.
We need to start alienating him
from the people he depends on.
We need to separate them.
Then he can live and be
happy until a hundred.
The Air Force team is victorious.
Hooray!
Yes!
Kappa, we did it!
Vasya, we won!
Victory!
Congratulations.
Donít be mad, Lavrentiy Pavlovich.
What a game!
Volf Grigorievich, come join us.
Come over here, Volf Grigorievich!
Pour the drinks!
Weíll drink and then go congratulate
the boys in the locker room.
Then weíll go to Aragi, Metropol
- you know really party all night!
Where do you want to go?
Vasya, I think that the players are tired
and in no condition to party, trust me.
Giving me lessons,
are we? Go right ahead!
Do you know who youíre
trying to teach here?
If I say we party that
means we party, understand?
Yes.
I would like to thank
you for a great time.
Iím sure that we will meet again but for
the moment I must ask you to forgive me.
I have to go.
I wish you happiness, lovely lady.
Goodbye, comrades.
What the hell was that?
Hypnosis!
Sickening Jewish hypnosis.
Should I get him back?
Leave him be, heís a good guy.
He foretold our victory today.
Alright, letís go.
Come on.
Are you frightened?
No. You told everyone
that Iím your wife.
Donít you want to be?
Yes, itís true. I have wife
- Katya and children from my first marriage.
And it is true that I love you.
All of those things are true
- the first, second and third.
Did I scare you?
No.
Then kiss me on the lips.
In front of everyone?
Why not?
Letís go.
Get on with it!
There we go!
Victory!
For the leader and
organizer of our victories!
For our great Vasily Josephovich Stalin!
Hooray! Victory!
Thank you.
For the motherland!
For our victory! Come on!
For Stalin!
WellÖ
Well what?
Youíre back?
Please forgive meÖ
What will I do with you?
Come.
Youíre lucky my parents went to my aunt.
They would have really given it to you.
I need to go.
Where do you want to go now?
Home, to change.
Then I need to see the kids
- they are all alone out there.
What do you mean? What
about the wife? Katya?
What about the wife? Sheís at her place.
The kids arenít hers
so why would she care.
Then I also need to be at
a meeting at Air Force HQ.
You know something
- we will go see the kids together.
Alright, I have to go.
Where?
What are you doing?
There.
Hello, Vasily Josephovich.
Hello.
There.
Come in.
Hello, bedbugs!
I want you to meet Kapitolina.
New mommy.
Third mommy.
Watch what you say or Iíll whip you!
Get over here fast!
You little rascals. Have you eaten?
No.
Vasily Josephovich, there is nothing
in the house and I donít have any money.
I could go buy somethingÖ
BrovkinÖ
Brovkin get in here this instant!
Coming, Iím coming!
Go to the store and buy some food.
Go.
Get what?
Potatoes, some herring, meat,
a dozen eggs and some bread.
And Iíll make us dinner.
Hooray.
Come on.
Show me what youíre doing.
Weíre just playingÖThe
pawn is beating me.
We shall put it here.
Go here.
Iíve told you a thousand times!
Every Air Force base need to
have a football and hockey fields!
Every single one, goddamn it!
And I told you many times that if a pilot is
good on the field he will be good in the air.
Every day I tell you these things
but you manage to keep ignoring me!
You, Ivan GavrilovichÖ
Yes.
I havenít seen you during
our last trip to the theater.
Why? Donít you like the theater?
Iím a bit too old to go to theaters.
And I havenít seen you at the
football or the hockey games.
You live as if youíre on a deserted
island praying to your totems!
The young go to theaters and
all manner of games but IÖ
Yeah, thatís rightÖ Have you
finished building the dacha yet?
What dacha?
Oh, the dachaÖ WellÖ
I have a bit leftÖ I will call
you to come visit by New Years.
Sit.
Yes.
Tereshenko.
Yes!
Have you gotten the new apartment?
No, Vasily Josephovich.
Do you know when I need
to get the papers signed?
Youíre a sly one.
Iím not
- Iím a simple guy, Tereshenko!
And with all my soldierly
simplicity I tell you-
if these sites arenít finished by yearís end-
football and hockey fields- I will fire you all.
Do you understand?
Yes, sir.
And donít you dare come to me
asking for additional money!
Get them where you buried them!
And if you donít find them - Iím sure
 the police and intelligence will help you.
But Iím afraid that your journey
will take a dark turn from there.
Understand?
Yes, sir.
Dismissed.
Brovkin! Get in here.
Could you make me some tea, with lemon?
And bring a snack too. And give
me the schedule for the day.
Yes, sir.
Go on.
Come on, pass!
Hello, Vasily Josephovich.
Hello, hello.
Who did the ice for this field, Boris
Michailovich? Why did they do such a bad job?
The new guys messed it
up, Vasily Josephovich.
Fire them - my team needs everything 
to be the best, understand?
Yes, sir.
Volodin!
Howís your hand, does it still hurt?
No, it has healed up nicely! As they say
- Iím ready to work and fight.
Donít let me down then
- Iím counting on you.
I wonít let you down, sir!
We will give them a good
thrashing, just you wait!
Alright, go practice.
So, coach, have you decided who you
want to see on the field next game?
I still need to put in a request to the
Committee of Sport for Bobrovís transfer.
He will join us by train later.
The finalized list will be ready today
but I still have a few reservations.
This is what weíll do
- come to HQ at around one at night.
We will sit down and
discuss everything in depth.
Yes, Vasily Josephovich.
Are you going to Sverdlovsk
to watch the game?
Are you kidding, of
course! Itís the big game!
Work, boys, work! Put in some effort.
What does Vasily Josephovich want?
Heís just worried about us, thatís all.
Get it together!
Hit it!
I sure would like to get
a couple of goal shotsÖ
Whatís problem? Go!
I donít want to distract them.
Come on, Vasily Josephovich!
The boys would love it.
Oh yeah?
Of course!
Well then letís go.
Hello.
Hello.
Look at that, he went himself!
Stop it already.
Give it here! You ready for this, Garik!
Alright then, here goes.
Goal!
I got it!
You like that, Garik?
What are your thought
on the Sverdlovsk team?
They are tough guysÖ
But you can handle them, right?
This is an important game.
They will fight to the death on this.
Donít worry, weíll crush them.
Taras here seems to have his doubts.
Not at all, Vasily Josephovich!
Heís got other things to worry about.
Cut it out.
Tell him, Taras.
My wife is pregnant.
My congratulations! Great!
Weíll provide you with
aid through the team.
No, thank you Vasily Josephovich.
I have an 18 square meter roomÖ
Three families as
neighbors, even a bath!
Then Iíll get you a new apartment
- with two rooms.
Win the championship and
then itís a done deal.
If itís for a good cause
- we will really play our hearts out!
Apparently weíll bury them in pucks!
Good, good!
Vasily Josephovich, can I get a
picture with you! For posterity.
Sure, letís do it.
Alright, guys, get in place
Andrey Vladimirovich!
Get over here quick!
Wait.
Come on, faster.
Alright, allow me to take this
picture for future generations.
Gather around our leader and
inspiration, Vasily Josephovich!
Attention!
There we go.
One more, comrades and athletes.
Smile.
Itís so cold out there.
Volf, I was at the cultural
committee, they asked you to come by.
Volf?
Whatís wrong with you?
Are you not well?
Did something happen?
Volf?
Volf?
Vasily StalinÖ
What about him?
Volf, please explain, I
donít understand anything.
 Young air force team
has sights on championship on ice
Hello.
Excuse me, is this the
office of Comrade Stalin?
This is Volf Grigorievich MessingÖ
I have a huge favor to ask you - could you
 please patch me through to Comrade Stalin.
He gave me this number
upon our last meeting.
He told me to call if
something important came up.
I wouldnít disturb him were it not a
matter that has to do with his son Vasily.
Alright. Iíll wait.
What happened to Vasily.
Nothing yet but it could.
Yes, Comrade Poskrebishev,
I am listening.
I live in Hotel Moscow.
Yes there.
Alright.
I will be here.
You should sit.
Well?
They will come get me.
