Lieutenant K – and His Soldiers,
Russian Military Film, c.1973
Obscure footage (English language version with foreign graphics) of a Soviet missile launching unit and their benign commander. An obvious attempt is made to humanise the overall military standoff by concentrating on the endearing personality traits of young Russian soldiers. The target audience must have been in English speaking countries... perhaps housed in overseas embassies. This piece clearly identifies the standard propaganda technique of fudging the truth, in this particular item by treating the actual subject from an unexpected angle. The extract would also be successful at home, in the Soviet Union, showing the success and comradeship to be found in the army.
Marching drill - act of service in the Soviet Army for all soldiers, including the men of this detail course, begins with marching drill. It is as though they were learning to walk for the second time in their lives. After that, they will retain their soldierly bearing for as long as they live. That was how this quartet looked when they first reported to their commander. For two years, he was with his men from Revet to Taps.
Mikhail Grakovich. Even as a child he was smart and composed. He received several commendations during his act of service period.
Ivan Biloche. A mischievous, merry lad. But now, a serious, capable soldier and a fine athlete.
Vladimir Golikov. That's him just before enlisting. Today he is junior sergeant, candidate for membership in the communist party of the Soviet Union.
Giorgi Kondrachiev. In school they called him "Jack - in - the - box." Now he is the best - clear, cool and collected in all matters big or small.
Guards Lieutenant Karachov is more than just commander for them, he is their friend and teacher.
There are many aspects to combat training. This is the computers class. Here reigns silence, figures and formulas. And this is the topographers’ class. Their task is to fix the correct position for the launching pad. Lieutenant Karachov is in charge of this class
Ivan Bilov is not too keen on theory. He likes practical work. Vladimir Gorikov is very thorough, even careful. He was an electrician prior to enlistment. Giorg Kondrachiev studied at a machine-building institute. Being more technically minded, he has a better knowledge of rocket design. Prior to joining the army Mikhail Girakovich serviced electrical apparatuses. He does everything with precision and accuracy.
Physical training is essential for missile men too. Practical exercises, they're a test both for the detail and its commander. The command decided to make the assignment more involved. And it immediately became clear who is competent and who is over-hasty. Many commands are given during the years of service. But the main one for the missile men is "Fire!" The commander has to be confident that the knowledge acquired by the detail, their smooth and efficient work, will result in a direct hit. The mission has been excellently fulfilled. Such an assessment imposes a high responsibility on the detail. The men of the Soviet Army are vigilantly and reliably standing guard over peace on Earth and in defence of the Soviet Homeland.
Discussion Points:
- This seeks to humanise the Soviet Army. To give names and faces to the anonymous Cold War ‘threat.’
- So how does it humanise the soldiers?
- It shows the soldiers reading letters from home, just like soldiers of any army
- Snoozing and relaxing in the sun
- Lovely shots of the trees, cloudless sky etc
- The soldiers playing music, enjoying themselves
- Smiling/laughing while being fed
- Details of the soldiers as individuals prior to military service – the same sorts of jobs young men of the ‘West’ could also be doing
- Appeals to patriotism
- Emotionally-toned adjectives: smart, composed, capable
- Positive effects of the army:
- The ‘made him a man’ idea
- Was ‘mischievous’, now ‘serious, capable’
- Candidate for membership of the Communist Party – a big deal for the young Communist
-"He does everything with precision and accuracy". As, it suggests, does the Soviet Army as a whole.
- Their task? To respond to the rather chilling imperative "Fire!"
- Adverbial intensifiers - "The men of the Soviet Army are vigilantly and reliably standing guard over peace on Earth and in defence of the Soviet Homeland." This statement would certainly have had an effect on the Western world – wasn’t it the United States and her allies who were the ‘guardians of peace’? That’s what we were told, anyway. That’s propaganda for you!
