By the beginning of 1943, the number of homeless
children in areas of evacuation has reached more
than 670 thousand people,
the majority of whom are vagrants, beggars,
or thieves.
The most daring join gangs
and commit heinous crimes:
robbery, larceny of socialist property,
murder, and others:''
From a Central Executive Committee
report to Comrade Stalin.
Well, you're already familiar with this order:
''...By decree: Forthe perpetration
of especially heinous crimes,
children will be tried as adults to the fullest
extent of the law, in compliance with the
statutes of the USSR.''
And that's how things are, sir.
Yes....
Of course, sir, the easiest thing would be
to follow the penal code.
However, the decision was made to ease the fate
of young criminals and give them the chance
to atone for their crimes before the Motherland.
We've developed recommendations for the creation
of an intelligence school in your area for those
juvenile delinquents facing the capital punishment
Thanks to this school they will now
have a choice.
Vishnevetsky, Anton Viacheslavich.
How do you feel about this?
That's why l flew here.
Thank you for your confidence, sir.
-Have they brought him?
-Yes sir, in the corridor.
You should change your seat.
We found one fitting candidate.
A distinguished master of the sport: a lieutenant
colonel, single, wife and son died a year ago
from typhus.
Vishnevetsky?
-So he's...?!
-Yes, Vishnevetsky is back from incarceration
to, let's say, atone himself
through blood.
-Bring him in!
-Come in.
Vishnevetsky, please sit down.
Hello, Anton Viacheslavich.
Good day,
Comrade Lieutenant-General.
General, show him our plans!
Congratulations, Vishnevetsky, you've been
selected to head this ''school.''
The staff?
Give us any name. We'll bring them from
the front lines; recall from evacuations,
and from other, shall we say,
locations.
-And, the cadets?
-Well, our ''cadets'' are special.
And then from the Christmas tree, softly sprang
the yellow angel - ''Poor maestro you are tired,
you are ill.''
They say at night you sing
the tango at the haunts!
Even in our bright sky everyone was amazed''
-Hey, what's taking so long?
Stay here, watch it, and hold the animal
so it doesn't drag the cart away.
Yeah, ok.
Bring some gingerbread forthe donk.
Cot, get on the roof, we'll go below.
Damn, it's creaky.
Come on!
Line up behind me.
Hey man, got a smoke?
What the fucking hell?
Come on.
-Guys, tinned stew!
-Take it. Cot, where are you?
-Bitch, he didn't even have ammo.
-Fuck him. lf he had any,
he would have shot you for sure.
Find the condensed milk and the powdered eggs.
What the hell do you want
all that condensed milk for?
-The piker asked for it.
-What the fuck does he want it for?
How should l know?
-Watch it.
-Cops!
Where are you going, Cot and Lavrik
are still in there, fuck! Dirty scums!
Stop! l'll shoot! Stop!
Cops!
-Dead.
-Go, Tulimhan!
So, you shit your pants yet?
Come out with your hands up, one by one!
There, cop!
Stop: come out you dirty fucks,
l'll fuck you up!
Stop!
Put it down, fool!
lt could shoot!
Drop it, kid.
What are you doing, boys?
Don't move, bastard!
''BASTARDS''
Comrade lieutenant-colonel,
are we blocked down below?
Yes, below, at the old base.
Every approach to the school
is covered by a special guard battalion.
Now, there will be no ranks, no last names,
only first names.
The contingent should best be
called by nicknames.
Take this.
But why involve the children in this?
Even if they are:
They are not children,
they are repeat offenders: criminals,
-l don't feel good.
-pickpockets, thieves,
robbers, murderers.
They have no respect for authority.
Therefore, don't expect any fear
or respect from them.
And try not to turn your back on them,
or else all they have learned
from you, might be turned against you.
And...
As comrade Konstantin Simonov put it:
''no love, no grief, no jealousy.''