"The Red Army's most powerful and westerly located garrison was in Legnica, Poland." "In the nineteen-sixties, the Soviet soldiers and civilians quartered in Legnica made up almost half of the town's population." "It was then that Legnica came to be known as "Little Moscow"." "Any similarity to persons or events that actually took place in Legnica is exclusively a similarity." "little MOSCOW starring" "Your wife has arrived, comrade Captain.." "To the headquarters!" "." "Now!" "." " Maybe I'll give her a lift?" " No need." "My wife enjoys a walk." " So how is it going there?" " What?" " So how is it going?" " The Czechs just cry and call on Lenin for help." "You stamp your foot they put their hands up." "They wanted war, so now they have it!" "We did warn them!" "Comrade Colonel..." "Vera's dead!" " What?" " Vera is dead." "Vera Fiodorovna Swietlowa 1 943-1 968" "Maintenance of a grave may be paid for a period of 20 years." " How much does it cost?" " 454 zloties." " In dollars?" " Almost 1 60." "I understand." "My daughter is arriving today, we will discuss it, and tomorrow we'll come to sign the papers." "Thank you." " Maybe he could decipher this letter?" " Right!" "I read Russian quite well, but this woman has such handwriting that I can't make head or tail of it." "I'll try." "Alexandra Matwiejewna Gorczikova." "I knew her." "She was a nurse in our hospital." "Money..." "An angel to the newborn children." ""Good people." "I have two requests." "My only son, Styopa lies in your cemetery." "Please maintain my little boy's grave - until his sister is grown to earn money." "Now the second request." "Please engrave an Orthodox cross on Styopa's headstone." "Deep, so that it remains visible for a long time." "I am sending you 1 0 dollars for this." "I am sure you're good folk and won't cheat me." "Thank you for your help in advance." "Whenever I remember Legnica I cry at once"." "But what can we do for 1 0 dollars?" "Hardly enough for a vodka for the stonemason." "I'll check the documents for tomorrow." "What was the name of the buried?" "Vera Fiodorovna Swietlova." "You are her..." "What is your relation to the deceased?" "Husband." "You remember her?" "Yes..." "I do." "Why have we stopped?" "What's happened?" "Nothing." "We are waiting to enter Legnica." " We're in Poland already?" " Don't touch the window." "It's forbidden!" "You'll be seeing more than enough of Poland over the next five years." "At least you're rested after a good sleep." "Although if I was your husband," " I wouldn't let you get much sleep!" " Get away, you!" " You heard?" " Sure I did." "Put that on." "He's right." "The whole train knows that I have the prettiest wife..." "... among the pilots." " No, in the whole of Legnica." "Close the gate!" " Captain Svetlov." " Private on Duty." "This way." " Nice place." " Watch out!" "The comrade from the last tour of duty made his room a midden." "But don't worry." "By tomorrow, everything will be in order." "You'll have the cleanest and prettiest house on the street." "I hope so." " You here, too?" " Yes." "I wonder how many of us there are to share this place." "You - all four on the first floor." "A medical Captain on the second floor;, he arrives on the next transport." "You've got it good." "Even if you have five children, you'll still be living in a palace." "This night you'll stay in our place." "You are invited!" "The?" "inte?" "rcity train from Be?" "rlin Hauotbahnhof to Cracow Main Station is arriving on track 7., olatform 3." "The?" "train le?" "ave?" "s at 4 :. 2 1." "I re?" "oe?" "at:" "the?" "train le?" "ave?" "s at 4 : 2 1..." " Welcome." "How was the trip?" " Fine." "Shall we go?" "How are things in the company?" "Get on well with the Germans?" "They must get on well with me." "We have the gas..." "Dad, I sent you two new pairs of pants, why didn't you put them on?" "Do they have any taxis in this village?" "Or are we going by bus?" " Don't show off." " We are to live and look like proles, to suit your style and complexes!" " They do have taxis here." " What do they have?" "Look at you, a defender of Poles!" "All they own they've stolen." "From the" " Germans or us!" "Certainly their cars!" " The Germans told you that?" "Your wife, Vera Fiodorovna, in a dream.." " Aren't you getting out?" " I can see well from here." "Nice place." "Why are you staring at me?" "Something's wrong?" "Your mom said exactly the same, the first time we saw it." "I can see that, your happiness did not last long in this nice place." "And now the final contestant in our October competition, dedicated to the anniversary of the Great Lenin's Revolution." "Vera Fiodorovna Svetlova." " Yura!" "Vera speaks Polish?" " I didn't know myself." "Congratulations." "Your wife sings beautifully." "Please tell us before we announce our verdict how come you sang a Polish song and what's more, in Polish?" "I heard Ewa Demarczyk on a Polish radio program back home in Russia." "From that day on I began to keep track of her." "I'm a great fan of hers, simply..." "Where I learned to sing in Polish?" "Also from the radio." "It's good to know one's neighbor's language." "By the unanimous verdict of the jury I can now announce you the winner of our international competition" ""Melodies of Friendship"." "The prize, a large Silver Broach, will be presented by Lieutenant" "Michal Janicki, our best music specialist." "Michal?" "Applause, please!" " Congratulations." " Thank you." "May I ask her for a dance?" " May I?" " Of course." "Watch out, they might steal your wife." "She makes many a man's mouth water." "How does my name sound in Russian?" "Misha." "Then please call me that." ""Dear Misha"." "Or for example;." "Misha, what a great dancer you are..." "Dear Misha, you should open a.school." "Yes, of dancing and singing." "And I already know who will be the first teacher." "You... the master of waltz." "I was thinking more of a school of seduction." "And I most certainty don't intend to be a teacher or pupil in it." "Could you accompany me back to my husband now?" "No need." "I came myself." " Verashka, will you dance again?" " Naturally." " If the Lieutenant agrees." " Naturally." "Thank you." "Please, take a seat." " My wife." " Nane." " Excuse me?" " Nane." " Pleased to meet you." " Misha." "Misha..." "Cheers!" " Shall we dance?" " With pleasure." "Go, naturally." "Open the door you fucking Soviet!" " Did you check the corner window?" " I did." "I checked them all, comrade." "We can't get. out." "Fuck!" "Is it true that all Poles are Catholics?" "Formally, in churches?" " Almost all." " And you?" "Yes, me too." "Are you?" "Before most Armenians were just like you." "But not any more." " Do you have any family?" " I'm a bachelor..." "Not in that sense." "Parents, a sister..." "I have a mother." "My father was killed..." " Is she catholic too?" " A 1 20 percent." "Must we now talk about how religion is the opium of the masses and that the science proved God doesn't exist?" "Sorry, my little hero is kicking terribly." "Excuse me." " Sajat." " Is everything all right?" " Everything is fine." " What happened?" "Have a seat." "Sit down." "Please." "Let's have a drink." "I can't." " Sick?" " On duty with Sajat." "Than let's drink for those on duty." " Jura, it's enough." " Vera, so for those on duty." " Lieutenant, I must..." " One mo.ment." "Excuse me." "Ooe?" "n the?" "door" "I won't kill you!" "I'm not the NKWD Soviet Secret Police from Katyn!" "Marynia is resting nearby, Captain, this is the men's hall." "Hold your tongue about Katyn, or we'll all be arrested!" "What's he done to you?" "I'll kick your ass if you don't know what for fuck the Russkis did to us!" "You don't know what that fuckers did to us?" "You can come in now, you Polish so called "friend"." "Move over." "What are you doing?" "Sorry, comrade Captain, I didn't know what's going on." "I just defended myself." "Bend your head back..." "Bend your own back!" "Allies!" "To hell with the lot of you!" " Captain." "Towel." " Go to hell!" "Tomorrow my command will want a full report on your Polish officer's aggressive behavior towards the officers and soldiers of the Red Army!" "Is that clear?" "I don't know anything about that." "I came in and... it happened." "We will meet again, Lieutenant." "And I would strongly advise you to be careful." "As usual the Poles are getting too cock sure of themselves!" " Car, quickly!" " Yes, sir!" " The ball has already ended..." " How come?" "I want to dance." "Let's dance." "Get up." "Good morning." "Let me help you." "You got my husband drunk and look at him!" "What embarrassment!" "It's just as well you came along, now you carry him, our Polish colleague." "You were supposed to call me Misha." " You wanted that." "Be careful." " And you don't want to?" "In that case, I won't use your name either." " I'll shoot myself out of despair." " And by the way, all the best on your birthday, may you be happy and never" " regret a single day of your life." " You still on about the Revolution?" " Today is not my birthday." " But it will be some time." "Since I'm with you today, I take the opportunity because who knows, where I'll be..." "when it rea.Ily is." "Satisfied?" "For me that was nothing more than offensive." "Sorry, but I don't regret it." "Now I really must help you." "You'll never get him home alone." "No need." "I was coping somehow before you showed up." "Not in Poland and not with a guardhouse at the street." " I know a shortcut." " You're a Polish officer, you cannot walk into the Soviet zone." "I can." "But it's nice you worry about me." "I worry for myself, and my husband." "I don't want to be arrested and end up on Kholyma." "They won't catch us." "Let's go." "What street?" "What's up, tired?" "We are almost at the house." "You'll soon disappear into it, and then what?" "Did you want us to stay here?" "I want us to take Jura home and for you to come back here..." " What would I come back here for?" " To thank me for my help." "I'm flattered by your proposal, but no, thank you." "I prefer you think of me as a backward Soviet than a Russian tart who'll come running while you whistle." "This way." "Come on." "Good morning, comrade Matwiejewna." " Who were you expecting?" " A spy maybe..." "Why are you up so early?" "It's a holiday today." " Children don't know it's holiday." " Have a nice day." " You too." " Grab him now, quickly." "Sajat!" "Hurry up!" "Sajat!" "Hold him." "Nane!" "Call that doctor from upstairs he arrived in the night." " Hold on." " Bang on his door, he's deaf." "OK, all right, just hold on." "Everything will be fine." "What is that Pole doing here?" "Get him out!" "Are you mad?" " Will we see again?" " Of course." " When?" " Maybe in May, on Victory Day." " That's in six months time!" " Get going!" " What's going on?" " Doctor, open the door!" " I am not a doctor!" "Leave me!" " Nane is in labor she's bleeding." " I told you, I'm not a doctor!" " Then who are you?" "I'll call an ambulance." "If you hadn't proved such a coward then, our lives would have turned out differently." "But to do that one would need to be a real man." "You should have given that Pole a good hitting, as soon as" " he approached your wife." " It would change nothing." "It wouldn't do any harm, either." "And you just stood and stared." " Vera, Vera!" " You talk like some goat." "What are you staring at?" "Eat." "And when they did..." "Go on boy." "For the first time, did you know where and when?" "For sure, you knew it." "I was born so you couldn't forget!" "The competition was approved, the participants too, the only oversight can concern the repertoire." ""Melodies of Friendship", fuck knows what that means." "Did you know what Vera intended to sing?" "Of course, I knew." "But I didn't know she was. going to sing in Polish." "Who do I have to defend myself from?" "Poles or our side?" "I only know that I was ordered to immediately submit an up-to-date assessment of you." "Political officer will tell you the rest." "The Poles have sent an official letter." " Any guess what they want?" " I think it's about Vera's performance." "But I really don't know what could have offended them?" "They want your wife to begin singing with their orchestra and" ""to shortly be prepared to represent our town in the Festival of Russian and Soviet Songs in Zielona Gora"." "What do you think of that?" "It's probably a great honor to represent the whole town." " They took her instead of their own." " Yes..." "Sit down." "Thank you." "We cannot offend the Poles." "Let your wife sing a month, maybe a month and a half and later we can refuse." "Using any pretext." "And no fraternization." "Our official policy of friendship with the Poles will suffice." "Who signed this letter?" "I mean, which orchestra she will be practicing with?" "With Polish one, Polish Army Orchestra." "You would like a symphonic one?" "The letter is very important, signed by the Party Committee, the Community Center..." "A whole gala." "I understand." "Since he asked, I ordered not only the content of the letter to be translated but also the signatures beneath it in order to find out its authors." "We already know one of them," "Michal Janicki." "And not from his best side." "You know him personally?" "Yes." "He's aggressive and definitely hostile." "Write a report on him." "Do it." "Yes, sir." "And as for Vera, you're right - for the moment let her sing, but not too long!" "I'll keep this letter from the Poles." "Their signatures may come in handy." "That's all." "Yes, sir." "Let's go." "You thought this whole competition up?" "No, I only thought up having you participate in it." "Not that brilliant, but that's all right, too." "And sorry again for my behavior last time." "It won't happen again." "People used to have a lot more time for each other." "Things could last as long as they needed to." "They could take their time getting to know each other." "No hurry, no brutish behavior or taking of shortcuts." "The windows must be kept open so my driver can hear I'm singing." "No matter what but loud." "Play..." "Here I saw her for the last time." "She was walking towards me, and suddenly she stopped." "We were looking at each other for a long time." "I saw she was crying and that she wanted to tell me something." "I should have gone up to her then." "But I..." "Let's take a picture." "Since we have come here." "Take it." "You can manage." "Father and I in the foreground and magnificent ruin in the background." "Don't you like it?" "I do..." "It's very touching." "They resemble my life." " Well then?" " Hello." "Whoe!" "Whoe!" "They are Polish horses, they don't understand that Fritz gabble." "But their parents were Germans." "They understand." "Giddy up!" " Good morning." " Morning." " Where is Sayat?" " He's not coming." "I understand." "Banned to go out for a beer?" "No." "He had to stay at work, as usual." "You know..." " I will sit with you." "May I?" " Sure." "Michal." "We have decided to name our son after you." " Do you mind?" " Michal?" "And you want him to follow my example?" "There won't be time." "We are staying here for 5 years at the most." "What do you say, then?" "And there is something else." "Who can that be?" "Neighbors!" "Is anybody home?" "Yes!" "I am coming." " Hello, Lieutenant." " Salut, comrade Major." "I have decided to meet my neighbors at last..." " Good afternoon." "...and to explain" " the misunderstanding..." " Please, sit down." "...that I am a doctor and maybe even a gynecologist." "One moment." " Glasses." " Bring them." "He is nosing about." "They suspect something so he's nosing about." "He's sniffing around because that's his job." "Have a drink with him and just sing!" "No conversation!" "We have to be going in an hour!" "I'll be drunk..." "I didn't come here to eat." "A piece of bread and Polish bacon will do." " They smoke it well, right?" " You're right, comrade Major, but their lard is nowhere near as good as back home!" "Come on Lieutenant, to our country!" "Maybe he's hungry?" "Or wants to have a drink with us?" "Verachka, darling, what a windfall!" "We are sitting with Comrade Major and the little one is wailing like an obstinate siren." "Take him for a walk for us!" "I beg you, you take him." " I'll wash my hands, all right?" " I'll get him dressed." "I'm not a doctor only a military expert." " In the technical sense." " In the psychological sense." "Wherever there are people, they need to be watched and understood." "For example;." "Soviet citizens are passionate readers of books." "That may seem banal." "But not for the expert." "He asks;. so why do they read so much, and mainly novels?" "Is it maybe a form of escape from reality?" "To some other world?" "A better one?" "Supposedly spiritual?" "Always you have to watch people and try to understand them." "So a doctor after all." "Here is the pass." "I trust you like a sister, but if you betray us" " I'll kill you!" " I don't know what this is all about." " Michal will explain." " Have you any vodka in the house?" " In the cupboard." "In the kitchen..." "Thanks..." "Hurry up, they're waiting." "You are already drunk, Lieutenant." "Where are you putting the empty one?" "Finally a bit of peace and quiet from all that screaming!" "And Vera will get some nannying practice in!" "What would she need that sort of training for, is she pregnant?" "Who can tell... the first month?" "Don't you think it odd that they have no children?" "They're young, healthy, earning well, have a flat." "Maybe they were waiting to have one born in Poland?" "Some think it's better this way." "After all, chicken is not an eagle Poland is hardly abroad!" " Good evening." "I am Janicka." " Good evening." "Vera." "Son told me a lot about you." "Get in." "You will go with Michal." "I will hide the pram and join you." "Mr. Czeslaw is 100% trustworthy," "Are the Armenians coming on separately?" "If they can." "I have a service in half an hour." "So maybe after that?" "The child can't stay away from home that long." "But your mother is not coming." "She's already officially entered," " and was here at confession." " And she's to be the godmother." "Someone must stand next to you..." "even per procura." "Exactly." "That from a land so severely treated by the materialistic antichrist should come to us its sons and remembering their fathers' orders and drawing on their great courage, should give us their children, for us to accept them into God's house and God's family " "happiness overwhelms my heart as if I were baptizing a king." "Godparents, please step closer." "What do you ask the Holy Church for?" "For baptizing." "What's that?" "You're drunk, comrade neighb.ors." "I baptized you Michal in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "Amen." "Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." "As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end." "Amen.." "We have to go." "Not yet." "Oh, God!" "What are we doing?" "Quite normal." "In the last two hours, nothing has been normal." "Mom, where are you?" "We're back already!" "She's not here..." "Come on in don't just stand there!" "The way you're behaving, I'll soon be afraid I'm offending you just by looking in your direction." "Let alone touching you." "Am I to jump myself at you?" "And you had the nerve to take me to church." "That was totally accidental." "I would be an idiot to let things begin on such a serious note." "These... things should happen just by chance, almost as if between friends, without right away cathedrals." "Exactly." "What "exactly"?" "You'll help me carry the pram?" "Comrade Major must be wondering why this walk is lasting so long." "No... you shouldn't." "Say good-bye to your mother for me." "I'm sorry we missed each other." "Sayat and Nane sent me for you." "You are gone for too long." "The family pile!" "I'm quite moved." "Strangers probably live there now." "Over thirty years have passed..." "Let's go in." "There must be some trace!" "Have you seen that Russian woman?" "She was to be here for a rehearsal." "She was here." "She was hanging round." "A very nice woman." "If you see her please tell her I'm waiting." "I can see that for myself."