"I WANT THE FLOOR" " Is it alright?" " Okay." " Is anyone there?" " No one." "Come on!" "Fine." "Let me try too." "Later." "Come on!" "Nix!" "Patrol car!" " Where?" " There!" " Throw it on the snow!" " Run!" "Stop!" "Stop immediately!" "Grab the second one!" " Mister, for what?" " Where is the weapon?" " What weapon?" " Look at him!" "Where did you throw it?" " There is no weapon..." " Liar!" " Take his schoolbag!" " There is no..." " Who shot the jar?" " Get up!" " What jar?" " This jar!" "I don't know." "There is no gun!" "You will tell us about it at the police station." " Where did they put it...?" " Somewhere near here, in the snow." "It should be here." "Where could it have gone?" "Well?" "Did you find it?" "Too much snow." " Let's get a metal detector." " Wait a minute." "You won't find it this way." "Lena, don't enter, I'm listening to some music." "Damn your music, Maupassant is way more interesting." "What a narcissist!" "What's that?" "Call for a doctor, Lena." " All of a sudden?" " Now." "Do it yourself." "Come on, I've killed myself!" "Is that true, Yura?" "Why are you scaring me?" "Hello, center?" " Center!" " Center on the line." "It's Five." "Write down." "Speak, I'm listening." "Uvarov Yura, fifteen." "Bullet wound to the head, urgent operation needed." " Louder." " Urgent operation needed, I say!" "Prepare the operating room." " Blood loss?" " Insignificant." " Pulse?" " 120." " When will you arrive?" " In about ten minutes." " Accepted." " What?" "Accepted, I say." "Thank God." " Well, Yura, does it hurt?" " A bit." "If it hurts too much, tell me." " I need to know." " Alright." "Don't tell my mom, please." "Tell my father, but not to her." "Tell her only when you get the bullet out." "Okay." " Do you promise?" " I promise." "Lie still." "I'm listening." "Wait a minute." "Yes." "Wait, please." "You'll have to wait." "These days I go on like this." "No time at all." "How about us?" " I beg your pardon." " Hello." " Good afternoon." " Hello." "I'm listening." "Call her deputy, please." "Where did you come from, comrades?" "We're from the construction trust, and we do have an appointment." "The chairperson isn't present today." " How?" "Completely?" " Yes." "Sakes here!" "She's in trouble." "Her son's funeral." "How unfortunate." " What should we do now?" " Don't know." " Can we phone her?" " No." " Who are you?" " I work here." " An assistant?" " Chief's personal driver." "Listen... help us, mate." "Please." "Pass her a note from us." "It's all about the tubes." "We didn't get the delivery." "Without her help we won't finish the whole street by holidays!" " An entire block of houses!" " Help us, friend!" " She's the one who can help." " Write." "Thank you." "Give me a pen." "Don't forget about inch-diameter." " Hello, Elizaveta Andreevna!" " Hello comrades." "Hello." " Hello." " Hello." "Tanya, call me in a minute." "Please excuse me." "Maybe she'll receive us?" "Take care of yourself, Elizaveta Andreevna!" "It mustn't go one like this." "Who's in the waiting room?" "They're from the trust." "What trust?" "Cafeterias." "Sanitary Construction." "Sanitary Construction?" "Yeah." "They're so impudent." "What did they say?" "They didn't get the tubes." "Tubes." "Should I tell them to wait?" "You didn't set an appointment." "I'll receive them." "Immediately." "Let them in." "Maybe in about five minutes." "Invite the chief architect, I need his help." "Tanya, do you have something to say?" "What's wrong with you?" "Tanya." "Tanya." "Serezha, do you want me to bear your daughter?" "And then another boy." "And then another girl." " Who will work?" " You, Serezha." "That's what I call music." "Do you hear?" "It's art." "Kálmán." "Sylva." "Varescu." "Excelente." " Mom, can you do it with your left hand?" " I can." " And with both at the same time?" " I don't know, haven't tried it." " Have a go!" " It's not serious, my dear." " Please!" " Mom, have a go!" "Do you really want me to?" "Well, I have to." "Sasha, give me another one." " Who's there?" " It's me, Serezha." "Here you are at last!" " You got your keys!" " I forgot them." " I've been in the obkom." " Where?" "Obkom = Regional Party Committee In the obkom." "At Fedorov's." "Good." "And what for?" "The want me to be the next mayor." "Chairman of City Executive Committee." "Are you kidding?" "No, Serezha, I'm not." " Did you turn it down?" " Why the hell would I?" "I did want it." "Well done!" "Uvarova, you're a high-class deputy." "Leave me, my sadness!" "There is no better candidate!" "I congratulate you." "You're not making a mistake." " What's wrong, honey?" " I'm sorry, Serezha." "I've been so nervous... what a day." "What a day!" "They were persuading me..." "Listen, what if they don't let you leave the factory?" "They'll let me go." "Well, I don't know." "You're finally the committee's secretary." "An important person." "If the election goes well, they won't keep me." "There's no other way." " No one is irreplaceable." " I don't know..." "The obkom will help me." " Don't you regret leaving the factory?" " I do, Serezha, I do." "I will build a city on the left bank." "On the meadows." "Willow trees." "Fresh air." "Nightingales." "Serezha, I am happy." "But keep calm, keep calm, my dear." "Alright, Liz." "To my right winger, Beskudnikov, you will give him a two-bedroom flat." "To Onischenko, the new goalkeeper, a one-bedroom flat." "The telephone to Sentsov." "Are you serious?" "Serezha." "What's wrong?" "I am the manager, I have to keep the players in our team." " Well, I'm just kidding." " This is not a joke." "What a day." "Alright, we've been through the entire town, all the departments, so, is it all clear?" " Generally." " Good." "Remember where to put everything." "In the upper drawer, housing construction." "Second drawer, physical culture." "Sport." " Our Zlatograd olympic stadium..." " Yes." "Do me a favour, Uvarova." " Complete this project, don't let them spoil it." " I'll have to." " So much money." " But the stadium is great!" "Very expensive, putting it mildly." " Health is expensive." " And for money, they need health." "You have your health, you have the money." "I will go down in history for this stadium, you'll see." "Nedosekin was criticized, too, when he started building baths after the war." "These are not baths, these are palaces!" "He saved the city from lice and other diseases." " People went there to get warm!" " Calm down." "I hear you." "And then we built the best swimming pools." "We have the best swimmers in the Union." "This is where Nedosekin was looking." "They didn't understand him then." "What a great employee." "Clearly." "He hated mess." "You tell me it's expensive." "We will hold an All-Union games in this stadium!" "Do you know that we have the fittest soldiers in the republic?" " Yes." " But how?" "Because they have facilities for training!" "They're tall, strong, blooming with health, milk and roses!" "So, Uvarova, give them good apartments with very high ceilings." "Want some ice tea?" " I prefer it hot." " And I prefer it cold." " Why didn't you give them good flats?" " There is a time for everything." " Lack of foresight?" " Lack of money!" " But you had it for the stadium." " You're rude, Uvarova." "May I?" " Do you smoke, Elizaveta Andreevna?" " Only when I'm nervous." "You don't have to be nervous now." "Why can't I be nervous, Petr Vasilyevich?" "What's next?" "Transport?" "Yes, the third drawer." "How do you know?" "Intuition." " Do you like transport?" " Nope." " I will build a bridge." " Why?" "I want to build a city on the left bank." "Beautiful, elegant, no factories, just forest." " Nightingales and resort?" " Resort." " They won't get it." " They'll get it, if I explain it clearly." "No, they won't." "A bridge is expensive." "They will." "Uvarova, you need to build apartments." "I built the stadium and so what?" "So what?" "You're the new mayor." "All is fine." "Fine." "When the bridge is done, the new apartments will be great." "Not those barns of yours." "Excuse me, Petr Vasilyevich." "Well, give it a go." "The fourth drawer, trade." "Important thing, there's a lot of work to do." "The fifth drawer, public catering." " A lot of work, too." " Yes!" "The sixth drawer." "Domestic service." "And there?" "Social maintenance, finance, public order, improvement." " Where is art?" " In the bottom." "Sorry." "Painting, sculpture, theatre, cinema." "Not much room for art..." "Well, Uvarova, I had no time for that." "I prefer sport, finance, housing, and art is something delicate." "Yes, delicate." "It's up to you." "Develop art, if you want." " It's Baltukhov." " Call my mother, please." "Mommy, is that you?" "It's me, Lena." "Hello, darling..." "Why don't you come?" "We're waiting for you!" "Did you take over the duties?" " Is Yura at home?" " Of course." "Mommy, Yura brought a wonderful record, listen!" "Lena, later." " Please!" "Yura, make it louder." " Later, my dear, later." "I tell you!" "Are they waiting for you?" "Yes." " It's time to go then." "It's getting late." " No, Petr Vasilyevich, let's work." "Continue, please, I'm listening." " Uvarova, why do you need all this?" " What do you mean?" "This work." " And why do you need it?" " What?" " This work." " I'm interested." " Really?" " Yes." "Me too." "I've got some thoughts, ideas." "I want to put them into practice." "And your kids?" "They need their mommy." "Petr Vasilyevich, calm down." "Enough." "It's a shame." "You've been doing it all day." "I can stand up for myself." "Especially for my work and for the kids." "By the way, a man can do the dish washing and laundry, too." "Uvarov can do it well." " Sergey?" " Sergey." "Well well." "Why does it smell like valeriana in the safe?" "I wonder how will it smell in a year or two." "That's all." "Time to leave." "Will you give me a ride?" "Sure." "Let's sit down for the road." "Yes." "Welcome." "Please." "Petr Vasilyevich, don't forget us." "We strongly need your knowledge and experience." "Visit us, we'll be glad to see you." "Uvarova, what are you talking about?" "Knowledge, experience..." "Is it easy for an old man to visit you?" "If you need me, you can find me." "You have my address." "I'll help you if I can." " I won't come myself." " Petr Vasilyevich, I'm sorry..." "Never mind, I was talking the same way 12 years ago." " Let's go!" " Yeah." " Thank you." " Anytime." " Give my regards to Sergey." " What Sergey?" "Your husband." "Thank you." "I will." " He respects you." " I know." "Take care of him." "He's brilliant at his work." "I know." "He's a good husband." "By the way, laundry is a woman's job." "No, Petr Vasilyevich, it's laundry's work." "Elizaveta Vasilyevna, bear in mind that mayors are temporary." "And football is forever!" "Forever!" "Well." "Let's start." "Dear Stepan Trofimovich." "We are here on the behalf of the Supreme Soviet, USSR." "To present you with the Order of Lenin." "It is a big joy for all of us." "I have to confess, Stepan Trofimovich." "We like your character." "Your way of thinking." "And your bolshevik and revolutionary life." "Alexandra Vasilyevna once complained about you." "That you spend half of your pension on telegrams." "Alexandra Vasilyevna, I'm sorry to reveal this secret." "But I really want to tell this." "I cannot skip it." "So." "What telegrams does he send?" "Different, Alexandra Vasilyevna says." "To all parts of our country." "To the builders of a power plant, or a factory, or to astronauts." "Every astronaut gets his greetings." "Am I right?" "After any event he gets money from a drawer and goes to the post office to send his greetings." "Or to criticise if needed." "Everything concerns him." "Everything is his business." "Her words made me happy that day." "Such a beautiful person lives in our town." "Stepan Trofimovich, you're like a poet." "You respond to every event of our life." "And that is understandable." "You started this life!" "You planted it into the soil, like a seed." "And you, as a good farmer, want to see its growth and its harvest." "And that's why you get happy about every shape it takes." "Edict of the Supreme Soviet, USSR." ""For the years of active revolutionary work in the establishment of the Soviet power." ""For the great merits in communist development." ""And in connection to his 80th birthday." ""To award" ""Stepan Trofimovich Bushuev," ""member of the Communist Party since 1912" ""with the Order of Lenin."" "Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Podgorny." "Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Georgadze." "Moscow, Kremlin." "Our dear Stepan Trofimovich, I congratulate you!" "We are so proud of you." "With all my heart." " Here you are." " Thank you." "Alexandra Vasilyevna, I congratulate you, too." "Thank you, my dear." "Thank you, thank you." "Stepan, where are you putting it?" "Let's pin it on you suit." "Later." "I want to have a good look at it." " My compliments." " Thank you." "My compliments." "Clever girl!" " I congratulate you, grandad!" " Thank you, my little friend!" "Now is my turn." "Stepan, I congratulate you with this great award." "Get well soon!" "My compliments, my dear friend!" "It's a well-deserved reward, surely!" "Why are you lying?" "Come on, get well!" "Why are you lying?" "It's no good accepting your guests like that." "Where is the order?" "Let me see it!" "It's time to get up, my friend!" " Johann?" " Van'ka?" " Let him in." " Don't let him, Stepan!" "Let him in!" "Kick him out!" "Let him in!" " It's your will, but I refuse to see him." " Sit down, Grisha, sit down!" "A chair, please." "Sit down, grandpa." "Yura, why are you still here?" "You'd better leave." "I'll stay, it's interesting." "Sit down, Ivan, rest your feet." "I congratulate you, Stepan." "Be well!" "Accept my compliments and forgive me, for Christ sake." "I'm sorry." "God damn it!" "He came to say he's sorry..." " Hello, Grisha." " He's sorry..." "Calm down, Grisha, please!" "I will calm down, and you will forgive him." "You're way too kind." "Petr Nikitin." "Vasya Pankov." "Will they forgive him?" "Never mind you or me." "There's no forgiveness for them." "Never." "I will die soon, Grisha." " Forgive me, too, if you can." " No, Van'ka, I can't forgive you." "Even death won't reconcile us." "Don't make such noises, old chap." "There are people around here." "Who are you?" "You're just shielding your old man." "I'm not shielding him." "I love him." "He's my grandfather." "He brought up me, my brother and my sister." "That's right." "Those are good words." "Come here." "Come on!" "Sit down." " What's your name?" " Fedor." "Forgive us, Fedor, forgive us for all that noise." "It's all the memories that keeps us restless." "We had different things in our lives, good deeds, love, cowardice, and foolishness." "But there was more love and good deeds." "That's why we are still alive and able to make noise." "And it's not death that will reconcile me and your grandfather." "But you..." "our children and grandchildren." "You are our reconciliation." "That's it." "The boy is father to the man." "If you're kind when you're young, you will live and die as a good person." "Why are you so silent?" "I'm not dead yet." "Let's sing some songs!" "Grisha, make the tune!" "There you go again!" "Sasha, can you start?" "Elizaveta Andreevna, who is Sartre?" "He's a writer and a dramatist, Venya." " He's that Frenchman, yeah?" " Yes." "Turn left." "How do you feel about him?" "Did you read?" "Yes." "I don't like him." "He's a leftist." "Careful." " Did you read it?" " I didn't." "I don't like him." "Look, Gulyaev has brought so much machinery!" "That's because you kicked his ass." "I'll check it out." "Wait a minute." "Come on, I'll give you something to eat." " The guests don't disturb you?" " Of course they do." "Can't help it." " It will be a great carpet!" " Buy it." "Have a seat." "Here's a plate." " Fork." " Give me some salad." "Glass." " Do you want champagne?" " Some soup?" "How do you want it?" "Salad, olives..." "oh, wait a minute." "Here you are at last." " Hello." " Hello." " Welcome to the table." " Hi, Fedya!" "Oh, what a society!" "And what a meal!" " Fedya." " Uvarova." "Why so formal?" "Elizaveta Andreevna." "That's even worse." " Why so?" " Could be just Liz." "We're not in military service." "Yes, sir." "Hello, Fedya." "Won't you lend me three roubles?" " No, I have problems myself." " Pity." "Guys, the last plate of soup!" "Excuse me, Fedya, but that's for me." "I came first." "Sorry." "We will share it." "Give us another plate." "Wait a minute." "Give me a cigarette, please." " Good." " Good." "Zina's great." "Zina's great." "It's got plenty of salt." "And pepper." "Let's have a shot!" "Let's have a shot." "To you." "To your wonderful eyes." "To Zina." "Zina, that's to you!" "To the fact that we're all contemporaries." "Well said." "I recognized you." "Let's drink." "I want to ask you for something." "For what?" "Something strictly private." "An apartment?" "I have a flat." "You need a telephone?" "Nope." "A lot for dacha?" "It's early to talk about that." " It's completely different." " What is it?" "I'm a dramatist, Liz." "They don't let my play on the stage." "I'm listening to you." "I wrote a play about youth, and it's really good." " Maybe it's my best." " My compliments." "I'm happy for you." "Wait, I've just said that they don't let me on the stage." "Who?" " Your culture department." " Alfimov?" " Exactly." " How come?" " Because he's such an ass." " Fedya, he's a good worker." " He has experience." " Yes." "He demands that I make changes." "Well, it can make your play even better." " No, these changes won't make it better." " Why are you so sure?" "I'm not sure, I'm absolutely convinced." " How so?" " Just because." "Liz!" "I'm an author." "I know better than Alfimov, what's bad and what's good." " It's good that you know it." " He's doing it all wrong!" "What does he do?" "He destroys the best episodes of the play." "I don't understand why does that." "Calm down, Fedya." "No need to be so worried." "I'll calm down now." "Don't take it to heart." "I can't do it other way." "If Alfimov's wrong, we'll set him straight." "Take care of your nerves." "You need them for your work." "Do you have your play with you?" " No, it's at home." " Too bad." "I'd like to read it." " I hope you don't mind." " I'll be glad, Liz!" "For God's sake, help us!" "Alfimov." "Play." "Sort out." "Talk to him!" " Do something, please!" " I'll try." " The theatre wants it, too." " I'll do something." "Thank you so much." "Cheer up, Fedya!" "That's the most important thing in our life." " Give me your hand." " Here you go." "Fedya, you're quite an odd man." "Wait a minute." " Where are you going?" " I'll bring you the play." "Don't leave, please!" "I'll be back soon." "Elizaveta Andreevna!" "What are you talking about?" "The telephone!" "I don't agree." "These apartments are for the veterans." "That was our promise." "Yes?" "Fedya!" "Hello, Fedya." "It's Uvarova." "Elizaveta Andreevna." "Liz!" "Where have you been, Fedya?" "Oh, in Moscow." "Alright." "You should have let me know, Fedya." "It's no good to have a woman look for you." "Yeah..." "Well, well, well." "Well, I forgive you for the first time." "Yes, write me a poem." "No, I'm not angry, take my word." "Yes, I read it, of course." "I promised you." "I thought you were afraid of being criticized." "You'd better call me." "I don't want to discuss it over the telephone." " You're going to scold me." " How so?" "No." "We'll just discuss." "The theme is great, fertile." "Your style is good." " There are lot of laughs." " Say it straight that you don't like it." " Come on!" "Say it!" " Fedya, why so rude?" "Come on!" "I'm used to it." "No, Fedya." "In general, I enjoyed the play." "It's an interesting play." "You are free to go, comrades." "The play is interesting, but your position, your attitude towards the disadvantages is what I don't like." "Do you mean we don't have them?" "Yes, we have." "And lots of them, unfortunately." "But it's all about your attitude to the disadvantages." "What is my attitude?" "It's the same as yours." "I don't like them." "Otherwise I wouldn't write about them." "Fedor Vasilyevich, my dear." "If you dare to write about our disadvantages, you should show people how to get rid of them." "And what if I don't know how to do that?" "Don't write about it." "How can I not write about it?" "I'm a writer." "A writer is a physician who finds the disease and tells the people about it." "And then what?" "Then we should think about it together." "Very seriously." "And then it can be solved." " Why not vice versa?" " What do you mean?" "Think first, then find the cure for the disease, and tell everyone afterwards." "Just like any other important matter." "You're a writer, Fedor Vasilyevich, a writer is a practitioner, too." "We build houses, you write plays." "Generally, we work on the same thing." " You must entertain people." " But I mustn't lie to them." "Of course!" "But you have to entertain them." "You should show them positive examples." " But the disadvantages..." " Come on, Fedor!" "Don't repeat yourself!" "You have such a face, such hands!" "You're a working man!" "From where did you get your "disadvantages"?" "Do we lack something positive in our lives?" "No, we don't." "But I want to make it better." " Make it so!" " I can't!" " Why, damn it?" " There are disadvantages, damn it!" "You're an artist, damn it!" "You're a writer, a dramatist!" "Show the people the way it should be!" " Gorky could do it!" " Well, I'm not Gorky." "You're a talented man, too." "Just write!" "People will thank you for that." " They won't." " They will, Fedor Vasilyevich." " I'll be the first one to do so." " And the last one." "You're wrong." "No, you are wrong, Elizaveta Andreevna." " Only time will show." " Yes." "In fact... the theme is very good." "It's a hot topic these days." "And the style is really good." " A lot of funny episodes." " You've already said that." "It's nice to repeat it." "Why not?" "The play is good." "But there are things that need changing." "Which ones?" " In particular?" " Yes, please." "Alright." "The community work day." "The meeting scene." "The shop scene should be changed definitely." "And the exhibition scene." "That's all?" "No." "What else?" "The bedroom scene should be removed." "Why?" "Too much sex?" "Yes, too much." "Too much of it." "It's quite vulgar." "That's not the way we do it." "I've seen such westerns in Paris." "Alright." "Understood." "Everything is clear." " Fedya, I hope you're not offended." " No way." "Well, I'm glad." "I'm glad we understand each other." "Don't worry, the play will be great." "The only thing you have to do is to work a bit hard." " I believe in you, Fedya." " Thank you." "But the play has already been rehearsed in Moscow." " How come?" " Two theatres." " So, you've already changed it." " Not a single line." "Interesting." "Very interesting." "Fedya." " Why didn't you tell me before?" " The talk was going the other way." " The moment was not right." " I see." " Well, Fedya, I'm very happy for you." " Thank you." "I'm very happy, too." " Change your play, anyway." " What for?" "If you change it, it will be rehearsed in our town, too." " Isn't that clear?" " It is." "Of course." "Well, good luck." "Give us a call." "Goodbye." "Moscow." "Two theatres." "Sort out!" "Tanya, the car!" " And your supper?" " Later, Tanya, later."