Farther from us, the Great Patriotic War, which began 75 years ago. Having claimed nearly 20 million lives, it remains in the memory of generations, bit by bit collecting genuine evidence of that time from the rapidly thinning ranks of veterans. On April 30, 1945 , the first inscriptions of Soviet soldiers appeared on the German parliament building, on which the Victory flag soared, among which there is such: "Satisfied with the ruins of the Reichstag." True, the word "Berlin" appeared instead of the name of the building. But the phrase got to the masses thanks to the legendary film "Only" old people "go into battle.
The idea of the film
To understand the origin of the phrase "the ruins of the Reichstag satisfied", you need to get to know the film itself. The motion picture is the embodiment of the dream of the outstanding actor Leonid Bykov, who appeared in it simultaneously as the main character, director and screenwriter. Born in Ukraine in 1928, as a boy, he found a happy period in the liberation of his native land from the Nazis. Once in 1944, a young man came to a concert of the choir of the singing squadron of the 5th Aviation Regiment, which made an indelible impression on him. He also wanted to become a pilot, but his small stature (163 cm) did not allow him to realize his dream. From the memoirs of that period, a song crashed into the memory of the soldiers who were returning with victory. It was the “Dark-skinned Girl”, written in 1940 and dedicated to the Bessarabian partisans.
He promised himself that he would definitely take a picture of fighter pilots where this song would sound. Having moved to Kiev in the early 70s, Bykov set about creating a film at the movie studio named after Dovzhenko. Together with E. Onoprienko and A. Satskiy, he wrote a script based on real events and childhood memories. Almost every hero has a prototype, like Captain Titarenko, who uttered the famous phrase: "Satisfied with the ruins of the Reichstag." The quote, like many others in the film, immediately became famous. And about twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vitaly Popkova and Ivan Laveikin (prototype hero) learned the whole country.
The story of the film
The film industry officials did not like the script, they considered it not heroic, so they in every way prevented the start of filming. It took the intervention of the USSR Air Force commander A. Pokryshkin, who read the text in one night and wrote in the resolution that this was a real film about the war. Bykov refused to highlight the color film, so the picture saw the light in black and white. Only in 2009 it will be restored and colorized, unfortunately, with copyright infringement. A. Pokryshkin will assist in the shooting, having allocated as many as five aircraft, and Marshal S. Rudenko will provide Po-2, on which the heroines from the female regiment flew.
Hero L. Bykova, the author of the phrase "Satisfied with the ruins of the Reichstag", a photo of which can be seen in the article, was a magnificent pilot according to the script and already had a Hero Star. To get used to the role, the actor learned to independently control a fighter, fulfilling a childhood dream. After the filming was completed in 1973, it was decided to put the film on the shelf, but Marshals A. Pokryshkin, P. Kutakhov and Lieutenant General V. Popkov, who were present at the run, defended the picture, which was released in August 1974.
The plot of the picture and the birth of the phrase "The ruins of the Reichstag satisfied"
The film tells about the everyday life of the 1st squadron of fighter pilots, whose captain is Captain Titarenko (L. Bykov). Military operations take place on the territory of Ukraine, and pilots represent all corners of the vast Motherland: Tavria and distant Siberia, Georgia and Uzbekistan. Replenishment comes from the Orenburg school (in reality it did not exist). Pilots and mechanics call the accelerated release of cadets among themselves “take-off and landing”, therefore they strive to save and teach young and inexperienced guys: “You can not be a pilot, we will teach you to fly anyway!” It is desirable to be musicians. In the 1st Squadron everyone sings, because "the war is passing, the music is eternal." The film is about the fact that the winners can only be those who in the most severe conditions remain human.
Titarenko supported his follower Sergei Skvortsov (V. Talashko), who showed cowardice and cowardice in battle. He made it possible for him to believe in himself, and his death with the words “Guys! Will live!" pain in the hearts of the audience. Like the death of the wounded Romeo (R. Sagdullaev), who landed the plane at the limit of human capabilities: “Commander, I sat down!”. The departure from the life of each hero is shown in a few strokes, but so that the audience begins to hate war. And passing from Stalingrad to the Dnieper, losing his comrades, Aleksey Titarenko will exclaim with despair, with what joy he will come to Berlin to write “Satisfied with the ruins of the Reichstag”.
Success picture
In 1974, the film was watched by more than 44 million viewers. This was the only picture of the war, included in the top ten most successful film works with an excellent rolling history. Veterans recognized its veracity, and the use of newsreels and the memories of pilots turned it into a historical source for future generations. Today there is no person who would not know, having heard the phrase “I am satisfied with the ruins of the Reichstag,” who said these words and for what reason. They became symbols of the great Victory of our country in the most bloody war of the XX century.
There is nothing accidental in the film. Even the call sign of Titarenko - "Maestro" - is taken from the real Dmitry Titorenko, the led illustrious pilot Ivan Kozhedub. Maybe that's why the characters in the film are perceived as real people and monuments are erected to them. In Kharkov - the mechanic Makarych, touchingly played by Alexei Smirnov, a participant in the war. In Kiev - the comedian Titarenko, who said, "The ruins of the Reichstag are satisfied." Photo of the monument can be seen in the article. The film was noted at the All-Union and International Film Festivals, but its main achievement is the love of the audience, who traditionally include it in the Top 100 best Russian films.