Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull M_I_SForEver
[gun parts clicking]
[suspenseful music] ♪♪
AK-47 KALASHNIKOV
Misha! Misha!
Wanna play with us?
Come on.
Let's play tag.
You're it!
Gotta run, Misha!
Hey, wait for me,
I got a better idea.
Little closer.
And fire!
Fire!
Another few yards.
Take Cover!
Fire!
Halt! I said halt!
You're dead.
Come on! This is our chance!
Fire!
Come on!
Faster!
Hit it!
Left, let's get those bastards!
They won't get much farther.
Run them down!
Fire!
Roll over those fucking bastards!
Quick! Reload!
Stop him!
Faster! Stop that tank!
The next shot must hit them!
Watch out! Take cover!
Get the hell outta the way.
Or do you wanna get run over?
He has a very high fever.
Since yesterday morning.
Thank you, nurse.
I'll take a closer look at him.
I think he's awake.
I can see that.
Well done,
soldier.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Shh, shh, shh, shh!
Slowly, slowly.
- Why don't you lay down again. - Gaponenko?
- You have to rest now. - My buddies, they alive?
Everything will be just fine.
I'm looking for a lieutenant Gaponkenko!
Don't worry about that. You need to rest now.
Water? Can I have some water?
This coat is pre-war quality, I'm telling you...
Stop the car here.
Excuse me, Lieutenant,
we're looking for the 12th rifle division.
Know where we can find them?
Hell, I have got no goddamn idea, Captain.
Everyone's on the move now.
What about you?
Anyone back there know where the 12th rifle division is?
No idea.
Hey, Lieutenant, take care of yourself.
Back there, still a bunch of Krauts on the loose.
Much obliged, Comrade Captain.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Easy on the gas, for Christ sake!
Come on, guys, and push!
Keep pushing,
keep pushing.
Hey, there's no point.
We ain't getting out of here like this.
Son-of-a-goddamn...
How about over there?
Maybe they got a horse.
We're gonna go check out the village.
Be right back.
What's your name?
Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov.
- First name? - Mikhail.
You come with me.
Where's he going?
The lieutenant just wants to take a look around.
What the hell is that about?
No idea, just shut up and wait.
Is...
is that the new machine gun?
Yeah,
was just issued.
They wanna replace all the old rifles with these things.
That's not a bad idea.
And in combat? Is it reliable?
What?
The machine gun. Is it reliable?
How the hell should I know?
They'll probably send me to the front soon,
and then I can see if it's reliable.
So, listen up here.
50 meters distance behind me, got it?
And just in case...
Johann.
Johann!
Behind you!
In the shack.
Are you alive?
Yeah, more or less.
But that new gun,
isn't worth shit.
It jammed,
right when I needed it.
- Yeah, saw that. - Big piece of shit.
Filled with water.
And when it got cold and froze,
the bullets frigging froze up.
And the spring is...
way too weak to keep all the bullets separated.
A goddamn design flaw I'd say.
You know your way around these things.
I...
like to tinker around.
A little bit, at least.
Everyone does a little bit.
And what have you made?
Lots of things.
Too many to remember.
And what was the last one?
The last one?
A footwrap dryer, using a campfire.
Huh. A footwrap dryer?
Oh Christ... What a load of hot air.
Stop!
To my dearest mother,
my sister,
and all my nephews and nieces,
as well as Granny Shura.
Aunt Tatiana,
and all the neighbors who are interested in hearing
from Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov.
I'm writing to tell you that my tank was hit in combat,
and my crew...
died as heroes.
Miraculously,
I survived with just a shoulder wound.
Since then I've been in a hospital,
receiving medical treatment.
YELETS, 1942
Since my wound is not healing well,
our doctor put me on leave and told me to go home,
and stay there until I make a full recovery.
That is why I'm only now
beginning my journey back to you.
Love, Mikhail.
Any injured soldiers here?
You there, with the sling, come over here.
What the hell? How come he get's on, huh?
That's not fair!
Excuse me.
Got your papers?
Where are you from, Sergeant?
Altai.
Yeah, then we're neighbors.
I'm from Kazakhstan.
I used to work there.
Small city, really pretty. Matai.
Matai?
That was before the war.
Fucking railway depot.
But they ended up kicking me out.
Why was that?
Well I was always making...
various things.
And my boss didn't really care for that.
What kind of things?
Well, like crossbows,
and I made a shotgun.
Since I was a kid it's been a passion of mine.
And now I'm thinking,
how I can...
make...
like...
an automatic.
What do you mean, "automatic"?
An automatic machine gun.
Here, I'll show you, I got some drawings.
Here.
Ah, they wouldn't be kicking you out now,
for christ sake.
You know what they'd say?
"Get to work, bud,
and invent whatever the hell your heart desires, Sergeant."
And you know what else they'd be saying to you?
"The Motherland needs you more than ever."
Matai! Next stop, Matai!
Sergeant?
Where's he going?
Dear Mom,
please forgive your unruly son.
I won't be coming back any time soon.
I decided to get off the train.
I miss you all terribly, so much I could cry.
I know it's tough without Dad,
but if I come home at a time like this,
I'll lose respect for myself.
With all my love. Yours, Mikhail.
Hey! Pull it tight. Tighter!
Hey, where's the boss, Andrejic?
Back there somewhere.
Hey, pay attention.
What the hell's taking so long?
- What's your job? - What the hell...
- Good morning, Mr Andrejic. - Who the hell are you?
Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov,
on leave for recovery.
Kalashnikov, Kalashnikov...
The name vaguely rings a bell.
Do I know you?
- I used to work here before the war. - Ah.
- Fixing steam generators. - Yeah, yeah.
Can you lift a sledgehammer?
- No but... - Then get the hell outta here.
Why does everyone want to waste my goddamn time,
as if I had time to waste!
- Hey, Mr Andrejic. - I told you, get the hell outta here.
I don't have any work for you.
Yeah?
Why aren't you unloading the wagons?
If you need some special valve,
then get it yourself!
You want to write a complaint?
What a load of crap.
Alright then.
And hurry up while you're at it. Bye, bye.
Mr Andrejic!
I was doing a lot of thinking while I was in the hospital.
It's a pretty tough situation on the front right now.
The enemy is well-armed whereas we,
to say it politely,
have an undisputed disadvantage.
To win the war, the Red Army
needs a decent submachine gun.
And in regards to this, I have an idea.
Do you really?
Yes, I do.
And what if we design a new submachine gun
right here in this depot. Huh?
A submachine gun, huh?
And we'll design it here? Here in the depot?
I remember who you are.
Kalashnikov.
You were the one who sat at his workbench
and fiddled with guns, right?
- That was me. Yeah. - Uh-huh...
and do you also happen to know, buddy boy,
what happened when they found that
goddamned gun of yours in my depot?
Two days of grilling from son-of-a-bitch investigators.
"Who made this?" "For what purpose?"
"Who gave him the goddamn permission?"
I lost ten pounds of weight, damn it!
I was fucking sweating so much.
Thank God, the damn gun couldn't shoot.
Otherwise I'd be in prison somewhere,
freezing my ass off.
Well in fact, it shot really well.
Through sheet metal, this thick.
But on that day, I took the bolt out
in order to make some improvements.
Thank God.
I'm really sorry about
the investigation and all the worries.
So what do you think about my idea?
Shall we give it a try? Huh?
You know what,
Comrade Inventor?
Get the hell out of here!
Comrade Lieutenant,
Lieutenant Colonel Basarov's car is ready and waiting.
What is the itinerary, sir?
First, the Commandant's office,
and then as per his orders.
- Yes sir. - You wait here.
Hold on a sec, comrade.
Is that some big wig arriving?
Oh, yeah he is.
Some high ranking inspector from Alma-Ata.
His name is Hassanov?
Or Basarov?
Hey, you were on the front.
So tell me, what's it like?
Can I get that for you, sir?
Like being in a furnace.
You need some help there?
No, that's just fine.
Welcome back!
Lieutenant Colonel, may I take your bags?
Lieutenant Colonel! Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov.
Permission to speak, sir?
What happened? You lose your tank, soldier?
I'm on leave until I recover.
Can I talk with you about something important, sir?
Start talking Sergeant, just be quick about it.
Thank you. So...
what I really want to say, deep inside...
Wrong, wrong start.
I've been in the army since 1938,
and on the front line since the war began.
Four enemy tanks,
and seven, no, no,
eight tank busters destroyed.
There could've been more, but then I got wounded.
And every once in a while,
you know how it is, we have to go to close combat.
So then you,
you have a Fritz running at you
shooting with his submachine gun,
and he's got forty rounds a minute,
and he's shooting up your ass.
But you, you've got to reload your gun after...
every individual shot, so then...
- What are you saying, Sergeant? - Oh, yeah.
Recommendation from Basarov?
Stubborn little bastard, ain't you?
Well then...
Get me Zhigalov!
Hey. So, listen,
I have a young guy here by the name of Kalashnikov.
Give him a corner to work in.
Yeah...
table, workbench, tools.
Yeah, alright.
Goodbye.
I can't give you any people. Christ!
- I need every specialist I have here. - Mr Andrejic, what...
what I am doing here is of national importance.
Oh is it, really?
As opposed to what I'm doing here?
Is that what you mean? Huh?
Jesus Christ, as if the country doesn't need
these trains in working order.
I'm not giving you people, full stop!
And, allow me to be frank with you.
You don't have it in you, Kalashnikov. Okay?
I can see why he took pity on you, this Basarov.
A wounded soldier trying to be useful.
He wrote the goddamn letter,
so he could get you off his back.
So pretty please,
stop interfering with my work. Get lost!
Kalashnikov,
rumor has it you're designing a submachine gun.
Is that right?
- Yeah. - And you're looking for specialists,
- that right as well? - Yeah.
- But Andrejic said that I had no chance... - Hey,
Andrejic was talking about working hours.
We'll help you in our spare time.
Zhenya Kravchenko,
On the milling machine.
Dimitry Kuzmich,
lathe operator, real good.
Matveich, Volodka,
Sanya, Uncle Misha.
Welcome back, Misha.
Lemme take a look.
Of course.
So, Comrade Kalashnikov,
we have great respect for what you're doing,
and we'd be happy to help you any way we can.
There you have it.
Don't you have a drawing that's a little more specific?
Yeah I know. As a draftsman I'm not too good.
Sorry... Sorry about that.
So, we'll have to eyeball it,
and measure it until we get it right.
Dear Mom,
this small town is home to some of the
finest people I have ever met.
I'm scared to think what I would do without their help.
If my crazy idea works out,
I will go straight to Alma-Ata.
I was promised help there.
All I can tell you now is that what I'm doing is top secret,
but it is very important.
Both for me, and even more so,
for our country.
With all my love,
your Mikhail.
Zhenya, you try it.
Yeah, you do it.
ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN
- This building here? - Yeah, right here.
Thanks for the ride.
Oh, excuse me.
Excuse me,
where can I find Colonel Basarov?
Never heard of him, sorry.
You never heard of your deputy military commissar,
are you kidding?
What's going on?
How do you do, sir?
I need to speak to Lt. Colonel Basarov.
Comrade Basarov is at the front.
- What? He's at the front? - That's right.
And who has...
replaced him?
Why do you want this information?
It's a question of national importance.
Here.
My comrades and I,
we developed it in the depot.
All the work was done in our free time.
What, what the hell?
- That's my frigging arm, for Christ sake! - It's enough!
If you don't believe me, call the manager of the depot.
His name is Krotov.
He can explain everything!
Hey!
So what exactly is going on here?
Thank you, Comrade Major.
Here it is,
an armed soldier tried to break into
the commissar's office.
Here's his weapon.
You interrogate him?
We decided to wait for you, sir.
Well that's interesting.
This boy ain't factory made.
Was done by hand...
I'm off to the Commandant,
won't be back until tomorrow.
Then we can deal with him.
Go to the workshop on Gorokhovaya.
Ask for Andrey Kazakov, yeah?
Give him the gun, I want it tested,
and I want to hear his opinion.
Yes, sir.
Fire!
Looking good.
- Welcome, sir. - At ease.
What do you think?
Not bad at all, this one,
but the grouping could be a bit tighter.
Hold on a sec.
Got something for you.
Well, this is pretty damn ugly.
Don't know what it is,
but it's handmade.
Some major form the commandant's office sent it to me.
Look at that bolt,
and that baby there, see that?
What do you think?
Interesting approach, huh?
Should we put it to the test?
Sure, why not?
And who is the person who designed that?
I wouldn't mind knowing myself.
What the hell are you laughing at?
Really, no offense, Sergeant,
but there is no way possible that you are an inventor.
At most you would had a few years of grade school,
that would have been about it.
You're from a village?
Yes, I am from a village.
- And he thinks he's an inventor... - Attention! Comrade major,
no incidents occurred on my watch.
- At ease. - At ease.
There he is,
your inventor.
Alive and well.
Let him the hell out.
What's your name?
Kalashnikov.
Hm.
You're free to go.
You, Inventor Kalashnikov.
Take him with you.
Let's go.
It's a curious design you have here,
but it needs further development
to improve the shot grouping,
and lower the construction weight.
Have you heard about the All-Union
weapon design contests?
For your design to be commissioned into service,
you first have to win a contest.
We'll work to make some improvements,
and show it to General Kurbatkin,
commander of the Central Asian military district.
He can be harsh and sometimes cranky,
but if he likes the templates of your weapon design,
he can get you into the contest.
So?
What do you think?
Well, what am I supposed to say?
This morning I thought I was going to jail,
and now I'm hearing I should...
work on the grouping and lower the weight of the gun.
Yes.
Yes, of course, goddamn it!
You nervous?
Hey, you.
Get your uniform tip-top.
The general will be here soon.
Here comes the General.
See? There he is, goddamn it!
Attention.
Fall in.
Welcome, Commander General.
So, which one of you is Kalashnikov?
Here!
Well then, how about showing us your invention?
So, you pull the bolt back in order to load it.
Now there's a round in the chamber.
Single fire,
and this is automatic.
How many rounds are in there?
In the magazine there are 14.
Goes in like this,
comes out like that.
There will also be a magazine with 70 rounds.
I am working on that at the moment.
Let's put it to the test.
Magazine.
Binoculars.
Would you like some tea, Comrade General?
Kalashnikov!
You need to work on your appearance, Sergeant.
Is that your old uniform?
I... um...
didn't have time to change, sir.
I want you to tell them they have an order
to equip you with a new one.
You are a weapons engineer.
I can't have you...
looking like that.
Thank you, sir.
And remember, Kalashnikov,
you are an engineer from our military district.
You'll be showing your prototype
at the All-Union weapons design contest.
I'll be giving you a personal letter of recommendation.
The apparel often proclaims the man.
And don't let us down.
I believe in you.
- What'd he say? - Yeah,
he said, "I believe in you, Kalashnikov."
And you know what else he said?
I'll be representing our military district.
I can't say I've given it a lot of thought up until now.
I'm talking about natural talent.
Some might say a gift of God.
I don't know where it comes from,
but such gifts are certainly real,
and that is a fact.
There is a man sitting here among us
who has been touched by the veritable hand of God.
Mikhail Timofejewitsch.
Our diamond in the rough.
Here's to a proud future,
and to the glory
of Russian armaments.
Forgive me for not writing more often.
I'm like a leaf in the wind now,
tumbling in the air instead of coming to rest on the ground.
Once or twice I was very close to making a visit,
but I'm not my own master these days.
I could, of course, drop everything
and rush into your loving arms...
MOSCOW, 1943
but I'd be letting our country down,
and I can't afford that now.
With my deepest regards and all my love,
Yours,
Mikhail.
How about going out for a coffee sometime?
Oh, that would be nice.
Sir.
Are you heading to the Schurovskiy range?
- That's where I'm going. - Then give the sergeant here a lift.
- Sure. - Hop in.
Would you like some bread?
What...
what's this you have here?
Let me take a look.
- Is it yours? - It's mine.
Too heavy.
It's four ounces lighter than the "PP Scha".
That's not saying much.
1-20.
The PP Scha weighed
at least a ton.
Mine is a pound lighter.
Without the magazine?
Course without it.
If your design wins the competition,
I'll buy you a bottle of the best Armenian Cognac.
If mine wins,
you gotta climb on the table and crow like a rooster.
That a deal?
It's a deal.
So you're an inventor as well?
More or less.
Sudaev, Alexei.
Kalashnikov, Mikhail.
Crow like a rooster. You got it?
Oh yeah, I got it.
You still have any bread?
Yup.
GOLUTVIN, SCHUROVSKIY TEST SITE, WORKSHOPS
Thanks a lot.
Greetings, sir.
"And I ask that you provide
"Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov
"with any assistance required for his work,
as a firearms designer."
You have no education?
That is correct. None.
So, you chose not to study?
Why is that? Of course I would.
I mean, I'm ready.
If it's necessary, I'm ready.
Come with me.
So, the test grounds will have to be your classroom.
Your prototype will be entered in the competition.
That recommendation has a lot of weight around here.
This way, please.
So,
this is where you'll be working.
Captain?
Looks good.
Comrade Colonel,
- Lutiy at your command. - Captain here,
is our senior engineer,
Wassili Lutiy.
And this is Sergeant Kalashnikov.
A talented inventor from Kazakhstan.
- And a new contestant. - Do you still need this?
No, get rid of it.
Give him his own desk and...
any support he might need.
- Yes, sir. - Good luck, Sergeant.
Oh.
This workshop belongs to Shpagin.
Shpagin's here?
Does that surprise you?
Our country needs better weapons,
so all the engineers you ever heard of are here.
Korovin is here,
Rukavishnikov is over there,
and that building over there
is Wassili Degtjarjow's workshop.
Degtjarjow himself?
The one and only.
Wait, does this mean I have to compete against
all these famous names?
That's the way it is.
You're in the big leagues now.
Everyone has the same conditions.
We have a shortage of lathe operators,
so you'll have to wait your turn.
And, since you've been assigned to me,
I'll need a complete set
of technical drawings for your design.
Technical drawings?
Exactly.
I don't have any drawings.
Then you better get to work on it.
You can draft, right?
Uh-huh,
got it.
Don't worry about it. Make yourself at home.
I'll be back later.
Hey, comrades.
Excuse me.
Are you Kalashnikov?
Mm-hm.
Ekaterina Moiseeva.
The Captain asked me if I would help you with your drawings.
I agreed to it, I'm getting paid overtime,
but there's one condition.
Don't flirt with me.
If you...
I finish work tomorrow at eight,
shall we meet at 8:30?
- Sounds good. - I hope we have an understanding.
Look at him now, way overwhelmed.
He doesn't know our Katya, does he?
SCHUROVSKIY TEST SITE, SHOOTING RANGE
Hey, Sergeant.
Nice to see you, Comrade Major.
Is that your weapon I hear?
Yeah, that one's mine.
Then I'm up next.
Who are those guys?
That group works for Degtjarjowa.
- Careful, it's heavy. - Where do you want the box?
Which one of them is Degtjarjow?
Yes, sir, put it here.
Listen my friend,
maestro has other things to do.
What's going on?
I think your rattle stopped rattling.
Yeah, here. Come in.
Hello.
I'm here, as we agreed.
Hello.
Weapons down.
Check the targets.
"Manufacture a barrel receiver clamp.
"Keep from unbending,
mount the base-clamp."
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGN IMPROVEMENT
I don't know how to thank you enough for all your work.
You don't have to thank me, I'm getting paid overtime.
Wait here for a second.
Don't go away. I'll come right back.
Here.
This is for you.
Take it, it's my sugar ration. Please.
And...
I'd like to walk you home tonight.
The results will be in tomorrow,
and we may never see each other again.
Alright then.
Oh my,
they're dancing.
It's been ages since I danced.
Same here.
May I ask you to dance with me?
Uh... Don't you think you should
get the consent of my date first?
I don't think the Sergeant would mind.
Anatoly.
Ekaterina.
It's Senior Sergeant!
Thank you.
Thank you, by the way.
For what?
That we stopped by here.
I'm so happy when I can dance.
The Lieutenant asked if he could accompany me back home.
And he asked what you mean to me.
And what am I?
I said that we worked together.
Ekaterina, hold on a second.
May I walk you home?
Tonight, I'm the person walking her home.
Is that right?
- I imagine that she... - Then you imagined it!
Would either of you like to ask me?
Go away.
I ain't going away.
How dare you treat me like I'm some sort of
village girl idiot?
Then why are you behaving like that?
You country bumpkin.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
What will you do in case you don't win?
Then, back to the front.
Hm.
I wish you all the best.
And thanks for the sugar, my daughter loves sweets.
Yes, I have a daughter.
And your husband?
Is he on the front?
I don't have a husband.
Sergeant Kalashnikov.
You gonna congratulate me?
Comrade Major,
would you like me to crow for you now?
Are you serious, buddy? That was just a joke.
You know, I'm a little tipsy right now.
I'm leaving for Tula,
to see my gun go into mass production.
Congratulations.
Hey, keep your spirits up.
Listen, we all take a hit,
but I believe in you.
You got something special.
I gotta go now.
Kalashnikov!
One day you'll show us all what you have in you.
Take good care of yourself.
So you wanna go home?
I lost, Comrade Colonel.
You don't get it.
Listen to me, Kalashnikov.
Very few people actually make it here.
Captain?
Please explain to the senior sergeant his new assignment.
If he starts acting up, put him in detention.
Three days should do it.
And no food.
They're about to start another contest,
for a new light submachine gun.
Why don't you start working on it back in Kazakhstan?
They know you, and they respect you there.
Then, you can come back here
to do all the testing and improvements.
So, what do you think of that, huh?
Mikhail?
Mikhail!
Yeah, I'll do it.
ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN 1944
Hey. Good morning.
Yup?
Kalashnikov.
- Comrade General. - I know.
I read the telegram.
It didn't work, that right?
Well, I didn't win.
You just not smart enough?
- I guess not. - Hm.
And what about the machine gun?
Why don't I see any self confidence?
This time, Kalashnikov,
there's a hell of a lot more at stake,
and we're going to have to pull a lot of resources.
Money, persons...
and you're giving me a goddamn shrug?
Tell Sasha, that Julia is waiting for him.
I've read your letter ten times over.
Not only are you hopeless at drawing,
but you're terrible at spelling, too.
I suppose you preferred inventing
to learning normal stuff in school.
You write that you want to see me.
I don't know what to say to that, Comrade Senior Sergeant.
But this is what I can tell you:
invent your light machine gun
and...
come on over.
Captain Lobov, State Security.
I'm here to accompany Kalashkin.
Here I am.
Not Kalashkin, it's Kalashnikov.
Ah, Senior sergeant.
I'd of thought you were at least a Major.
Is that the doo-hickey in question?
This doo-hickey, as you say,
is for our soldiers.
Of great importance.
Yeah, right, whatever.
Don't worry, Sergeant.
We'll get it there in one piece.
No need to worry.
Wait here.
Kalashnikov!
Kalashnikov?
Little Misha?
Mikhail, it's really you!
Shh...
Shut the hell up, it's my goddamn brother!
- Viktor? - Oh, my baby brother!
How come...
what the hell are you doing here, huh?
Misha,
how is Mama and our sister?
Misha.
Why don't you say anything, Mishanya?
But, I can see life is treating you well.
This was fate, Misha!
I wasn't as lucky as you can obviously see.
Mikhail! Please give Mom a kiss from me.
- Your documents? - Misha!
- Show me your documents. - My little brother,
I love you!
What's the matter, Sergeant?
Who was that?
Nobody I know.
Ha, I got this,
from a woman
on the platform.
And guess how much I paid?
Zilch.
She ran so fast
she was gone in a blur.
Sergeant, come on.
Do the honors.
I'd prefer not to, Comrade Captain.
That was a command, not an offer.
Is it below you, a veteran of the front,
to drink with State Security?
- I didn't say that. - But you were probably thinking it!
But here, on the home-front,
we don't have it any easier.
The ideological enemies
pose a greater threat than the Nazis.
He disguises himself, feigns friendship.
But if you turn your back on him
and drop your guard, then he will stab you...
Son-of-a-fucking-bitch.
Hey, Sergeant,
when are we gonna get there?
I don't know.
What do you mean you don't know?
You said one goddamn mile.
Where the hell are we, Sergeant?
Sir, I'd like to apologize, Captain,
it was probably the wrong path.
I suspected that already that,
that you led us here on purpose.
What do you mean by that?
Don't give me that bullshit.
Back at the station, that convict called you, "brother."
Christ, Kalashnikov, I bust my ass for my work.
And an ideological enemy
I can smell from a mile away.
So, who the hell are you?
Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov.
You found some cushy spot
and wriggled your way into favor,
by making some stupid guns.
But you can't fool me.
You're a traitor and I'm going to blow
- your goddamn cover. - Who the hell do you dare
to call a traitor?
Kalashnikov.
Sergeant?
I don't wanna hear that shit!
Take it back for fuck's sake!
All that I'm guilty of is that my father lost his farmland
to the socialist cause,
but I'm sure you knew that already.
And I can't do nothing for my brother.
I haven't seen him in at least eight fucking years.
But I am grateful that he's still alive.
Let's bury the hatchet.
The contest commission came to the following decision:
None of the light machine gun designs that were submitted
are acceptable.
Since the technical requirements make mass production
- impossible. - What the hell?
- No way. - Quiet,
comrades, quiet.
Quiet.
This contest is over.
However...
the war still drags on.
Which is why our bureau will give the finalists
an opportunity to continue developing
new firearms designs.
Thank you. You're free to go.
Doctor, I'm asking you.
Please write that I'm fine to serve.
I beg you. I'm a tank commander.
I don't need this arm to do that well.
I gotta see targets, and give commands.
My vision in perfect.
Bottom line, watch this:
I, M, S, A,
L, B, M, K.
Clench your fist.
Please straighten your arm now.
Stretch it.
Straight.
Even more. More!
Good. You can put it down.
- Comrade Captain. - Dismissed, Sergeant.
I said dismissed.
Misha!
Kalashnikov!
- Seriously? - Sergeant!
That is tougher than I thought.
Quit complaining, you sissy.
What did the doctor say?
I understand, fuck.
Let's have a smoke.
They don't want me either.
Got only one lung.
Can't run without getting out of breath?
Yeah.
So, I took a look at the drawings
for your submachine gun.
There's potential there.
Really is...
I'm really impressed with your approach.
And Glukhov as well.
You could stay here and work if you wanted to.
I'd say in my department first,
but, if things went well,
then you'd have your own.
Give yourself time to think about it.
I don't need an answer right now.
I believe in you.
We all believe in you.
The question is do you believe in yourself?
Sometimes I wonder what my life would've been like,
if I had not stepped off that train in Matai.
It probably would've been good.
It's mushroom season back home right now.
I would've brought a big basket,
full of them, from the forest,
Mom, come here.
and we would all sit down together to clean them.
Mom,
you would scold us for not cleaning the tops correctly,
and Vladimir,
if he were still alive,
would come up with excuses to avoid work.
You'd feel sorry for him and let him go.
- Mishka! - And I would sit there with you all,
happily, until the end of my days.
What's behind your back?
Nothing.
Let me take a look.
Look at what?
Did you make a rifle again?
You wanna help Mommy?
How can I help?
Misha?
Now you stay here, Daddy.
Mom, please meet Mikhail.
Very nice to meet you.
Yes, it's nice.
The bread rations were all taken...
Well, Misha brought a whole loaf for us.
Thank you.
So, where are you from?
The Altai mountains.
So, you are here for work temporarily?
Yeah. That's right.
And when you've completed your work,
you'll be returning to the mountains?
Mom!
I hope you'll excuse me.
There is no reason for me to doubt you're a good person.
I love your daughter.
And I would like her to be my wife.
Katya, will you marry me?
Victory! Victory!
We won, brothers!
Yeah!
What's going on?
Victory at last!
We won!
Open the window.
Open the window!
We won!
Victory is ours!
- We won, we won! - Really?
Yes, we won! We won! Victory!
The war is over!
I congratulate you
upon the victorious termination
of the Great Patriotic War.
Yeah!
Play on, play on.
Come on, Mikhail!
Do you think they'll be closing us down?
No one needs a machine gun when there's peace.
I know what we can design in peacetime.
An electric meat grinder.
Think about it, they'll put one in every household.
You put in the meat, press a button
and then there you.
We'll call it the "Grinder AK 1."
K like Kalashnikov?
K like the Kalashnikovs.
The idea is from me, yeah?
Oh crap,
what the hell is in this?
Okay, and now heave.
Watch out.
Yeah? Come in.
How do you do, Comrade Colonel?
Ah, Kalashnikov.
Come on, come on in.
Congratulations to our Victory.
Congratulations to you, sir.
How come you haven't changed yet?
Dress parade is at twelve.
I never had a uniform for a dress parade.
May I ask a question?
Then go for it.
The amount of hard work we put into this...
does it end up being for nothing in the end?
So many of our hopes,
and thoughts,
went into this.
- Here, read this. - Why are you laughing?
I just...
just received it today.
"This decree hereby declares
"to equip our army and fleet
with superior firearms."
I was planning on...
sharing this document
by making an official announcement but now...
I can tell you personally.
You are to proceed with your work.
But from now on,
in your own department.
Take care of this here first.
Make another one of these.
I'd say same specs.
- Hello, comrades. - Welcome back, sir.
- Good afternoon, comrades. - Hello.
My God, Kalashnikov.
Moving up in the world.
- Doing my best. - Still working on a new assault rifle?
Yeah.
Come on, let's leave the two of them alone.
AK.
Got a working prototype?
No, but if they approve the design...
Simplify it, simplify.
Every extra seam,
and part,
is a potential weak point that'll backfire.
A submachine gun's gotta be simple, like an easy tool.
Like a hammer,
easy to use.
Your PPS-43 is a work of genius.
Hm...
Have you...
read the re-armament decree?
Yeah.
Next month they're gonna announce a new contest,
to develop a new kind of rifle.
In other words my,
as you called it, "genius PPS",
will soon only be found in museums.
And that, Klashnikov, is how the world works.
Are we competing against each other again?
If you win,
I'll buy you a bottle of Armenian cognac.
Don't be so upset, you're only going for a year.
- That's not what it's about! - Then what then?
The Kowrow Firearms Plant.
Don't you know who runs it?
- General Degtjarjow. - Degtjarjow.
- So what? - He's my competitor.
Do you think they'll support me if I'm working there?
No! I'll be lucky
if they give me a sledgehammer and maybe a goddamn workbench.
Misha, you'll manage. You're strong-willed.
Yeah, stubborn.
And you are the greatest weapons designer
in the Soviet Union.
- Am I? - I know it.
So you don't think I'm the best one in the world?
Dream on, soldier.
KOVROV, FIRE ARMS FACTORY 1947
Your papers, please?
Wait a sec, are you heading in to town?
Alright, then move on.
Comrade Kalashnikov.
How ya doing?
I was assigned to your workshop.
Zaitsev, Alexander.
We'll be working together if you don't mind.
Uh, you don't mind, do you?
No, I don't mind.
It's only my second week here but
I know my way around already.
Most of the shop foremen still don't recognize me
and think I'm a courier,
but things like that don't really bother me.
Who's that?
That's comrade Degtjarjow.
Some car he got there.
A real limousine.
It was a present from Stalin.
Do you know him personally?
Who? Stalin?
No. Comrade Degtjarjow.
No. But I'm sure I'll be meeting him soon enough.
Katya, I have news.
Happy news.
Deep inside, I'm overjoyed.
I want to share my joy with you in secret.
Everything seems to be falling into place,
quite literally.
Everything fits together
like it's meant to be there.
Sudaev was right,
everything must be simple.
As simple as a hammer.
I started thinking,
and then, bam!
The solution came to me in a flash.
As you might guess, I have trouble sleeping.
I'm nervous. I'm terrified.
I was less scared going into battle in a tank.
At the same time, I'm very excited.
I can't wait to test the first batch.
Is everything alright?
What do we do now?
Shooting range.
But at the moment,
they're testing the prototypes from Degtjarjow.
That's no problem, we only have one.
Who is doing all the banging?
Designer Kalashnikov.
I'm gonna have to test my prototype.
Today the prototypes
from General Degtjarjow are scheduled for testing.
What did I tell you?
Good.
VICE PRESIDENT
...that you wanna have eggs
must endure the cackling of hens...
Yeah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind.
What? Oh, right.
The only thing I can do for you
is pencil you in for a slot on Wednesday.
That's two whole days from now.
Yeah. Well, you'll just have to wait.
Listen, I have lost too much sleep over this,
and I need to see how it performs ASAP.
The shooting range is occupied by General Degtjarjow
through Wednesday.
Request permission to test elsewhere.
A goddamn forest would do the trick.
Christ Almighty, I need to know if I've done everything right!
What you're asking is impossible for me to grant.
No weapons can be taken off the premises.
Can you get us bullets?
Bullets? Ah, for what?
Hey, birdbrain!
What the hell is that?
Stop all shooting right now!
Uh... Misha.
Drop the gun!
Stand down goddamn it, or I'll shoot!
Easy! Easy!
Off you go to the slammer!
What the hell is going on here?
No idea, I heard some shots.
To the left, and up.
Comrade General, Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov
is here by your request.
Send him in.
Well, thank you Major, you're dismissed.
Yes, sir.
I remember you.
Kalashnikov.
The competition in 1943 was won by Sudaev.
But your submachine gun stood out by a mile.
For a combat weapon,
it was an absolute piece of shit,
if you don't mind my saying so.
But, for a handmade gun,
pieced together from a chunk of iron...
hmm, that was quite something.
It's been said you have no real education?
That's correct, I have no education.
So, you're self-taught.
Why don't you take a seat, Senior Sergeant?
I'd be interested in examining your newest rifle.
What I mean is, before it is put to the test.
- Comrade General... - Don't be scared.
I know designers
don't like to show their prototypes to each other,
but don't worry.
Your genius ideas
aren't gonna be stolen by me.
My automatic weapon is completed,
and ready to be tested.
I'm just curious about yours.
Hm.
Not a bad idea.
The assembly is intuitive,
every part fits perfectly.
I don't see any point in submitting my gun
for further testing, if I may speak frankly.
I'd say the construct of this here is superior to mine.
This design by Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov
is far more advanced than mine.
Comrade General,
what should we do with your prototype?
Lock it up in a safe somewhere,
so that no one can see it.
Yes, sir.
Bulkin, test fire.
Ready.
Proceed with the test.
Now I am curious...
Fire when ready.
Failure to eject the cartridge.
Dementiev, test fire.
- Ready. - Then proceed with the test.
Fire when ready.
Failure to fire.
It appears that the bolt is jammed.
Kalashnikov, test fire.
Fire when ready.
Test fire successful.
Continue with the test.
You may fire when ready.
Misha!
Well?
Everything seems to have gone well.
And aren't you happy?
No, I am.
I'm pregnant.
Misha...
Misha, put me down.
Put me down!
MOSCOW, KREMLIN 1949
- Sir. - That was really something,
- no doubt. - Yeah.
Comrades.
- Congratulations. - From me, too.
Thank you.
- All the best to you, Sergeant. - Thank you, sir.
Oh shit, here he comes.
Marshall of the Artillery Voronov.
Good day, Comrade Marshal.
Kalashnikov.
Good day, Comrade Marshall.
How are you feeling today?
- Uh, buoyant. - Buoyant is good.
You're holding up well.
You never forget your first award.
Do you have plans for the prize money?
Well... I haven't really thought about that, Marshall.
Colonel, do you mind if I borrow the Sergeant
until this evening?
Not at all, Comrade Marshall.
Let's get in the car.
Go for it.
It's time for you to start
moving up the ranks, Kalashnikov.
Leave your Sergeant days behind you,
and become an officer.
How much education do you have?
I had to leave the school early, Marshall.
In the seventh grade, sir.
That reminds me of Lomonosov,
who walked from his village in Siberia
all the way to Moscow.
And you're from where?
Altai.
And the last time you were home?
So long that I'm afraid
I wouldn't recognize my own mother.
Hm.
So, you better go and visit her.
Who'll give me permission to do that?
I thought I'd get leave after winning the competition.
Now, I have to plan for ten years
of work ahead of me.
We serve the Motherland, Sergeant.
Our Motherland.
In the Altai,
it's probably beautiful now, right?
Oh, yes it is.
Regiment,
attention!
Eyes right.
Eyes forward.
Regiment, at ease!
Comrade Marshall of the Artillery,
the rifle regiment is assembled
under the command
of Major Ivanov.
Greetings, comrades.
Greetings to you,
Comrade Marshall of the Artillery.
Congratulations on successfully
completing testing of a new firearm.
Hooray!
We are proud of the long list of our weapons designers.
Creators of powerful weapons
that always played a great role
in defeating our enemies.
The names of such greats like General Lieutenant Degtjarjow,
and designers like Tokarew, Simonow and Sudaev,
will forever be remembered in the history of firearms.
Today, I would like to introduce you to a young,
and very talented designer.
Recipient of the Stalin Prize,
Senior Sergeant Alexander Kalashnikov.
His AK-47 assault rifle
is the future of weaponry.
We thank you for your service.
We thank you,
utmost, for your service.
Congratulations, Sergeant.
I'll be signing an order for your leave
to visit your mother.
Go home, my boy.
And give your mother all my best.
At ease.
With over 200 million copies produced,
the AK-47 is one of the most famous weapons in the world.
A real personality cult arose around its developer, Mikhail Kalashnikov.
Presidents, sheikhs and kings were photographed with the developer.
For himself, his work always had only one goal:
to ensure that his homeland could be reliably defended.
Dedicated to
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull