''Michman Panin'' (russian: Мичман Панин, or

Warrant Officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mo ...

Panin), is a 1960

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that wa ...

, directed by Mikhail Schweitzer.

Plot

The storyline of the movie is based on the memoirs of an old

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

named Vasily Lukich Panyushkin. It is May 1912. Thirteen political prisoners are being tried in a naval fortress of

Kronstadt Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for " crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city ...

. They are sentenced to death by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary' ...

. A clandestine Bolshevik organization decides to free the prisoners during their transfer to the place of execution. Vasily Panin (played by

Vyacheslav Tikhonov Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov (russian: Вячесла́в Васи́льевич Ти́хонов; 8 February 1928, in Pavlovsky Posad – 4 December 2009, in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian actor whose best known role was as Soviet spy ...

), a

junker Junker ( da, Junker, german: Junker, nl, Jonkheer, en, Yunker, no, Junker, sv, Junker ka, იუნკერი (Iunkeri)) is a noble honorific, derived from Middle High German ''Juncherre'', meaning "young nobleman"Duden; Meaning of Junke ...

of a school of naval engineers, is one of those entrusted with this dangerous task. The day Panin is promoted to warrant officer is the day he is baptized by fire. In the evening of that same day Panin arrives at a military vessel named ''Elizaveta'', which is supposed to leave for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

the next morning. The freed prisoners go out into the sea on a fishing boat and soon find themselves in a desperate situation. Panin and other Bolshevik seamen onboard ''Elizaveta'' hide the fugitives in a non-operational boiler of the ship. ''Elizaveta'' sails on. Naval officers and

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be superio ...

s dart about the ship and are close to discovering the fugitives. Petty officer Savichev (

Leonid Kmit Leonid Aleksandrovich Kmit (born Aleksei Aleksandrovich Kmita; russian: Алексей Александрович Кмита́; 9 March 1908 – 11 March 1982) was a Soviet and Russian actor. In 1931 he graduated from Saint Petersburg State Thea ...

) comes across the fugitives, and Panin throws him overboard. Finally, ''Elizaveta'' arrives in

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, ver ...

. The fugitives manage to disembark under the guise of sailors on shore leave. Warrant officer Panin is a relief commander. That same evening the crew returns from their shore leave short of thirteen people. Captain Sergeyev of ''Elizaveta'' ( Nikolai Sergeyev) realizes that warrant officer Panin has something to do with the escape and offers him to remain in France. In France, Panin establishes contact with local Bolshevik emigres, who provide him with the money and a passport to return to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. He receives a letter from

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

, in which the latter expresses his regret regarding Panin's being away from the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

. And then warrant officer Panin decides to return to his ship in Kronstadt. He is arrested and stands trial. At the trial, however, he tells a made-up story about his love affairs, and the court decides to simply demote him to the ranks. Upon becoming a matrose, Panin joins the revolutionary movement yet again.

Cast

as Warrant officer Vasily Panin * Nikolai Sergeyev as Captain Nikolai Vasilyevich Sergeyev * Nikita Podgorny as Warrant officer Vedernikov * Leonid Kuravlyov as Stoker Pyotr Kamushkin * Ivan Pereverzev as Boatswain Ivan Grigoryev * Lev Polyakov as Lieutenant Gruzinov * Oleg Golubitsky as Lieutenant Stanislav Mikhailovich Pekarsky *

as Petty Officer Savichev * Vladimir Pokrovsky as

Executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, ...

Commander Farafontyev * Nikolai Pazhitnov as Dr.Bach *

Grigory Shpigel Grigory Oyzerovich Spiegel (russian: Григо́рий О́йзерович Шпи́гель; 24 July 1914 — 28 April 1981) was a Soviet and Russian actor and voice actor. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1974). Biography He worked as a pleater at ...

as Father Feoktist, ship's chaplain *

Evgeny Teterin Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgenii or Yevgeniy (russian: Евгений), also transliterated as Evgeni, Evgeny, Evgenii or Evgeniy, is the Russian form of the masculine given name Eugene (given name), Eugene. People with the name include: :''Note: Occasion ...

as Admiral Viren *

Daniil Netrebin Daniil (russian: Даниил) is a Russian masculine given name; equivalent to that of the English given name Daniel. Notable examples People named Daniil include: Arts and literature *Daniil Andreyev (1906–1959), Russian writer, poet, and Chr ...

as Seaman Markelov *

Grigory Mikhailov Grigory, Grigori and Grigoriy are Russian masculine given names. It may refer to watcher angels or more specifically to the egrḗgoroi or Watcher angels. Grigory * Grigory Baklanov (1923–2009), Russian novelist * Grigory Barenblatt (1927 ...

as Seaman Barabanov * Nikolai Grabbe as Seaman Rysman * Rudolf Pankov as Cadet Obysov * Mikhail Gluzsky as Usoltsev

References

External links

* 1960 films 1960 war films 1960s Russian-language films Soviet black-and-white films Films directed by Mikhail Shveytser Soviet war films Soviet historical adventure films Russian war films 1960s war adventure films 1960s historical adventure films Russian black-and-white films {{USSR-film-stub