Two Comrades Were Serving
DVD Cover
Two Comrades Were Serving Sluzhili dva tovarishcha ) is a 1968 movie by Yevgeni Karelov starring Oleg Yankovskiy as Andrei Nekrasov, Rolan Bykov as Ivan Karyakin and Vladimir Vysotskiy as Alexander Brusentsov.
The story takes place in 1920 in Southern Russia. The cameraman Andrei Nekrasov serves in Red Army and make chronicle of the Russian civil war. He is accompanied by Red Amry soldier Ivan Karyakin who is suspicious about Nekrasov. Meanwhile Porutchik (Lt.) Alexander Brusentsov serves in White Army. The last battles of the civil war will completly change fates of these people.
The following weapons were used in the film Two Comrades Were Serving (Sluzhili dva tovarishcha) :
Handguns Nagant M1895 Revolver Nagant M1895 revolvers are widely used by various characters, including Ivan Karyakin (Rolan Bykov ), Red commanders (Pyotr Krylov and Nikolai Dupak ), White officers and brigands (Aleksandr Tolstykh and Vladimir Yevchenko ). All Nagants in the movie are of anachronistic post-1930 version.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nagant M1895 - 7.62x38N Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red platoon commander (Nikolay Kryuchkov ) holds a Nagant during the exercises of crossing the barb wire. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karyakin fires his Nagant revolver during the air battle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A brigand (Aleksandr Tolstykh ) holds the Nagant, taken from Karyakin. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Porutchik Brusentsov (Vladimir Vysotskiy ) carries the Nagant in holster.Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karyakin fires his revolver in action. Error creating thumbnail: File missing White officer holds the Nagant revolver. Mauser C96 Pistol The Red Army commander gave a Mauser C96 to Andrei Nekrasov (Oleg Yankovskiy ) as an award. This pistol is M1930 version. C96 pistols of "standard" version are seen in hands of several Red Army commanders, notably the regiment commander (Anatoliy Papanov ) and female commissar (Alla Demidova ).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mauser C96 M1930 - 7.63x25mm Mauser. Note the stepped barrel. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The commander hands the Mauser to Nekrasov. Note the stepped barrel of M1930 version. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov examines his new weapon. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov carries the Mauser in holster. Error creating thumbnail: File missing After Nekravov's death his pistol is carried by Karyakin. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" - 7.63x25mm Mauser. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The regiment commander leads the soldiers in attack. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The commissar holds her Mauser during the attack on the fortress of White troops. Error creating thumbnail: File missing She drops her pistol, being shot. Astra 300 Pistol The Astra 300 is the personal weapon of Alexander Brusentsov (Vladimir Vysotskiy ). This pistol was introduced in 1923 and the movie takes place in 1920, so it is anachronistic.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Astra 300 - 9mm Kurz Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov holds his Astra 300 in the opening scene of the film. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov looks at his pistol in the final scene. Tokarev TT-33 During the escape of Nekrasov and Karyakin from brigands one of the brigands carries the holster for TT-33 . A part of the pistol grip can be seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Post-1947 version Error creating thumbnail: File missing The brigands run for cover when Nekrasov threatens them with the camera, pretending it to be some unknown weapon. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A grip is partially seen in holster. Rifles Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Rifle Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles, standing for original M1891s, are widely used by Red Army, White Army and brigands.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A number of M91/30 rifles leaning against a wall in brigands' headquarters. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers march on parade with M91/30 rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red soldier holds a telephone wire during the crossing of Syvash lagoon. He carries the M91/30 rifle with bayonet, attached backwards. This is a exclusively cinematic practice; in reality such practice was banned by service manuals. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red soldiers cross the barb wire. A good view of the rear sight on the rifle at the right. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov runs, holding the rifle with open bolt. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red soldier fires his rifle, fitted with bayonet, attached backwards. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov holds the rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Col. Vasilchikov (Rostislav Yankovskiy ) fires his M91/30 rifle during the final retreat of Whites to their death in the sea. Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Sniper Rifle In one scene Brusentsov (Vladimir Vysotskiy ) takes from officer Krause (Venyamin Smekhov ) and uses the sniper version of Mosin Nagant M1891/30 with PU scope which entered service only in the 1930s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Full-length, Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle with Russian PU 3.5x sniper scope and down turned bolt handle - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov takes the sniper rifle from Krause. After the latter claims that he holds the last cartridge for suicide, Brusentsov mocks him: And what for do you need the optic scope? You afraid to miss your own head? Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov with the sniper rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov fires the scoped Mosin. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A good view of Brusentsov's rifle on the photo from the set. Mosin Nagant M1891 Some original Mosin Nagant M1891 rifles are also seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry Rifle in original configuration - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov holds the M1891 Infantry rifle instead of previously used M91/30. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel of M1891 Infantry rifle with bayonet is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The rifles have slings attached in holes rather than on swivels that makes these rifles to be post-1910 version. Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbine Anachronistic Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbines are also used. Karyakin (Rolan Bykov ) fires M1938 carbine in several scenes.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing A brigand carries the M38 carbine on sling. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the barrel of M38 carbine in hands of a brigand. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Savchyuck (Vasiliy Fushchich ) aims his carbine at Nekrasov and Karyakin. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Panasyuk (Boris Molodan ) holds the M38 carbine. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karyakin (Rolan Bykov ) fires his carbine at pursuing brigands. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karyakin fires the M38 carbine. Lebel Mle 1886 Lebel Mle 1886 (most lilely M93 modification) rifles are also used by Red Army soldiers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lebel Model 1886 - 8x50mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red Army soldiers march on parade with Lebel rifles. Steyr Mannlicher M1885 A Steyr Mannlicher M1885 is seen in hands of a Red Army soldier during the night attack.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Austro-Hungarian Steyr Mannlicher M1888-90 - 8x50mmR Mannlicher. M1885 looks nearly the same except for more flat rear sights. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The magazine is seen. It is separated from the trigger guard so this rifle is pre-1895 model. The rear sight doesn't look raised as it is on M1888, so the rifle is most likely M1885. Unidentified rifle An unidentified rifle is seen during the night attack. It seems to have Mosin Nagant or Mannlicher style protruding magazine and possibly Mannlicher-Schoenauer full stock.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Machine guns Lewis Machine Gun During the night attack Andrei Nekrasov (Oleg Yankovskiy ) fires the Lewis light machine gun .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lewis Gun - .303 British Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Red Army soldier carries a Lewis on parade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Andrei Nekrasov fires the Lewis during the night attack. This machine gun looks like a real Lewis, but its magazine is too large and probably fake. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of Nekrasov's Lewis. Maxim M1910 Maxim M1910 machine guns are used by Red Army, White Army and brigands. They have smooth water jackets, typical for Maxims manufactured during the WW1 and in early 1920s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim 1910, simplified version with smooth water jacket - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Red Army Maxim on tachanka cart. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The brigands' Maxim on tachanka cart. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nekrasov (Oleg Yankovskiy ) fires his Maxim at the pursuing brigands. Error creating thumbnail: File missing White Army Maxim on the porch of headquarters building. Error creating thumbnail: File missing An abandoned Maxim in Whites digout on the Isthmus of Perekop. Other Weapons F-1 Hand Grenade During the battle some Red Army soldiers, notably Ivan Karyakin (Rolan Bykov ), use "Pineapple" style hand grenades. These are most likely F-1 hand grenades , anachronistic for 1920.
F-1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karyakin readies the grenade... Error creating thumbnail: File missing ...and throws it. Dummy Training Grenade What appear to be dummy training stick grenades are seen in hands of Red Army soldiers. They stands for RG-14 hand grenades .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Training stick grenade. Such cast aluminum dummies were widely used in USSR for basic training. Error creating thumbnail: File missing RG-14/30 Soviet hand grenade. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier at the background holds a stick grenade. Lighter Pistol In one scene White officer Praporshchik (sub-lieutenant) Sergei Lukashevich (Nikolay Burlyaev ), being drunk, plans to play a joke on his friend Brusentsov, using a lighter pistol. The joke ended tragically for him.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lukashevich draws a lighter pistol with a very aggressive face. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He explains that this is a lighter, not a gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He plans to joke on Brusentsov. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The bitter end... Trivia 76.2mm (3 inch) M1902/30 Field Gun Numerous 3 inch M1902/30 field guns, standing for correct M1902 model, are seen in the movie, used by both Reds and Whites. These are early 02/30 guns with L30 barrel that look very similar to original 02.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing White Army battery of 3-inch guns on fortified positions on Isthmus of Perekop. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A brigand (Vladimir Yevchenko ) mans the 3-inch gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red 3-inch gun on parade (at the right). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov commands the battery of 3-inch guns. He has a holstered Nagant at his side. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Brusentsov mans the 3-inch gun during the evacuation of the Whites from Sevastopol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Loading the 3-inch gun. Austin Armoured Car A replica of Austin armoured car is seen in the movie.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The armoured car of Red Army is seen at the left. It is armed with two Maxim machine guns in turrets. Airplanes Flying replicas of WW1 era planes are used in the movie.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Red reconnaissance plane, based on Farman or Voisin models, readies for flight. Error creating thumbnail: File missing White fighter plane, based on Nieuport model, in flight. Poster Error creating thumbnail: File missing Original cinema poster for Two Comrades Were Serving (Sluzhili dva tovarishcha) (1968) 
