Kalashnikov

Kalashnikov By Robert Sloan

Robert Sloan 4317 Winderlakes Drive Orlando, FL 32835 [email protected]

INT. SOVIET ENGINEERING OFFICE - DAY - 1949 A Soviet Officer COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV, fifties, and a Propaganda Reporter SERGEY NIKITIN, mid-thirties, walk briskly through a Soviet Military Engineering office. Sergey’s photographer, PAVEL, early-twenties, struggles to keep pace as he fiddles with his camera. They move across the building to the far end of the room, where MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, thirty, stands at his drafting table. SERGEY NIKITIN Keep up. PAVEL I’m trying. Camera’s beingPavel stops himself as he realizes Sergey wasn’t looking for an excuse. The trio stops when they reach Mikhail’s desk. A disassembled AK-47 is at rest on top. COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV Comrade Kalashnikov. Mikhail turns from his table, stands at attention, and salutes. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Sir. COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV At ease, Comrade. As Mikhail relaxes, he looks past the General to see the two new faces. The General takes notice. COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV From the paper, The Red Star, this is Sergey Nikitin and his associatePAVEL Pavel, sir. COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV They would like to ask you some questions. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Absolutely, sir. Sergey takes his cue and eagerly steps forward with a notepad in hand. Colonel Blagonravov watches on, curiously.

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2.

SERGEY NIKITIN Comrade Kalashnikov, we want to thank you for your dedication to the Motherland. The article we want to publish is going to be used to inspire others; to use your example and show everyone that we are a strong country. Sergey’s passion impresses Mikhail. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV I’m honored. What is it you would like to know? Sergey pauses briefly, examining his query before asking. SERGEY NIKITIN What was your inspiration for the design of the Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947? Your design that has changed the stance of our country’s military might. Mikhail is taken back for a moment, sitting back down on his stool. He glances over to Colonel Blagonravov for approval before giving his answer. As he speaks, Mikhail reassembles the parts of the AK that are on his desk. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV A lot of soldiers ask me how one can become a constructor, and how new weaponry is designed. These are very difficult questions. Each designer seems to have his own path, his successes and failures. But one thing is clear: before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field. EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - DAY - OCT. 1941 Mikhail leans back in a small wooden chair smoking a cigarette outside a cafe that has been converted into a makeshift barracks. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) I, myself, have had many experiences confirming this to be so. (CONTINUED)

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3.

IVAN, late teens, darts across the cratered square with a paper held out in front of him. Mikhail slowly rises as Ivan closes in on him. Ivan reaches Mikhail, out of breath. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) It started in Bryansk, where I was temporarily stationed after the Battle of Brody. IVAN Sergeant Kalashnikov. Ivan hands over the folded papers. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Ivan, I’m your tank commander, not a general. You can use my first name. Mikhail quickly reads over the correspondence, throws down his cigarette, and marches over to DMITRI DEMIDOV, twenties, who is also smoking a cigarette, on a T-34 tank. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Dmitri! Start her up, we’ve got orders. Dmitri sits still. Ivan follows behind Mikhail. DMITRI DEMIDOV Why always so strict, Mikhail? It’s never "Dmitri, please start up the tank," or "Dmitri, please stop smoking all my cigarettes." You could be nicer, you know. Dmitri hops down from the tank. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV You’re smoking my cigarettes again? IVAN He offered me one, but I said no. Mikhail turns to Ivan, chuckles, then hits Dmitri. DMITRI DEMIDOV Ouch. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Get in there.

4.

INT. KALASHNIKOV’S T-34 TANK - DAY Mikhail’s T-34, though rugged, is in good order. There is clear evidence of custom modifications to some of the instrumentation. There are a few small pictures of the crew’s family members stuck to the hull, but nothing around the scope, Mikhail’s post. Dmitri leans back into his canvas seat as Mikhail comes down from the top hatch. DMITRI DEMIDOV So, where to boss? MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Desna River. We’re meeting up with Lieutenant-General Yeremenko at the dock. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) I was ordered to rendezvous with the commander of the 50th Army, and therefore the commander of the entire Bryansk Front. No details were given, just go and assist. CUT TO: EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - DAY Mikhail’s T-34 tank drives off toward the river. EXT. DESNA RIVER SHORE - DAY The Desna shore is crawling with Russian Soldiers. The dock has freshly delivered supplies, but the supply crates are dilapidated and disheveled. Soldiers are also coming up from the shoreline carrying crates of weapons that are dripping wet or covered in mud. Mikhail’s T-34 rolls to a stop a short distance from the dock. Mikhail comes out of the top hatch, jumps down from the tank, and steps over to where LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO, late-fourties, is talking to another soldier. Mikhail plants his feet and salutes. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Senior-Sergeant Kalashnikov, 24th Tank Regiment, 12th Division, 8th Mechanized Corps, reporting, sir. General Yeremenko looks up at Mikhail.

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5.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Thank you Sergeant, you may stand at-ease. General Yeremenko finishes his brief conversation as Mikhail relaxes. Once finished, Yeremenko turns back to Mikhail. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Comrade Kalashnikov, was it? MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Yes sir. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Yes, I need you to provide an armored escort back to Bryansk. Damn Nazis pushed us across the Desna, and without enough boats, some soldiers had to swim across. We’ve lost a considerable number of weapons, an unaccounted for number of men, and even those that have made it across are too weak to put up much of a fight. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Do you have an idea about where are the Germans are heading? LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Oh they’re coming to Bryansk, but since they have to ferry across the river, they won’t be able to attack in full force until midday tomorrow. But in case a small element rushes across to attack us while we are reorganizing, I need you to protect the convoy. I’ll brief you more tonight. For now, let’s get everyone safely to the city. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Yes sir. Mikhail salutes the General and goes back to his T-34. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) A final count showed that nearly fifty percent of the weaponry had been lost in the river, or was too damaged to function. And about a third of those that left the far (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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6.

MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) (cont’d) shore, didn’t survive the long swim across. INT. BRYANSK CAFE/BARRACKS - NIGHT The dimly lit Bryansk Cafe has been converted to a makeshift barracks and military headquarters. Lieutenant-General Yeremenko, Mikhail, MAJOR ALEXANDROV, late-thirties, and a number of other officers huddle at a table with a map of the city on it. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Scouts reporting in say that the Nazi forces will be completely across the river by morning. I’d bet that they make their assault by noon. Yeremenko drags his finger down a street on the map. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Bombing debris and roadblocks will force tank divisions down this road. If we cut them off there, they will have to travel around the city to get into the fight. This puts us at an advantage early on. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Sir, the 8th Corps stationed ten T-34s and thirty-one KV-1 units here after Brody. Yeremenko nods in approval. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO Excellent. We need to put the KV-1s around the edge of the city to take on the German’s diverted cavalry. Their heavy armor will stand up much better. T-34s will stay inside the city as infantry support. MAJOR ALEXANDROV General, what about our infantry? We have two-thirds the men the Germans do, and we can only arm half of that.

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7. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO We’ll double them up. Two soldiers to a rifle.

Major Alexandrov is appalled. MAJOR ALEXANDROV They’ll be slaughtered against the Nazi’s assault rifles! Yeremenko takes offense to his orders being contested. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO When one falls, the other can pick up their comrade’s rifle and keep fighting! They will proudly die for the Motherland. Yeremenko and Alexandrov continue to argue with each other. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) Even if General Yeremenko were to know how many men he would lose, I doubt his strategy could have changed anyway. EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:43AM A thin layer of fog rests atop the snowy square. Pairs of Russian soldiers wait, anxiously, in small craters. Another pair rushes across the square past Mikhail’s T-34. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) We were positioned in the center of Bryansk, the eye of the storm. The uneasy tranquility there made the impending chaos unbearable for some. INT. KALASHNIKOV’S T-34 TANK - 10:44AM Dmitri and Mikhail are calmly waiting in there positions, peering out of the viewport and scope to spot any German movement. Ivan fidgets, uneasily as the radio alerts them to the German’s advance. IVAN Good thing were inside a tank. Ivan laughs briefly to himself. He looks to Mikhail, who hasn’t moved. As he turns back, Dmitri is looking right at him. (CONTINUED)

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8.

DMITRI DEMIDOV Calm yourself, Ivan. Victories are only determined at the end of the battle. Dmitri turns back around as the radio comes to life. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO (V.O) (over the radio) A small group of infantry has broken through the front lines. They were spotted heading south through the city. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Let me know, Dmitri. Dmitri moves closer to the viewport to get a better look. DMITRI DEMIDOV You got it. Ivan has stopped fidgeting, and is positioned to load a munitions shell. EXT. BRYANSK CITY STREET - 10:45AM Six Nazis run down a street, armed with StG44s, the automatic rifle of the Germans. EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:45AM The German soldiers appear from the corner, already aiming their rifles in the direction of the Russian line. Shortly after breaching the clearing, they open fire. The Russian pairs fire back, as one Russian soldier is quickly killed. INT. KALASHNIKOV’S T-34 TANK - 10:45AM Mikhail spots the Nazi force as they enter the square. DMITRI DEMIDOV Boss! MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV I see them. Ivan, load. Dmitri, thirty-six degrees right, mark four above the horizon.

9.

EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:45AM The tank’s turret rotates to meet the target as the automatic fire barrage kills a second Russian soldier. INT. KALASHNIKOV’S T-34 TANK - 10:46AM Ivan locks the firing mechanism and moves his hand to the trigger. IVAN Loaded. DMITRI DEMIDOV Set. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Fire! EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:46AM The tank’s barrel erupts with fire as the squad across the square takes a direct hit. The snowy earth blasts upward, revealing all of the Germans to be dead as it settles. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL YEREMENKO (V.O) (over the radio) German units have broken through. In the opposite corner another group of Nazis come out shooting, catching the entrenched Russians off guard. Two are quickly dispatched. INT. KALASHNIKOV’S T-34 TANK - 10:46AM Mikhail spots the new threat. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Reload! Dmitri, seventy-six to the left, mark two below the horizon. The crew responds to the orders, and the turret rotates back around to take out the Nazi forces. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Fire!

10. EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:46AM As the second squad of Germans is annihilated, a German anti-tank squad spins around the corner the first Nazi group occupied with a Nazi Panzerschrek. Its target, Mikhail’s T-34. Once braced, the soldier fires. EXT. BRYANSK TOWN SQUARE - 10:52AM Mikhail rests against a wall on the side of the town square, his right shoulder is drenched in his crimson blood. Ivan stoops next to him, yelling. He sees Dmitri rush through the smoke of the burning tank, carrying two rifles. As he reaches Mikhail, he lays one on Mikhail’s lap. Dmitri grabs Ivan by the shirt and yanks him close. He points at Mikhail and shouts at Ivan. He then quickly runs off to join the fight. Mikhail blacks out. FADE TO BLACK INT. FIELD HOSPITAL - DAY - NOV. 1941 The field hospital is a large open room, with formerly-white drapery separating patients. Mikhail lies in a hospital bed with his shoulder wrapped in gauze. His wound still oozes, as blood is seeping through his bandages. A NURSE, twenties, notices his discomfort, and makes her way to his side. NURSE You need to relax, soldier. She touches the bandage to test its saturation. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Junior Sergeant Dmitiri Demidov. Did he make it? NURSE I’m sorry, I don’t know. I’m going to go get you fresh bandages. As the Nurse leaves, a voice from behind the curtain speaks. IVAN (O.S.) No, Dmitri didn’t make it. He died in Bryansk. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Ivan? Ivan pulls back the curtain separating them.

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11.

IVAN Yeah. I got a bullet in my thigh hauling you out. Lucky me, right? MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV You made it though. What happened to Dmitri? IVAN The rifle he had as I was hauling you across the square wouldn’t fire. It either jammed, or was damaged, or something. He never had a chance. Ivan lets go of the curtain between the two, separating them again. Mikhail simply stares at the ceiling. INT. FIELD HOSPITAL - NIGHT Mikhail moves around attempting to sleep. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) I couldn’t sleep for days. Every time I closed my eyes there were faces of other soldiers that died that day. They called out for help, and I could do nothing. INT. FIELD HOSPITAL - DAY Mikhail is sitting up in his bed, drawing on scraps of paper. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) Eventually I found what I needed to do. Design an assault rifle, rugged, yet functional. INT. SOVIET ENGINEERING OFFICE - DAY - JAN. 1944 (SERIES OF SHOTS) A) Mikhail stands at his desk, intently drawing his design, erasing bits, and redrawing. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) I transferred to the Kalinin Artillery Military Academy and began drafting my first design.

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12.

B) Mikhail handles various weapons; the German StG44, the M1 Garand, and the M1 Carbine. C) Mikhail works with the chamber mechanism, but gets frustrated and tosses the rifle to the table. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (V.O.) I tried a dozen different models that were all rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design. D) Mikhail looks at a loaded round for the AK-47, a 7.62 x 39mm shell. Mikhail stands, holding a version of the AK, in front of two high-ranking officers, one being Colonel Blagonravov. He demonstrates the receiver of the rifle, and hands it over for them to try for themselves. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV The design is relatively simple. The large parts move easily, and don’t trap dirt or mud, so jamming is no longer a major concern. Proper balance makes it more comfortable to shoot with, and allows for better accuracy. It is so easy to use a child could shoot oneColonel Blagonravov looks up startled. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV -were one so inclined. Colonel Blagonravov handles the weapon a little more, then hands it off to his associate. COLONEL BLAGONRAVOV I’m proud of you Comrade Kalashnikov. And you should be proud too. INT. SOVIET ENGINEERING OFFICE - DAY - 1949 Mikhail stares at his drawing and runs his fingers across the paper, as if to feel the edges of the weapon. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV I wanted to invent an engine that could run forever. I could have (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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13.

MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV (cont’d) developed a new train, had I stayed in the railway. It would have looked like the AK-47, though. Sergey, Pavel, and the Colonel chuckle. SERGEY NIKITIN That is great, Comrade. Now, lets get a picture of you at your desk. Pavel? Sergey turns to Pavel, who steps forward and lifts his camera. PAVEL Ready. Mikhail stands at his desk, his hand still on his drawing. PAVEL A little more towards your desk. Perfect. Pavel’s camera flashes. A single, black and white photograph is seen of Mikhail in the same pose in 1949. Beneath it reads a quote: "My work is my life, and my life is my work. I invented this assault rifle to defend my country. Today, I am proud that it has become, for many, synonymous with liberty." FADE OUT: THE END