A 222-minute Soviet TV movie about Bolsheviks in Central Asia? Buckle up, comrade.
Turkestan, 1919. The prominent Bolshevik Valerian Kuybyshev is appointed commander of the Turkestan Front. The film tells the story of the establishment of Soviet power in Central Asia.
Production
Massive Soviet resources thrown at legitimizing conquest as revolution
Costume
Authentic 1919 military uniforms vs. Central Asian traditional dress
Director
Zinoviy Royzman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during glasnost but still carries heavy Soviet triumphalism—caught between eras, unable to fully interrogate its own propaganda.
Real Kuybyshev died mysteriously in 1935; this 1987 portrayal carefully avoids any Stalin-era complications. Convenient!
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