Director: Konstantin Buslov
Producer: Konstantin Buslov
Screenwriter: Sergey Yudakov
One of the goals of the project is to bridge the temporal gap between the past and the present. The people are the same, the values are the same; the only differences lie in clothing, food, weaponry, and perhaps in the attitude towards what is happening. Technologies have changed, but the threats remain the same. In 1941, the Germans approached Moscow, just as the Tatars did in 1572, as the French entered it in 1812, and as the Poles were expelled in 1612. Russia must not forget these threats. We need to speak plainly—yes, it happened. Yes, it could happen again. But Moscow stood, stands, and will continue to stand under the protection of Russia, and no other state is possible here. In light of recent geopolitical events, the battle of Molodino fought by the small Russian army for the sovereignty of the Moscow Kingdom, which annihilated an entire generation of capable men from the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire, appears particularly relevant.
The year is 1572. A year after the burning of Moscow by the forces of the Crimean Khanate, the enemy is once again approaching. This time, the goal of the Crimean Khan is full authority over the Moscow state. The Russian army is embroiled in battles on the western front, while the Tsar Ivan the Terrible is in Novgorod. Moscow is defended by a small number of warriors. To resist the enslavement, the detachments of the Oprichniki unite with the regular army. Through cunning, they draw the enemy forces away from Moscow, and the troops led by the voivodes Vorotynsky and Khvorostinin brace themselves to take the blow. After several days of fierce fighting, utilizing mobile fortifications by the Russians and a decisive risky battle, the Tatars are soundly defeated, and the banner of the Russian Kingdom flies over the battlefield.