January 16, 2014

The One and Only Chapayev


The One and Only Chapayev

Boris Babochkin, star of the iconic 1934 film “Chapaev,” would have been 110 years old this Saturday, January 18.

You know how some actors are remembered for that one amazing role, no matter what else they do? Soviet actor Boris Babochkin, who would have celebrated his “eleventieth” birthday this Saturday, once made the “mistake” of starring as Chapayev in Chapayev in 1934, and for the remaining 40 years of his life he never surpassed that role.

Based on real personalities of the Russian Civil War, the film follows a local Red Army commander, Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev. With the help of political commissar Furmanov (whose real-life counterpart’s memoirs formed the basis of the plot), Chapayev organizes his troops and clashes with the White Army. And since – spoiler alert! – the Bolsheviks did, in fact, win the Civil War, there’s no doubt that the Reds in the movie will be victorious, no matter what dangerous and suspenseful situations [video] they find themselves in.

"Where should the commander be? In front, on his dashing steed!"

Babochkin’s Chapayev is a bit of a country bumpkin: a witty, charismatic leader and father-figure to his troops, but a little fuzzy on the nuances of political theory. “Are you for the Bolsheviks or the communists?” the villagers ask, and he says he’s “for the International!” He uses potatoes on a roughly drawn map to demonstrate military tactics, but if his men are in trouble, he throws all that out the window and rushes in to help. “Come to me midnight or later,” he tells his soldiers, “and if I’m drinking tea – drink with me. If I’m eating – eat with me. That’s the kind of commander I am!” Can we really blame the Soviet public for falling in love with the film and its title character?

  

Petka and Anka, comrades-at-arms

Machine-gunning lessons

Of course, Chapayev didn’t do it all alone. Besides Furmanov, he had Petka (Peter), his young aide, and Anka the Machine-Gunner (bonus points for a strong, independent female character!). The Chapayev-Petka-Anka combination was later expanded upon in endless Russian jokes.

But it wasn’t just the characters or the story that attracted millions to the film. Up until Chapayev, Russian and Soviet movies had been silent – in fact, even Chapayev was made in two versions, so that even movie theaters without sound equipment could still show it. For the first time, Soviet audiences could appreciate not only the visuals and the montage, but also dialogue, presented in real-time, complete with intonations and regional accents. You can’t get that with white-on-black titles.

Furmanov (left) mentoring Chapaev (right)

And let’s not forget the film’s political bent! Here was a local commander, a free radical, being trained and educated – slowly, respectfully – by a loyal party cadre, the commissar. Together, they repel the Whites; separately, the hint goes, maybe they wouldn’t have. For all its entertainment value, for all its cinematic innovation, the film owes a significant part of its success – and its original production – to its subtle message in favor of the ruling party. No wonder Stalin reportedly watched it over 30 times!

 

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, vothouse.ru

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955