The Order: Do Not Open Fire
Directed by Valeri Isakov, Yuri IvanchukThe story follows the daily life and service of a Soviet border battalion stationed in a tense zone between the USSR and Japan. The soldiers are forced to obey a strict order of "do not open fire," even when faced with provocations and potential threats from Japanese forces. This order symbolizes a political effort to maintain peace and prevent the escalation of conflict, but at the same time, it places enormous psychological pressure on the soldiers. The main character is Captain Pavel Tikhonov (played by Vladlen Biryukov), the battalion commander who tries to maintain discipline and morale among his men under challenging conditions. Other significant characters include Sergeant Solovey (Evgeny Gerasimov), political officer Butkin (Ernst Romanov), and the battalion doctor Ekaterina Belyaeva (Natalya Yegorova), who cares for both the physical and mental health of the soldiers. The film focuses on the psychological aspects of military service during a period of uncertainty and tension, when the threat of war hangs in the air, yet open conflict has not yet broken out. The soldiers face a dilemma between obedience to orders and the instinctive urge to defend themselves against provocations. Prikaz: ogon ne otkryvat (Order: Don't Open Fire) is the first part of a two-part series. The second part, titled Prikaz: pereyti granitsu (Order: Cross the Border), was released in 1982 and continues to develop the stories of these characters in the context of an escalating conflict. The film was produced by the Gorky Film Studio and is known for its authentic portrayal of military life, including the use of period-accurate weapons and equipment such as Mosin-Nagant rifles, DP-28 and Maxim M1910/30 machine guns, and anti-tank guns.
