be deprived of the light of Art and Literature. Our society’s scientific ideology demands that the Party focus its attention on Man. We have been instructed in our new humanistic focus by Great Lenin and Mighty Stalin, who teach us that Socialism cannot be victorious without the transformation of Man. And Art and Literature have an enormous role to play in this transformation. That’s what got me thinking: What about the mentally ill? Are they not people too? Don’t they get to be transformed as well? Shouldn’t they enjoy the benefits of Art and Literature? Within reason of course… In my opinion, the mentally ill of our society cannot be compared with the mentally ill of Capitalist and Imperialist countries. Our mentally ill will never be abandoned. We will never stop believing that they can be cured. Our scientists struggle day and night to find new treatments for that cure… And Art and Literature, perhaps, they too have something to contribute to this struggle… My dear colleagues. I present to you Comrade Yuri Petrovski whom the Writers Union has sent to help us out Yuri Petrovski is a young writer who has written short stories in the style of the great Maxim Gorki. Yuri Petrovski has written accounts and tales about the building of Socialism, and for his marvelous stories and accounts, he has received the Grand Prize of the State presented to him by the Great Comrade Stalin himself. I pause here to express my thanks once again to the Writer’s Union for sending us comrade Yuri Petrovski. Because a writer like Yuri Petrovski is exactly what we need someone who can tell the simple stories of life like no one else. Comrade Yuri Petrovski, you must write stories to tell the history of Communism to our mental patients. We believe that the mentally ill have the right and the duty to know the history of Communism and of the Great October Socialist Revolution. It is to rise to this challenge that we, the entire medical staff of the Central Hospital of the Mentally Ill as well as the mentally ill in our care, appeal to you, dear comrade Yuri Petrovski. Use your talent to tell us in simple words the history of Communism and the Great October Socialist revolution. Use your talent so that the mentally ill can also have access to the light of the Worker’s Movement. Use your talent and your patriotism so the mentally ill may feed on the hope that the Great October Socialist Revolution has brought to all the workers of all the countries in the whole wide world. I know, dear comrade Yuri Petrovski that you are going to find the words that go straight to the hearts of our mental patients. All the mental patients of our institution: the slightly, moderately or deeply debilitated, those suffering from schizophrenia, autism, or depression, neurotics of all sorts will be invited to listen to you. All of them. Except perhaps, those in high security. We’ll come up with something else for them. That is to say, we’ll have specially organized sessions just for them. Here is your room, dear Yuri Petrovski. Here’s everything you’ll need. We’ve given you the room with the best view of the garden because we know how you writers love nature. You need to see the trees, to see the sky, to see the birds who sing in the trees… Oh we know, dear Yuri Petrovski, we know what the heart and the soul of a writer is made of, we know everything. Make yourself home in this room of ours. Our devoted medical assistant Katia Ezova will bring your breakfast to your room every morning. At noon and in the evening, you may eat with us in the main dining room… You see, dear Yuri Petrovski, the entire medical staff, we eat with our patients – or at least those who can make it to the dining room without incident. And I am proud to tell you, dear comrade, that sixty percent of our mental patients can make it to the dining room without incident. And twice a day. Noontime and evening, they make their way to the dining room and eat in the company of their doctors. But of course, Yuri Petrovski, you can do as you wish. We know that a writer can sometimes be struck with inspiration and, at such times, he doesn’t move, he doesn’t eat, he sees no one, he hears nothing, he writes. Writing is a great mystery. I know. Comrade Dekanozov, I feel it is important to have direct contact with the patients. I would like, eventually, to speak with some patients. Would this be possible? Comrade Yuri Petrovski, not only do you have the right to do this, but we encourage you to do so. This is your home. It’s only natural that you want to get to know it. Katia Ezova will take care of you. She’ll show you everything, the patient’s rooms, where they get their treatment, the baths, the gardens, everything and anything at all. Work hard, Yuri Petrovski. As soon as you finish the first chapter, we’ll begin the sessions. I am convinced, comrade, that certain mental disorders can be cured by hearing a clear, concise and compelling narration of the History of Communism. Good-bye comrade. Long Live Mighty Stalin! Yuri Petrovski, I must ask you something. Did you see him up close? - Who? So many people lie. They pretend to have met him. Those people make me want to puke. Saying you’ve met him when you never have. Who? -Stalin. You really met him? The Director said that it was Stalin himself who gave you the Prize. Is it true? Did he really give it to you in person? Yes. -When. A long time ago. Before the war. -And you saw him up close? Yes. What’s with all these questions? Because… because I want to know… Is he tall? Not very. Is he… taller than you? -No. I don’t think so. But you saw him up close, very close. Yes, sort of. I was with other young comrade writers at a congress. And he went down the line shaking our hands. He shook your hand? - Yes Oh Yuri Petrovski. I’ve never met anyone who really met Stalin. Katia Ezova, calm down. I didn’t know him personally. I just shook his hand. And his eyes, what were his eyes like? His eyes? His eyes. Did he look you straight in the eye? I don’t think so. What? You don’t remember? How could you not remember? Comrade Katia Ezova, why are you asking me all these questions? You know something, Yuri Petrovski. Me too. I also write. What do you write, Katia? I write poems. - That’s nice, Katia. But I’ve never shown them to anyone, Yuri Petrovski. That’s just fine, Katia. But I must show them to you, Yuri Petrovski. Another time, Katia. No, Yuri Petrovski. I must show you my poems now. But it’s almost three in the morning. Just one. - All right. Go ahead. I’ll recite it to you. I’d rather read it myself. No, Yuri Petrovski. No. My poems, they are all in my head… here… In fact, I never write them down, I always hold them in here… right here… And how many have you got in there? Thousands, Yuri Petrovski, thousands. All right, Katia. Pick out one and recite it to me. Stalin you are our light In the night without end Stalin you caress and possess every thought that we send. Stalin you are our reason to be Stalin in us you live eternally Stalin all we have is thanks to you Stay Stalin stay, we will make your dream come true Katia Ezova, stop! What are you doing? Shh! He is here… He is here… He is with us. Hold me, Yuri Petrovski. Hold me, hold me. Katia, I’m married… Hold me, Yuri Petrovski. Hold me, hold me. Well then what is a “utopia”? A utopia is when you’re in deep shit and you want to get out. But before you can get out of the shit, you’ve got to examine your situation. And if you’re smart, you’ll see, one: you’re not the only one in deep shit and two: you’re not the only one who wants to get out. And if you follow these thoughts further, you’ll soon realize that you’ll never get out of the shit by yourself. Oh no. The only way to get out is with the help of all the others: all the comrades who find themselves like you in deep shit. But the ones who stuck you in the shit don’t want you to get out of the shit. They won’t let you get out of the shit, not you or your comrades who are with you there, stuck in the shit. And the ones who stuck you in the shit can keep you there because they are strong and united. So it follows, to get out of the shit, you and your comrades must also be united. That’s what comrade Lenin said one day in 1915 when he was in Zurich which is a city in Switzerland which is a country which was not stuck in shit. “Comrades”, said comrade Lenin, “in order to get out of deep shit, it’s not enough simply to want to get out of shit, you must unite.” That’s precisely what comrade Lenin said one day in 1915 in Zurich where he and other comrades had found a safe haven where they could make plans. And then all those who were stuck in deep shit back in Russia said, “Yes, comrade Lenin is right”. And they united and joined hands with each other and with great effort they pulled themselves up out of the shit. Bravo comrade Yuri Petrovski. Bravo. That’s it. Well done, Yuri Petrovski. You know how to write from the heart without veering from the truth. You are a great writer, Yuri Petrovski. You have understood completely. Thanks to you, our patients will finally be able to understand the very essence of our Great October Socialist Revolution. Work on, Yuri Petrovski, work on. Our mentally ill need you Yuri Petrovski. The strength of communist ideology must penetrate everywhere, everywhere, deep into the diseased minds of our patients. For thought cures thought. When thought meets thought, miracles happen. We only need to find the right words, the right tone, the right emotion. . . And you , comrade Yuri Petrovski, you have found the key. And with this key we can open the door to the spirits of our sick ones and they will at last bask in the sunlight of the words of Great Lenin and Mighty Stalin. . . Thank you comrade Yuri Petrovski. On behalf of the entire medical staff and of all the mentally ill, I thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts. Breathe. Fill your lungs with air… breathe deeper… again. Again. Fill your lungs with air. Say “utopia”. Don’t shoot, comrade. Be quiet. - One more time… Don’t shoot, comrade. Shut up. - Concentrate hard. It is a word with a rising curve. Like a horse rearing up to the sky… "Utopia” A horse pisses standing up so why… -Can it, Ivan. Can you hear how it rises? "It rises and embraces the sky. Utopia." Go on, Yuri Petrovski. It begins in your mouth and ends in the stars. "Utopiahhhh..." Very good. "Utopiah" Well then what is a “utopia”? " I want to pee standing up! I want…” Stuff it, Ivan. Go on, Yuri Petrovski. A utopia is when you’re in deep shit and you want to get out. But before you can get out of the shit, you’ve got to examine your situation. And if you’re smart, you’ll see, one: you’re not the only one in deep shit and two: you’re not the only one who wants to get out. And if you follow these thoughts further, you’ll soon realize that you’ll never get out of the shit by yourself. Oh no. The only way to get out is with the help of all the others: all the comrades who find themselves like you in deep shit. Yuri Petrovski, may I ask you a question? Yes. Is your mother always on a plane, Yuri Petrovski? My mother is dead. Why does it always go “click, clack clunk.”? Don’t start, Sasha. Continue, Yuri Petrovski. Right. The more you think about it, the more you realize that you can’t get out of the shit by yourself. You can only make it out with the help of all the comrades who are stuck in the shit with you. But the ones who stuck you in the shit don’t want you to get out of the shit. Yuri Petrovski, a question. . . Place your bets Madame and Messiurs. Horses aren't the only ones who pee standing up. They won’t let you get out of the shit, not you or your comrades who are with you there, stuck in the shit. Is Henri Barbusse still alive? No, no, no… No, no, no, it’s not true… no, no, no… Is Henri Barbusse still alive? Shoot, comrades, shoot! There are no such things as airplanes. Silence, comrades! Go on, Yuri Petrovski. So it follows, to get out of the shit, you and your comrades must also be united. That’s what comrade Lenin said one day. . . Who? Who? Click clack clunk? - Stop it, Sasha. That’s what comrade Lenin said one day in 1915 when he was in Zurich which is a city in Switzerland… That’s not in Switzerland… …which is a country which was not stuck in shit. “Comrades”, said comrade Lenin… That’s not in Switzerland. …in order to get out of deep shit, it’s not enough simply to want to get out of shit, you must unite.” That’s precisely what comrade Lenin said one day in 1915 in Zurich where he and other comrades had found a safe haven… Long Live Great Lenin! - Long live Great Lenin! …to make plans. And then all those who were stuck in deep shit back in Russia said, “Yes, comrade Lenin is right”. And they united. Long live Great Lenin! - Long live Great Lenin! Lenin never said you shouldn’t pee standing up. Shut your traps and listen to Yuri Petrovski. And they united and joined hands with each other and with great effort they pulled themselves up out of the shit. And the people who had stuck the others in shit were killed or thrown into camps. And then Stalin, great comrade of Lenin, said, “Comrades, it isn’t over, we must now build a country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again.” And Stalin said, “Comrades, I have a scientific method to build a country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again.” That’s not in Switzerland. Katia Ezova, Katia Ezova, Katia Ezova, it’s not right, Katia Ezova. Calm down, Sasha. And all the people who had just gotten out of the shit began to construct this new country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again. And then Stalin saw that certain people who had begun with him to build this country where no one would ever have shit dumped on them again, didn’t want to see it through. And Stalin said, this is not good because those who don’t want to see things through will slow us down. You can’t build a country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again with people who won’t see things through. I’m through with people who won’t see things through. We will kill them. And then, a pal of Stalin’s, comrade Dzerjinski , who’s first name is Felix and whom we’ll call Felix because it’s easier to say than Dzerjinski, anyway Felix says to Stalin, “Comrade Stalin, I have a scientific method to separate the men who don’t want to see things through from the men who do want to see things through. And those who didn’t want to see things through were sent to Siberia, to the Gulag. Then one day a man turns up in the Gulag, a good friend of Stalin and Felix, and the people who had been sent there for not seeing things through asked him, “Why are you here with us who didn’t want to see things through, you who did want to see things through?” And the friend of Stalin and Felix replied, “I believed I wanted to see things through but Felix showed me using his scientific method that actually, without my even being aware of it, I didn’t want to see things through. And this friend of Stalin and Felix demanded to be shot; for as he said to Felix, those who don’t realize that they don’t want to see things through are more dangerous than those who know they don’t want to see things through. But Felix told him: wait, we’ll shoot you later when you once again desire with all your heart to see things through because then you will be really dangerous. He’s dead. So is he dead? Let’s stop here, comrade Yuri Petrovski. We’ve worked hard enough for today. Go comrades, it’s time. Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets… Woman, right side. You’re wasting your money. No woman ever comes from the right side. Piss off! Ten, man, left side. C’mon, place your bets. - Animal! Animal! How much, Sasha. Shit! How much? One. - C’mon Ivan, play… A couple, right… three! Oh no. That’s too much. He can’t do that. Shut up. That’s too much. You can’t do that. Two. C’mon who’s next, Mesdames et Messieurs place your bets. Woman, left side. - Two times left, impossible. Shut up. Place your bets Mesdames et Messieurs. Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle. Okay, okay… How much? - Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle. One? Two? C’mon, c’mon place your bets. This isn’t Switzerland. I’m the one who says that, get it? I’m the one who gets to say “place your bets.” C’mon this isn’t Switzerland. One, okay? C’mon Ivan, speak… Dog. You’re throwing your money away. They don’t have dogs here. Dog. Left side. One. -And on top of that… from the left! This isn’t Switzerland. Stalin, left side! Shut up! You’re not in the game. No more bets! But I have money. Stalin, left side! It’s my right. Get the hell out of here. I said you’re not playing. No more bets. What an asshole! C’mon, c’mon Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets. Comrade Yuri Petrovski, are you working? Yes. Let me come in, Yuri Petrovski. - But you should be in your room. Comrade Yuri Petrovski the lightly mentally debilitated and the moderately mentally debilitated can leave their rooms. The lightly debilitated and and moderately debilitated never did any harm. Yuri Petrovski, can I come in? Come in. Yuri Petrovski, I present myself. Timofei, moderately debilitated. I’ve come to welcome you on behalf of all those in the Section of the Moderately Mentally Debilitated. My comrades have elected me to be their representative and invite you to our section, to come among us, comrade Yuri Petrovski. We know that you have read your marvelous accounts of the Great October Socialist Revolution for the lightly debilitated. And that’s why my comrades have sent me to ask you to come to us Yuri Petrovski. Don’t leave us out, Yuri Petrovski. Don't abandon us. The moderate debilitated have put all their hope in you. We await you. Don't abandon us. But Timofei. It's already planned. There are lectures planned for your section. It’s not a question… You know Yuri Petrovski, in this hospital, the moderately debilitated have it the worst. We don’t even have the right to piss standing up. That’s why my comrades have sent me to you in good faith to beg you to come to us, to be among us. We know you writers are sent everywhere: to the workers, to the peasants, to the soldiers, to get things going, You’re sent everywhere, everywhere except to the moderately mentally debilitated. Why, Yuri Petrovski. Why? Why? Timofei, I promise you I will come to you as well. No one has ever come to us, to be among us. No one! Never ever ever… In the name of the Writers Union I promise that I will come to you. Now go back to bed. When? But when? We have been waiting for you for four years. When? But Timofei, I’ve only been here a week. We have been waiting for you for four years. For four years! Don’t be afraid, Yuri Petrovski. I’m not dangerous. We moderates, we’re not at all dangerous. We’re the ones who keep things under control at night in the Section of the Mentally Debilitated… One more thing, Yuri Petrovski… we… how do I put it… We moderates… we’d like to offer you a little gift. We have a little gift for you. Be so good, Yuri Petrovski as to accept it… I accept. This is for you. And good night, Yuri Petrovski. Oh and if you ever need anything always remember, in our section, at night, no one sleeps… Work hard, Yuri Petrovski. Yuri Petrovski... - Yes… Are you working? I’m working Katia Ezova. Can’t you see I’m working? Yuri Petrovski, read me a page… just one… Let me work. Yuri Petrovski, but just read me one page. Take it. Read it yourself. Yuri Petrovski, I have to hear your voice. You’re the only one who knows how it should be read. Yours is the only voice that… that can read this… That… Your voice is like… Yuri Petrovski you are… Your mother would be proud of you, Yuri Petrovski. You have talent, Yuri Petrovski You are a true poet, Yuri Petrovski. No, I am not a poet. Oh yes, you’re like Illia Ehrenbourg. Katia… – Yes… How long have you been working in this hospital? It’s been ten years, Yuri Petrovski. Ten years… Impressive. Tell me, Katia what do you want me to read to you. Read me the part about Stalin after Lenin dies. All right. Here goes… But when I’m done, you have to promise to go and let me work. You promise? I promise. Before he died Great Lenin had pronounced that a country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again needed electricity. And so Great Lenin showed the people how to produce electricity. And then he died. And he was enshrined in Red Square. And the people wept. And Stalin said to the people, “Before he died, Great Lenin called me before him and spoke saying, “Dear comrade Stalin, I am going to show you the path the people must follow to build a country where no one will ever have shit dumped on them again” And Great Lenin gave me the plans. “And here they are!” said Mighty Stalin to the people, shaking the plans in his right hand. “Here are the plans I have them. Don’t waste a single second. To work, Comrades”. The country needed a lot of cement. And Stalin showed the workers how to produce lots of cement. The country needed a lot of coal and Stalin showed the workers how to produce lots of coal. The country needed a lot of steel and Stalin showed the workers how to produce lots of steel. The country needed a lot of accurate books showing how to produce lots of cement, lots of coal and lots of steel and Stalin showed the writers how to produce lots of accurate books to show how to produce lots of cement, lots of coal and lots of steel. And the writer Yuri Petrovski wrote him many books but they were never finished because Kata Ezova never left him alone because each night Katia Ezova would come into the room of Yuri Petrovski… No… …and ask him to read another chapter and so instead of writing… No, Yuri Petrovski, you didn’t write that. You’re making it up, Yuri Petrovski… instead of writing he had to read to Katia Ezova her favorite chapters… Yuri Petrovski, no, it’s not true. Show me the page. You’re joking… And that’s how Yuri Petrovski was never able to finish the real book that Stalin had asked him to write… Liar… Yuri Petrovski… Liar… Hold me, Yuri Petrovski… Hold me… Hold me... Hold me… Yuri Petrovski… - Yes… Try to remember, Yuri Petrovski. – What? His eyes. What were they like? - I didn’t look at his eyes. Don’t tell me that, Yuri… You’re lying. He shook your hand… You had to look at him. Maybe you even looked him straight in the eye… You have to remember… What were his eyes like? Let’s say he had a sort of blank stare. Blank? - Blank. And his voice. He didn’t say anything to me Katia. - Nothing? Not a single word? Well, let’s say that he spoke to us, not just to me, to all of us, he said “The party needs you comrades.” - That’s all? That was it. - No, no, it isn’t true. It isn’t true. Katia, be quiet. Shut up. Yuri… Yes… - You’re not afraid? Afraid of what? - Of the dark. No. - I’m afraid for you, Yuri. You’re afraid for me? - Yes. I’m afraid for you. Don’t be afraid for me, Katia. I’m afraid for you like I was your own mother. My mother was never afraid for me. - Sure she was. You just didn’t know. Regardless, she’s dead. So there’s no one left in the world to be afraid for you? No, I don’t believe there’s anyone on earth to be afraid for me. Are you ever afraid of yourself, Yuri Petrovski? Of myself? What do you mean? When you write, you never get scared sometimes… that the words come off the page… Katia, what are you babbling about? - I’m afraid of you. Afraid of me? Why? I’m afraid of madmen, Yuri. - But I’m not mad, Katia. Tomorrow we read for the criminally insane. I’m scared of the criminally insane. So how come you’ve been working with them for ten years. It’s not that, Yuri. It’s not that at all… Yuri. - Yes. What did he give you. The moderate who came here. He gave me a book by Henri Barbusse Yuri… - Yes? Who is Henri Barbusse? He is a comrade writer of our French Communist brothers. Yuri… - Yes? Nothing. - Yuri… Yes? Can I recite to you my poem about frogs? I’ve written thirty poems about frogs. - Choose one of them and recite away. A little frog looked me in the eye and said to me “Katia would you please lend me your tears The universe is in your tears” But my tears were in my mouth And I swallowed them and with them I swallowed the universe And the frog began to cry Silence. Did you like it, Yuri? You know, Katia. You are very beautiful… Yuri, say it again. You are very beautiful. - No, not that, what Stalin said. What? “The Party needs you, comrades.” Say it again. Yuri Petrovski… - Yes? Are you working? - Yes… Forgive me for disturbing you. I see your hard at work. I am Stepan Rozanov, the Assistant Director. I wanted to tell you what you’ve been doing here is simply magnificent, Yuri Petrovski. I'm doing all I can. May I sit down a moment? - Please do, Stepan Rozanov. Yuri Petrovski, with your permission, I would like to propose a toast. Feel free, Stepan Rozanov. to socialist literature which puts itself in the service of the people and the revolution. - To socialist literature. Bottoms up! - Bottoms up! Comrade Yuri Petrovski. You are a great writer. I also want to toast the Writers' Union who has a great writer like you in their ranks. Comrade Stepan Rozanov, I am not a great writer, I am only a writer who writes in the service of the people. So I propose a toast to the Writers' Union and all of its writers who write in the service of the people. Here’s how! - Here’s how! Were you in the war? - Yes. Where? - In Leningrad. During the siege? - Yes. Okay then we have to drink one more to Leningrad! To Leningrad! - Bottoms up! Comrade Yuri Petrovski, I’d like to ask you a question. But before I do, I would like to toast to our Great Comrade Stalin, the man of steel who, like you say, got us all out of some really deep shit. Long live comrade Stalin! - Long live comrade Stalin! That’s the ticket... So now, this is what I want to tell you, comrade Yuri Petrovski. I have never read any stories as reactionary, as counter-revolutionary or as subversive as yours. You are one great talent, Yuri Petrovski. Comrade Stepan Rozanov… I admire you Yuri Petrovski. I admire you. I imagine that it's easier to write bad stories, than to write totally reactionary, counter-revolutionary, and subversive stories. Am I right? Comrade Stepan Rozanov… Comrade Yuri Petrovski, you know I’m the one who informs Headquarters about what goes on in this hospital. And oh, how I’ve waited for something to happen. Then you arrive. And everything falls into place. Therefore, allow me, Yuri Petrovski, to tell you that I am totally behind your mission and I will do everything I can to help. And I would be truly honored, Yuri Petrovski, if you would trust me enough to show me your report before you show it to anyone else. Comrade Stepan Rozanov… Don’t… comrade Yuri Petrovski. Don’t say a thing. I know how it works. To the victory of the proletariat. It's been four years since I sent my report to Headquarters. Four years that I’ve been waiting for a response, and finally, here you are. I am so happy you’re here, Yuri Petrovski. Would you like me to read you what I wrote in my report? Be my guest, comrade. Know then, comrades, that hiding within our hospital are not a few subversive elements, not a few counter-revolutionaries, not a few possible terrorists. Most of the schizophrenics, the melancholics and the maniacs have a degenerate bourgeois origin and continue to maintain, within the hospital, a false consciousness. This is why I beg you, dear comrades, to take emergency measures, because hiding behind the mask of alienation and mental deficiency lie dangerous reactionaries. It is of the utmost importance to create a revolutionary tribunal in our institution. It is of the utmost importance to separate the sincerely mentally disturbed proletarian from the merely spiteful, and malicious enemies of the revolution. The mentally disturbed of the working class are waiting for the Party to come to their aid. Don't abandon them in their struggle against the mentally ill of the bourgeoisie. Help us, comrades! I am certain that your method will allow us to identify the hostile elements and isolate them. Bravo, Bravissimo for what you are doing, Yuri Petrovski. Thank you, Stepan Rozanov. At first, I asked myself: how? How is it possible that reactionary, subversive, and counter-revolutionary stories can be effective in identifying suspicious elements? And then I realized that in the case of the mentally ill, it’s the only method! We'll get them all! They won't be able to escape us. They’ll all betray themselves while listening to your stories. In the end it's so simple, so simple... and so clear… It's beautiful what you’ve concocted, Yuri Petrovski. It's beautiful like the revolution. Because it is only by way of reactionary, subversive and counter- revolutionary stories that we can unmask the reactionary, subversive and counter-revolutionary elements... It's as simple as that... We'll get them, we'll get them all… the class struggle does not stop at the doors of our institution The struggle must continue, it must…especially now… because they are saying that comrade Stalin is sick... Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets… Handcuffed civilian, right side… You're wasting your money. No civilian in handcuffs ever comes from the right. Lay off! Two, patrolman, left side. - Come on, place your bets… Corpse on a gurney! Corpse on a gurney! Right or left! How much, Sacha? Shit! How much? – One. Go Ivan, play... -Black car, from... the right... Three! Oh, no, that's too much, three, he can't do that. Shut up. That's too much, you can't do that. Two. C’mon, Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets. Undercover agent left side! But I'm the one who said undercover agent! Shut up, you said corpse. Place your bets, Mesdames et Messieurs. Igor the spy! Right or left side. - How much? One. Igor always comes from the left side. Say spy left and you double the stake. C'mon, c'mon, place your bets. All right Ivan... speak... this isn't Switzerland. Dog. Shit, enough of your dog. There are no dogs. He drives me nuts with his dog… Dog, left side. One. I'll do what I want. It gets on my nerves... for two weeks all I hear is... dog, dog, dog! He does what he wants. It's like in Switzerland. In Switzerland you do what you want. No more bets! - Stalin, left side! Shut up, moron. You're not in the game. No more bets! But I have cash! Stalin left side. I have the right. I have cash. I play how I want. Get the hell out of here! Go play with the hopeless cases like yourself. Anyway, you can't play here. No more bets! What an asshole! No one bet on that. House takes all. No, it’s Igor the spy, an informer I'm the… Shut up, Sasha. He's Igor son. House wins. C’mon, Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets. Yuri Petrovski... Yuri Petrovski… I have a letter for Iossif Vissarionovitch... Yuri Petrovski, don't let me down, don't let me down, Iossif Vissarionovitch must read this letter, I beg of you, take it. He doesn't know I'm here, Yuri Petrovski, I am Nadejda Alliloueva, and I still love him. Tell him I still love him. Tell him that Nadejda Alliloueva still loves him, tell him his wife still loves him. Tell him I am here and that I'll always watch over him. Promise me, Yuri Petrovski, promise you’ll get this letter into the right hands… Promise me, Yuri Petrovski, love is stronger than anything. Tell him that I still love him but, I don't want him to come to see me. No, don't tell him where I am, just tell him I'm still alive, that I am watching over him, but don't tell him where I am, just tell him you met me, I am Nadejda Alliloueva, who loves him still, who loves, yes, tell him all of this. He has nothing to fear, nothing has changed, but you must deliver my letter into the right hands, promise me, Yuri Petrovski. I get his calls, he’s got to stop drinking... And don’t say anything to anyone... Don’t say anything to anyone, tell me you won't say anything to anyone… Tell me something, Yuri Petrovski, tell me something, a word, a word, a word, a word... I have a letter... Yuri Petrovski... I have a letter for Iossif Vissarionovitch… Yuri Petrovski, don't let me down… Yuri Petrovski, tell him that his mother said that he shouldn't tire himself. He's tired. He doesn't kill anymore. He isn’t well, I know. He doesn't kill anymore because he isn’t well. He’s sick, he hasn't killed anyone in a week. He’s ill, unshaven. Tell him his mother is worried. He hasn't killed in four days, he doesn't eat properly, he drinks too much, he doesn’t shave, he’s sick. Tell him his mother is worried. He doesn’t kill these days, he’s not sleeping well, he's tired, he stays up the whole night. Why? He doesn’t shave, he’s coughing, he’s sick, he hasn't killed for a week. Tell him his mother is worried. He’s sick, he's got a cold, he's tired, he's alone, he hasn't killed in two days, he's alone, he's tired, he wakes with a fright. Why. Tell him… Sasha didn't do anything, no, he didn't do anything, no, he told me, he didn't do anything, he didn't do anything at all, no, he didn't do anything, Sasha didn't do anything, no, no, he didn't do anything, he told me he didn't do anything, he told me, no, he didn't do anything, no, Sasha never did anything, he was there but he didn’t do anything, he was there, that’s all, but he didn't do anything, he was there, yes, he was there, yes, that, yes but he didn’t do anything, no, he didn't do anything at all, no, nothing, nothing, nothing, Sasha didn't do anything, he was there but he didn't say anything, he didn't see anything, he didn't do anything, he was there, that's all, but he didn’t do anything, did nothing, nothing… No, Maria Spiridonova doesn't like pirogis, no, pirogis, no, not pirogis, Maria Spiridonova doesn't like pirogis, no, pirogis, no, not pirogis, no, no, no, not pirogis, no, no, no, enough pirogis, no, pirogis, enough, no, enough, not pirogis, not for Maria Spiridonova, no, Maria Spiridonova doesn't like pirogis, no, no, not pirogis, no, Maria Spiridonova, no, no more pirogis... We have made a considerable saving on railway cars, in total 37,548 linear meters of planking, 11,834 buckets, and 3,400 stoves! We have made a considerable saving on railway cars. We have made a considerable saving on railway cars in total 37,548 linear meters of planking, 11,834 buckets, and 3,400 stoves! We’ve saved 37,548 linear meters of boards, 11,834 buckets, and 3,400 stoves! We have made a considerable saving on railway cars, in total 37,548 linear meters of boards, 11,834 buckets, and 3,400 stoves! And a considerable number of railway cars, We have made a considerable saving on railway cars, in total 37,548 linear meters of planking, 11,834 buckets, and 3,400 stoves… Yuri Petrovski… Yuri Petrovski… Yuri Petrovski… Timofei... Timofei, let me sleep... - Yuri Petrovski, it's the party… Let me sleep, Timofei. It's the party in “Solitary”, Yuri Petrovski. Excuse me, Yuri Petrovski, but it's Ivan Mikadoi Gamarovski who's invited you personally. Timofei, let me sleep. The comrades in solitary are asking for you. Also the court of the high security section is in session. You must come...The self-criticisms have already started… Timofei, how did you get into my room? How? It was locked... How did you get into my room? Ivan Mikadoi Gamarovski celebrates his fifteenth anniversary here… Do him the honor of celebrating with him... Because you're one of us now, Yuri Petrovski... we know you're one of us… This way, Yuri Petrovski... watch your head… Here... Sorry to disturb you, Yuri Petrovski, but it's a great honor for Ivan Mikadoi Gamarovski to have you visit him, in the free zone... Give me your hand, jump! Here we go... we are... Enter, Yuri Petrovski… Welcome, comrade Yuri Petrovski. It is a great honor for us welcome you here to the liberated territories of the Soviet Union! You are, dear Yuri Petrovski, the first civilian, the first person, to enter the free zone of this institution. We declare you, therefore, dear comrade Yuri Petrovski, a free man! Here, Yuri Petrovski. I have a small present for you. Try it on. We know you’re one of us. I raise this glass to you, Yuri Petrovski, for your true stories, so truly revolutionary, that warm us to the heart. Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! I invite you to take part in our trial. The Court of our free zone works day and night, comrade Yuri Petrovski! We ceaselessly judge the traitors of truth. We even condemned Maxim Gorki to death! Its true, Yuri Petrovski, We even condemned Maxim Gorki to death! Is Maxim Gorki really dead, comrade Yuri Petrovski? It's very important to us since we condemned him to death, to get confirmation of his death. He is dead! I want to tell the story of how I met Stalin! I want to tell Yuri Petrovski how I met Stalin. We also want to condemn Semion Babaievski, Mikhail Boubiennov and Vassili Ajaiev to death because they won the Stalin Prize. We give the death sentence to everyone who’s won the Stalin Prize. Are they dead too? No. So we can’t condemn them to death yet… But, comrade Yuri Petrovski, do you believe they will ever die? Sure… Dear comrade Yuri Petrovski, allow me to introduce myself… I am Ivan Mikadoi Gamarovski. I have been here in this hospital for fifteen years. We created the free zone ten years ago. We have here a circle of revolutionary studies, a casino, a tribunal that works 24 hours a day, the People-Who-Met-Stalin Club… I want to tell him how I met Stalin… Alright, tell our dear comrade Yuri Petrovski how you met Stalin… I met Stalin, I met Stalin! OK, you met Stalin but tell us how you met Stalin. I knew him! - Yes. But when? I was in Commander Sergo Ordjonikidze's unit! Oh good, so you also met Sergo Ordjonikidze. Yes, I met Sergo Ordjonikidze. That’s fine. - Long live Mighty Stalin. Long live Mighty Stalin. - Ribbentrop-Molotov! Comrade Petrovski, will you accept the position of Commissioner of Literature in our provisional government? Yes. I accept. Down with the traitors of the revolution! Down with the traitors! A question, Yuri Petrovski, is the French writer Henri Barbusse dead? No, he is alive. Ribbentrop-Molotov! Comrades, I propose that comrade Kouhkine reads to us the chapter that comrade Yuri Petrovski wrote about the war! Comrade Yuri Petrovski, allow me to introduce the actor Kouhkine who knows all the chapters that you've written here on the history of the Bolsheviks by heart... Come on, Kouhkine, come on up to the podium! I will recite…the entire last chapter that Yuri Petrovski wrote tonight before going to sleep! One day comrade Molotov wakes up Stalin and tells him: “Comrade Stalin, I'm sorry to wake you, but our neighbor Hitler has invaded us. And…” Molotov adds, “the thing of it is Hitler has invaded us and we’ve lost the Ukraine.” “How could that be?” asks Stalin. “How could we lose the Ukraine?” “Well,” says Molotov, “the thing of it is we’ve also lost the Crimea.” “How could that be?” asks Stalin “How could we lose the Ukraine and the Crimea?” “Well” says Molotov, “the thing of it is that we’ve lost the Ukraine, the Crimea and the North Caucasus.” “How could that be,” asks Stalin. “How could we lose the Ukraine, the Crimea and the North Caucasus?” “Well” says Molotov “the thing of it is that we’ve lost the Ukraine, the Crimea, the North Caucasus, and the western section of the Volga.” “How could that be?”, asks Stalin, “How could we lose the Ukraine, the Crimea, the North Caucasus, and the western section of the Volga?” “Well”, says Molotov, the thing of it is that we’ve lost the Ukraine the Crimea, the North Caucasus, the western section of the Volga, and now Hitler is at the gates of Leningrad and Moscow...” And Stalin thought about this a bit, and he said: “We must declare The Great- Motherland-Liberation-War. ” And he declared The Great-Motherland-Liberation-War. And Hitler lost... so there... Ribbentrop-Molotov! Dear Yuri Petrovski, do you speak any foreign languages? Yes... - Ribbentrop-Molotov. Alright, comrade Ribbentrop- Molotov, come here. You see, comrade Yuri Petrovski, our comrade Ribbentrop-Molotov has been here since 1939. The only thing he says is Ribbentrop- Molotov. Comrade Ribbentrop-Molotov, say Ribbentrop-Molotov. Ribbentrop-Molotov. There, you hear it? He's not Russian. That's not a Russian accent. Our comrade Ribbentrop-Molotov, in our opinion, is a foreign comrade. Ribbentrop-Molotov. There... do you hear it? We think he must be Spanish or French or English. In any case, he’s not German, we've heard Germans speak before, and he can't be German. Could you ask him in a foreign language where he comes from? Are you English? Ribbentrop-Molotov! Sei Italiano? - Ribbentrop-Molotov! Tu es francais? - Ribbentrop-Molotov. There, that's the only thing he ever says. For fourteen years that's the only thing he ever says… Vy Ukrayins’kyy? Comrade Yuri Petrovski, you have brought us much happiness. Comrade Yuri Petrovski, the revolution is not dead. Thanks to men like you, thanks to this free zone of the Soviet Union, it is still alive, and one day… The greatest drama of humanity is that the plane goes clunk! May I introduce you to professor Gagaine, who entertains us during our seminars on revolutionary studies… Without airplanes it doesn't work. Man was made to make airplanes. But as soon as the plane is ready, as soon as man flies in the plane, it goes clunk. This is the greatest drama of mankind. When you see the plane on the ground, it’s perfect. Come here, comrades, look, the airplane it looks good. Look, I go click, and all the instruments light up. I go clack and all the motors begin to run. Click... everything shines. Clack, everything’s spic and span. Click, the dials work. Clack, the springs coil. It's the best plane ever invented by the human mind, that's for certain. Come on, comrade, get in. And you get in, and you take off and the plane goes clunk. And that’s it. So then you start to say…there was a problem... and you have an investigation and you discover that there was nothing wrong with the plane. So you say to yourself it was pilot- error. The pilot was no good. So you make another plane. You invite the comrades and show them the plane. And, on the ground, the plane has no problems, it's perfect. Click, it lights up. Clack, it runs smoothly. Click, it moves. Clack, it purrs. It's beautiful, it's sturdy, it's strong, it's all of the best things ever invented by the human mind rolled into one, and still more beautiful, more sturdy, more strong, more brilliant. And you show your comrades, and you take off, and you fly a bit and the plane goes clunk. And you say, there was nothing wrong with the plane, and this time it's the copilot, it was copilot-error. And you start again. And on the ground the plane is perfect. It's beautiful. It's brilliant. Click, clack, clunk. And so you say, it's because of the storm, it was the worst storm in thirty years. Click, clack, clunk. It's because of the birds. It's crazy how stupid the birds have become. They fly right into the propellers. Click, clack, clunk. It's because of clunk. Click, clack, clunk. It's because of the click, clack, clunk... That’s it. Click, clack, clunk, that is mankind. It never ends. The plane is good. clunk. Get in, comrades. Clunk. The plane is good. And in any case, no one will ever say that the plane wasn't good, because all of the people who were on the plane are dead… Click, clack, clunk. Other comrades, same plane. Clunk. Again. Clunk. The machine is good. Clunk. That’s it. Comrade Yuri Petrovski, they're looking for you... Comrade Yuri Petrovski, come quickly... Oh, dear God, come quickly… Yuri Petrovski, don't go. They want to arrest you! Come on, quickly, we have to… Yuri Petrovski, we can hide you here for years... don't go… Yuri Petrovski... be careful... don't leave the free zone… Yuri Petrovski… - Yes? Long live the true revolution! You know, comrade Katia Ezova, that I am very angry with you. Yes, comrade… You know, Katia Ezova, that I am more than angry… I am going out of my mind ? - Yes… You know you are a filthy whore, Katia Ezova. You know it, don't you? Comrade Director… Shut up!... You know, comrade Katia Ezova, that you are a filthy whore, you bring disgrace to our socialist society. Comrade… You know that you are a disgrace to our Motherland, you know you are a disgrace to the working class and a disgrace to our struggle for communism. Comrade… Communism cannot be built with filthy whores like you, Katia... No, we can never build a new society with filthy whores that sleep with the deeply debilitated. True or not, Katia? I don't know… We can never build the new society, the new man, the radiant future of the working class, with filthy whores who fuck the deeply debilitated. But… Katia Ezova, I forbade you to fuck the deeply debilitated. True or not? Yes… I told you, I banned you, I prohibited you from fucking the deeply debilitated. Perhaps I wasn't clear, Comrade Katia? No, you were… Shut up! You betrayed our cause! You betrayed the battle of the working class. You betrayed the timeless heritage of Marxism-Leninism... You betrayed Stalin! - No… Oh yes, you betrayed our comrade Stalin. No... no… Why did you sleep with Ivan? He never met Stalin. Why did you sleep with him? - But of course he knew him… Katia... you cannot sleep with everyone who met Stalin… Yes I can… On your knees! - Yes I… Make your self-criticism, comrade Katia Ezova… Yes… I will hear your self-criticism, Katia... How many times did you fuck Ivan Mikadoi Gamarovski? Only one time. I ask you again, How many times did you fuck… 2 times but Comrade Director… Shut up! Admit, comrade Katia Ezova, that you are a filthy whore, that you consort with imperialists. Your behavior undermines communist morality. Yuri Petrovski... a great tragedy has occurred in our great country… Stalin is dead! Stalin, you are with us, in us… We owe you everything, we owe you everything, Stay with us, stay with us… Are you sure? Radio Moscow announced that Iossif Vissarionovitch Stalin is dead! We must reinforce the workers vigilance... we must avoid overreacting... we must reinforce discipline… Cheers! Yuri Petrovski... Yuri Petrovski... you are still young… help us to reinforce the workers vigilance… Yuri... Yuri... why did you burn your papers? Why did you do it? What will we do now with the Hydra of counter-revolution. What will we do with the French and American servants of imperialism? They will hold their heads high... A little frog looked me in the eye And said to me “Katia Would you please lend me your tears The universe is in your tears” But my tears were in my mouth And I swallowed them and with them I swallowed the universe And the frog began to cry We must remain vigilant... we must remain vigilant… Yuri Petrovski, tell them Stalin is not dead, it will calm them… Yes... Of course… …my tears were in my mouth And I swallowed them and with them I swallowed the universe And the frog began to cry… Stalin is not dead Stalin is not dead! Stalin is not dead! Stalin is not dead! What is happening to you, comrade Stalin. Is that you, Nadejda? Comrade Stalin, would you like me to move you on the couch? Stop, Nadejda. Stop… Would you like me to pour you a drink? Nadejda... - Yes, comrade Stalin? Oh, Nadejda, you have broken my heart. What was that, comrade Stalin? - Stop, Nadejda... that's enough… Are you crying, comrade Stalin? How could you leave Setanotchka and Vassia without a mother? Would you like me to dry your tears, comrade Stalin? Go on, Sosso, it's time to leave. Where are we going, Nadejda? My mother has taken the big apartment on Rojdestvenskaia Street... you remember it? Yes, yes… You still have your room there, my dear Sosso... We will hide there, okay? We will start all over again, Sosso. You remember when you escaped from Krasnoiarsk and you came to us for the first time? I was sixteen years old... and you were so thin, Sosso... And Lenin asked us: "What does he eat, Stalin?” And he said to my mother “Please Olga Evguenievna, you must watch him, he doesn't look well...” And one time you hid with Lenin... And you shaved his beard and mustache so he could get to Finland without being recognized... do you remember, Sosso? Yes, yes… Come, not even a dog will sniff you out. No one will find you in our flat on Rojdestvenskaia Street… You must rest... so you can regain your strength... and then we will… Yes, Nadejda, yes… C'mon, Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets… A man with a shovel, right side… You're wasting your money. They never shovel snow here. So? Piss off. Two, street cleaner within three days. Left or right. C'mon, place your bets… Street cleaner a month from now! How much? – One! Perfect. Go, Ivan, it's your turn… Military man with a shovel, ... right side... three months from now... Three! Oh, no, it's too much, three, he can't do that. Shut up. It's too much, you can't do that. Two. Who’s next, Mesdames et Messieurs, place your bets. Never, nobody, from nowhere. He's not playing right! That's not right! Shut up, he plays as he pleases. Place your bets, Mesdames et Messieurs. The sun melting the snow six months from now! How much? - One. Six months is too long. Say five months. C'mon, c'mon, place your bets. C’mon, Ivan... speak... this isn't Switzerland. Dog. Shit! Enough with your dog already! You know very well there's never any dogs! We never had a dog! Dog that pees on the snowy window, left side. One. I do what I want. Ah, it gets on my nerves... for ten years all I hear is that… dog, dog, dog! He does what he wants. The Swiss certainly do what they want… No more bets! - Stalin, left side! Shut up. You're not in the game. But I have money! Stalin, left side. - For crying out loud, shit. I have the right! I told you, you're not in the game! No more bets. What an asshole. Go on, pull it already, shit. It's crazy... how beautiful it is... even though... Huh? I told you 6 months is too long. No its not true, its not true - No... it's bullshit... it's not true… Its him in the name of God its him. I told you 6 months would be too long Do you believe me or not? I won. End