Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
One of the first significant Soviet films produced by Goskino, "Wings of a Serf" by director Yuri Tarich, enjoyed great popularity in the late 1920s. It became a link in the chain of pre-revolutionary and Soviet cinematic images of Tsar Ivan the Terrible: "Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov" (1908), "The Death of Ivan the Terrible" (1909), "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1915), Sergei Eisenstein's famous film "Ivan the Terrible" (1944–1945), Leonid Gaidai's comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession" (1973), and the ballet film "Terrible Century" (1976) by V. Derbenev and Yuri Grigorovich. Some scenes from "Wings of a Serf" inspired Sergei Eisenstein. Of course, the great director created a fundamentally different film—both in its interpretation of Ivan the Terrible's reign and in its visual style. However, the dance scene in the second part of Ivan the Terrible (1945) recreated the same key elements as Tarich's film. And the comedic scenes of feasting and dancing in Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession allude to Sergei Eisenstein's celebrated film.
The image of the “wings of a serf” as a symbol of the creative potential of the people is further developed in A. Tarkovsky’s film “Andrei Rublev” (1966).
Stills from the films "Wings of a Serf" (1926), "Andrei Rublev" (1966)
The plot of the film "Wings of a Serf" is based on a medieval legend about a talented craftsman named Nikishka, who dreamed of flying and fashioned wings. For this, he was accused by Ivan the Terrible of conspiring with evil spirits and sentenced to death. For cinematographers of the 1920s, this was not just a pretext for creating a spectacular film with plenty of intrigue, but also an opportunity to reflect on historical material.
Filming of "The Wings of a Serf" began at the Third Goskino Factory, but the film was released under the Sovkino label, founded in 1926. Considering the factory's operating conditions—minimal resources, "micro-studios," and a small backlot—it's hard to imagine how such a complex production was possible. (Grigory Roshal, "The Film of Life." Moscow, 1974, p. 292)
Wings of a Serf: [libretto for a film]. – Moscow, [1926]
The concept of the film
The original script for "The Wings of a Serf" was based on the novella of the same name by K.G. Shildkret. However, the filmmakers, Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky, Yuri Viktorovich Tarich, and Leonid Mironovich Leonidov, had to significantly rework the novella to create an innovative film that upends theatrical notions of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Work on the film was carried out under the slogan of the Goskino Artistic Council, "Beat the Swans." A striking symbol of 16th-century theatrical imagery was K. Makovsky's painting "Boyar's Wedding Feast" (1883), whose central element was a beautiful platter with a swan. The filmmakers set themselves the task of stripping away this festivity and pomp and moving toward what they believed was a more accurate depiction of the modest medieval lifestyle of the tsar and his entourage. (see Soviet Screen. – 1926. – No. 2. – p. 11; Cinema. – 1926. – No. 1. – p. 3).
A tour of Aleksandrovskoye Village revealed low, vaulted, seemingly crushed rooms where Ivan the Terrible feasted. Simple chairs, meager furnishings, the austere Russian Middle Ages. This is not at all the Russian style we know from Makovsky. Prince Serebryany, Ilovaisky, Vereshchagin, the Peredvizhniki, and even Roerich—all of these are not material for a film director, but enemies to be destroyed. (Shklovsky, Viktor. "Not Ivan, but Ivan" // Sovetsky Ekran. – 1926. – No. 2. – p. 11). Until now, I knew only two settings for this era: Tsar Feodor at the Moscow Art Theater and those countless cardboard swans depicted in Makovsky's paintings and the Bolshoi Theater's productions. I had to approach the image by overcoming theatrical cliches that had long ago become encrusted with barnacles. (Leonidov L. M. My work on “The Terrible” // Soviet screen. – 1926. – No. 45. – p. 4).
L.M. Leonidov, who played Ivan the Terrible, didn't want to simply play a cruel tsar; he sought to expand his character, for example, by adding businesslike qualities. Living in an era of growing importance for the proletariat and industry, the filmmakers decided to complicate the plot with themes of industrial relations, making the tsar the owner of a linen factory and a shrewd merchant who traded in linen.
V. Shklovsky recalled: "So, from the Flax Center, I knew about the importance of flax, about the flax trade during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, about the 'white treasury,' as linen was then called. Historically, I made a mistake of about thirty years when I gave Ivan the Terrible Flemish wheels for processing flax, but I think this error is debatable and not absolute. When Ivan began keeping his own cash books and bargaining with foreigners, the actor Leonidov had the opportunity to play the role." (Shklovsky, V. Forty Years. Moscow, 1965, p. 64)
But, first and foremost, the film's goal was to show the Russian Middle Ages without embellishment, with all the cruelties and passions inherent in the tsar, boyars, and oprichniks.
Still from the film "Wings of a Serf"
Preparation and filming locations
To research historical material, the film crew traveled to the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, Ivan the Terrible's residence from 1564 to 1581, from where he ruled the country. They examined household items, weapons, and tableware in the Historical Museum and the Armory Chamber. The album "Wings of a Serf" contains photographs of selected locations, architecture, and interiors of the Alexandrovskaya Kremlin and its surroundings, as well as 16th-century props. Developing such albums has become standard practice during the pre-production stage of any film.
The complex props for the film are partly authentic and museum-quality, and partly made in the factory workshops (weapons, saddles, riding equipment, riding horse equipment, etc.) based on samples in the Armory Chamber. (Yuri Tarich. "The Wings of a Serf." – Soviet Screen. – 1926. – No. 14. – p. 7).
"Choice of Scenes." Alexandrov, 1925; Historical props
In addition to the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, the location was chosen for various reasons in Peredelkino—the former Bode-Kolychev estate (the village of Lukino), now the country residence of the Moscow patriarchs. The album features photographs of the estate's ancient entrance, the fence with towers, the so-called "Boyar Gate," and buildings of unknown purpose. The photographer was likely A.D. Grinberg, a photographer and cameraman for Goskino and Sovkino. His works, including similar shots of the village of Lukino in Peredelkino, are held in Multimedia Art Museum
"Choice of Nature"
Filming itself took place on the grounds of Kolomenskoye and the former 1923 Agricultural Exhibition on Sparrow Hills (now the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure). According to Khrisanf Nikolaevich Khersonsky, a contemporary of the making of "Wings of a Serf," screenwriter and critic, Yuriy Tarich facilitated the restoration of the 1532 church in Kolomenskoye. (Khersonsky, Kh.N., "Pages from the Youth of Cinema: Notes of a Critic." Moscow, 1965, p. 199).
"Choice of Scenes". Kolomenskoye. 1925.
Nikishka's flight was filmed in Kolomenskoye; due to its complexity, six camera operators were used. For the "Sovereign's Linen Yard" and "Boyarin Kurlyatev's Estate," characteristic buildings from the former All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft-Industrial Exhibition of 1923 were used (Yuri Tarich. "The Wings of a Serf." – Sovetsky Ekran. – 1926. – No. 14. – p. 7).
On the set of the film "Wings of a Serf." 1925. In the background is the main entrance building of the former Agricultural Exhibition of 1923.
Artistic design
V.E. Egorov, film artist
The set designer for the film "Wings of a Serf" was Vladimir Evgenievich Egorov (1878-1960), one of the founders of film set design. This was not the first time V.E. Egorov had worked on a historical film. Even before the revolution, he had designed such films as "Ponizovaya Volnitsa" (1908) by V. Romashkov and "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (The Maid of Pskov) by A. Ivanov-Gai (1915). In 1925, the preparation of "Wings of a Serf" coincided with Egorov's work on Ya.A. Protazanov's film "Stepan Razin," which, unfortunately, was never made. The historical interiors for both films were similar, so "Wings of a Serf" partially utilized sketches of the sets for "Stepan Razin" (photographs of which are presented in the album). The artist subsequently continued the theme of "Stepan Razin" in 1939, for a production by O. Preobrazhenskaya and I. Pravov. However, some of the sketches, erroneously dated 1939, were actually created in 1925. This was revealed thanks to the album "Wings of a Serf" from the Mosfilm-Info Information Center.
Sketches by V. E. Egorov
G. Roshal recalled: "Yegorov was the artist for Tarich's painting 'The Wings of a Serf.'" The soundstages of the 3rd Factory could easily be called micro-soundstages (nowadays, they'd say mini-soundstages). And yet, Yegorov had a unique way of widening walls, raising ceilings, and, moreover, capturing wide shots of nature with churches and bell towers within them. When I examined these sets, I saw that the domes were simply standing on the ground and that they were shorter than me. But from the camera's perspective, they were astonishing. The camera's perspective! It was a sacred point of view for Yegorov. He always constructed a set so that it could only be filmed from the angle he had in mind. Not a step to the right, not a step to the left, neither forward nor backward… Yegorov – tall, with a stick in his hands, in a sealskin hat, somewhat resembling Leonidov and Ivan the Terrible, whom Leonidov played in "The Wings of a Serf" – strode around the pavilion like Peter the Great in Serov's painting. (Roshal Grigory. Filmstrip of Life. – Moscow, 1974. – p. 262)
Authentic historical costumes were used to portray the boyars in the film "The Wings of a Serf." The actors grew beards especially for the film. According to the film's screenwriter, V. Shklovsky, the costume designer was [Konstantin] Vorobyov (Shklovsky, Viktor. Over 60 Years: Works on Cinema. Moscow, 1985. p. 12). However, it's more likely that Vorobyov was simply the costume designer, and V. E. Yegorov made all the decisions, as K. Vorobyov is known specifically as a theatrical costume designer.
Ivan Pyryev
I. Pyryev
Another noteworthy fact is that Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev worked as an assistant director on the film "Wings of a Serf." Pyryev began his film career as an assistant to Yuri Tarich during the production of "Morok" and "First Lights." The Russian State Archive of Literature and Art holds a statement from director Yuri Tarich to the RSC of the 3rd Goskino Factory:
"The RKK's decision to lay off my artistic assistant, Comrade Pyryev, in the midst of preparatory work on the film 'Wings of a Serf,' places me, as director, in the position of someone whose right arm is being torn off. Without delving into the reasons for Comrade Pyryev's dismissal, I believe it fundamentally disrupts the calm and businesslike pace of the work and is based on an absurd misunderstanding. Comrade Pyryev is my assistant, with whom I have worked closely on two films ('The Darkness' and 'Lights'), to whom I entrust the preparation and development of scenes with the actors, and whom I consider absolutely indispensable, especially since he is currently deeply involved with the overall progress of the film." (Ivan Pyryev: The Truth of Creativity / Altai Territory Administration for Culture and Archaeology, State Museum of the History of Literature, Art and Culture of Altai; [compiled by: Korotkov I. A., Ogneva E. V., Fomin V. I.]. – Barnaul: GMILIKA, 2011. – p. 42)
Yuri Tarich and Esther Shub
In his work "Pages of the Youth of Cinema," Kh. N. Khersonsky outlined the specifics of the work on "Wings of a Serf," including the directing and editing components. According to him, Yuri Viktorovich Tarich conceived a film entirely different from the one that ultimately emerged. The reason for this was the "American jagged editing" employed by the experienced editor Esfir Ilyinichna Shub. Tarich advocated a calm, contemplative tempo: "The slow pace of life in Rus', movement in long-skirted caftans and long-sleeved fur coats, the sedate nature of gestures and speech do not allow people to flicker on the screen." However, Shub insisted on the then-fashionable dynamic editing. (Khersonsky, Kh. N. Pages of the Youth of Cinema: Notes of a Critic. Moscow, 1965. p. 196).
Criticism
Contemporaries reacted to "The Wings of a Serf" with mixed reviews. Most reviewers praised Leonidov's outstanding performance, but criticized the film for its lack of national character, its inaccurate portrayal of the Tsar, and its commercial bias, with an excess of "love," violence, and adventure, while lacking historical accuracy. I. Urazov:
"If we were to remove the title, the names of the actors, and the director, the general public might mistake the film for a foreign one. Everyday life and certain moments are smoothed over and perceived aesthetically. The Russian elements are softened… Ivan the Terrible and his time, as interpreted in Wings, are unexpected for the general public. Ivan the Terrible is not only a sadist but also a cunning merchant. (Kino. – 1926. – No. 47. – November 20).
The album contains some photo tests.
Photo proofs for the film "Wings of a Serf." 1925.
The film featured:
Screenwriters: V.B.Shklovsky, Yu.V.Tarich, K.G.Shildkret Director: Yu.V.Tarich, Co-director: L.M.Leonidov Director of photography: M.I.Vladimirsky Production designer: V.E.Egorov Editing: E.I.Shub Assistant directors: I.A.Pyryev (uncredited), N.Armenev Assistant director: V.V.Korsh
Cast: Nikishka, serf – I. S. KlyukvinIvan the Terrible – L. M. LeonidovFima, Nikishka’s bride – S. N. GarrelIvashka, Fima’s brother – M. KotelnikovMaria Temryukovna, Ivan the Terrible’s second wife – S. AskarovaTsarevich Ivan – V. V. KorshFyodor Basmanov – N. P. ProzorovskyMalyuta Skuratov – I. KachalovPrince Drutskoy – N. M. VitovtovPrince Kurlyatev – I. ArkanovLupatov – V. MakarovVaska Gryaznov – A. I. ZhukovAfanasy Vyazemsky – V. KurganovPrincess Kurlyateva – K. ChebyshevaPrincess Kurlyateva – V. VirskayaKhayat, Circassian – A. DzyubinaMetropolitan – K. Efimov Hay Girl – T.S. Barysheva In episodes: V. Snezhinskaya, V. Savitsky and others
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