THE SOLDIER'S CAFTAN Based on Russian folk tales
[SAINT PETERSBURG] [NEVA RIVER]
screenwriter & director Vadim Kurchevskiy art director Marina Kurchevskaya
camera Sergey Hlebnikov composer Mihail Meyerovich sound Vladimir Kutuzov
animators Vyachelav Shirobreyev, Roman Mitrofanov, Yelena Gavrilko, Lidiya Mayatnikova
narrator I. Agafonov
montage Nadezhda Treshchyova script editor Raisa Frichinskaya
puppets & decor Vladimir Abbakumov, Valeriy Petrov, Mihail Koltunov, Viktor Grishin, Pavel Gusev, Marina Chesnokova
Nina Moleva, Nataliya Barkovskaya, Svetlana Znamenskaya, Nataliya Grinberg, Aleksandr Maksimov, Vladimir Maslov
Lyudmila Ruban, Semyon Etlis, Valentin Ladygin, Sergey Galkin
production director Grigoriy Khmara (c) Soyuzmultfilm, 1983
Whether it was or it was not one cannot know, but what I heard is what I tell.
Once a general and an admiral came from overseas.
They had decided to serve under tsar Peter.
They arrived with their loyal servants at the same hour,
and ran into each other near the Tsar's quarters.
The guests began boasting in front of Tsar Peter,
showing off their garments, puffing up their worth.
Peter looks at all this and says:
Well now, dear guests, your uniforms are good;
one can't even tell whose is best.
But we in Russia have hot summers, cold winters,
and one has to serve in any kind of weather.
Let's ask a Russian soldier whose garments are better.
In my opinion, Your Royal Highness, - the soldier answers, -
the soldier's caftan is the best of all!
Tsar Peter gave a laugh,
yet the admiral and the general swelled up in anger.
This still has to be proven! - the guests shouted out. - Proven! Proven!
Alright. Let's hold a contest among the three of you.
We will ask Boreas, the north wind, to blow harder,
and then His Highness, the Sun, to cook hotter.
The one who withstands the frost and heat will win the contest.
If the guests win the contest, I will give them kingly reward.
If soldier proves his point, I will make him a general.
We will begin tomorrow morning.
In the morning Tsar Peter and his suite came out.
With what shall we begin? - he asks.
Heat! Heat! - the admiral yells.
Frost! Frost! - the general yells even louder.
It's all the same to me, - the soldier said. - I will carry out any order.
Alright. Let it be frost, - Peter decreed.
That's enough, - said Tsar Peter.
- Thank you, brother Frost!
Let's have a look and see who's remained alive.
That's how it goes.
The admiral's uniform turned out to be poor.
Yet your contest is not settled. Let's see how you withstand the heat.
Sun, Your Highness, please begin!
Then the private remembered how hot it was in the battle.
Oh, Sun, - he says, - you have seen Russian soldiers in battles.
It can get so heated there, but no matter, we stayed alive!
Your efforts are in vain! Be careful not to burn yourself out!
So the general's garments are no good as well.
The soldier's caftan defeated all of them, - said Peter.
From now on, soldier, you're a general.
Your Highness, - the soldier laughs, -
if the general's uniform is worse than a soldier's
why should I exchange good for poor?
No, I'd better remain a soldier.
That makes sense.
And they say that since then, Tsar Peter, too,
preferred wearing simple soldier's garments.
and would always put it on when times were hard.
THE END Subs by Dust Angel, revised by Niffiwan