One-Two, Soldiers Were Going…

Colonel Konstantin Svyatkin celebrates his promotion with colleagues at a present-day office party. He then receives a postcard inviting him to Podbednya station, where his father died three decades earlier. The unexpected invitation begins a journey that links his life to a distant battlefield memory.

En route to Podbednya, Konstantin meets Anna Velenstovich, whose own father died in the same historic battle. She explains she arranged the gathering to bring together relatives of the fallen. Their conversation forges a personal connection that anchors the present-day quest in shared loss.

Anna and the local village leader organize a reunion for relatives of the Podbednya dead, hoping memory can heal old wounds. The event aims to link families through their common history and honor the fallen together. The present-day plan centers on remembrance and unity.

Valentina Ivanovna, a witness to the 1944 battle, recalls that Suslin’s platoon stayed at her family home the night before their final march. Her memory anchors the historical thread that connects the present gathering to the combat past. Her testimony adds a personal layer to the collective memory.

In 1944, Junior Lieutenant Igor Suslin arrives to command an anti-tank platoon at Podbednya. His mission is to move toward Rumyantsevo and then hold the line to slow the German advance. The stage is set for a critical confrontation that will test every soldier.

Corporal Svyatkin—the playful 'Matchmaker'—celebrates the birthday of his newborn son with the platoon. He jokes that he has 'no birthday' of his own, balancing levity with the looming danger. The moment captures the human side of soldiers before a desperate operation.

Suslin spends the evening with an old classmate, reconnecting before the clash with the enemy. The evening reinforces the personal ties that would be tested on the battlefield. The quiet moment sits in contrast to the approaching conflict.

In the morning, a wounded colonel informs the unit that a German motorized force has broken through the lines and is pressing toward Ilyinka. The information sets a dire tone for the patrols and defense to come. The soldiers brace for a critical, likely deadly, engagement.

Suslin’s platoon is ordered to hold the line and prevent the enemy from reaching the many wounded nearby. They prepare for a stubborn defense, understanding the high stakes of delaying the invaders. The resolve of the troops is tested as time tightens.

The engagement intensifies as the platoon fights to stall the German advance. Sacrifices are made in the attempt to protect the wounded and delay the enemy. The battle becomes the focal memory that will echo in generations.

Decades later, families and friends gather on March 18, 1974 to honor the soldiers who fell in the Podbednya battle. The ritual solidifies the memory across generations and links it to the present-day reunion. The event marks the living connection between past and present.

The present-day gathering honors the same memory, using the 1974 date as a focal point. Konstantin and Anna share their reflections as relatives recount the past for new generations. The story threads of 1944 and now are woven together through memory and reunion.