Two Comrades Were Serving

In 1920, Nekrasov and Karyakin are dispatched by their regimental commander on a reconnaissance mission in an aircraft to film White Army fortifications on the way into Crimea via Perekop. The two men are very different: Nekrasov is war-weary and intelligent, while Karyakin is simple-minded yet idealistic and energetic. The mission sets the stage for their evolving friendship.

After filming, the aircraft's engine stalls and the pilots are forced to land in unfriendly territory. They are soon captured by Makhnovists, a development that tests their resourcefulness and resilience.

Nekrasov and Karyakin manage to escape captivity and reach a different Red Army unit. Their survival hinges on staying ahead of their pursuers and navigating hostile territory.

The two soldiers are misidentified as White Army spies and stand at the threshold of a firing squad. Their firing squad is halted when their colonel arrives just in time to stop the execution.

The two men present the reel of their footage to their commander, but very little of what they captured has survived or is usable. The fragmentary evidence leaves the command uncertain about its value.

Nekrasov demonstrates his tactical acumen by reconstructing a very accurate map of the fortifications from memory, impressing the commander with his skill and memory. This feat elevates Nekrasov in the eyes of his superiors.

Karyakin accuses Nekrasov of supposed crimes, creating a strain in their friendship. Nekrasov rebuffs the accusation, maintaining focus on their mission and the bond between them.

During the assault on Perekop, the two encounter each other again; Karyakin has risen to commander, and the two soldiers put aside their quarrel as they fight side by side. The shared danger rekindles their camaraderie.

In a parallel plotline, Brusentsov, a cynical White Army officer, accidentally kills a comrade and begins a romance with Alexandra. His arc depicts the moral decay and personal loyalties within the White Army.

Brusentsov proposes an action that could have prevented a Red Army landing, but his superiors ignore him. The dismissal of his insight foreshadows the White Army’s strategic failures.

During the retreat, Brusentsov shoots Nekrasov from afar, reversing a prior moment when Nekrasov had prevented Karyakin from shooting Brusentsov. The act seals Nekrasov’s fate in this thread of the story.

Karyakin makes a last-ditch effort to save his friend and carries Nekrasov’s camera and film back to headquarters, preserving at least some of Nekrasov’s work.

Back at the command post, Karyakin hums his favorite song about a comrade falling, regretting that Nekrasov was the one who died rather than himself. The moment underscores the personal cost of the conflict.

During the evacuation of the White Army from Crimea, Brusentsov marries Alexandra. He tries to bring his beloved horse with him on the ship; the horse swims after the vessel, and Brusentsov shoots himself.

The film ends with shots of the Red Army captured on Nekrasov’s camera, providing a poignant capstone to the story of friendship, sacrifice, and the chaos of war.