Nikita Vysotsky spoke about the behind the scenes of the series “Union of Salvation”: “They lied a lot about the Decembrists”

Nikita Vysotsky was one of the authors of the script for the film “Union of Salvation” and took on several functions at once during the filming of the series. He again wrote the script, played a small role (Ivan Dibic) and became one of the directors. For the son of the legendary bard, “Union of Salvation,” both in cinema and in serial format on Channel One, became the first historical project, and work on it was partly contrary to the rules of the film industry.

In a conversation with MK, Nikita Vysotsky spoke about historical truth, film fiction and ways to ignore haters.

— Usually working on a film and a TV series involves one set. A short version is shown in cinemas, an extended version is shown on television. But in the case of your series, everything seems to be not according to the rules…

— When we were making a feature-length film, there was no reserve from which we could later edit a series. But personally, after filming, I was left with a feeling of some understatement and underexpression of what had been living and seething inside me for several years. Therefore, when the offer to make a series came, I was very happy, although, of course, I foresaw some problems. If we had filmed from the very beginning with the idea that we would have both a film and a series, TV viewers would have seen the same film, but in a larger volume. We have a more complete, meaningful and, if you like, serious story. And it happened that way because we were filming after the film was finished.

— You mentioned problems, and, probably, the main one is returning the star cast to the set…

— In our case, it was not only about the difficult schedules of the artists. In 2020, Sergei Mikhailovich Koltakov, the great Russian actor who played Admiral Mordvinov, that is, one of the central roles, died. There really were a lot of problems, but the entire film crew did a great job. Of course, for the actors, entering the same water a second time is not always interesting, but they were very understanding.

— Did you make the uniforms new or did the old ones fit?

– For new characters, for example for me – I didn’t play in the movie, but I have a small role in the series – they sewed new ones. The rest fit the old ones.

— This is not the first time you have filmed as a director in tandem with Ilya Lebedev. How do you work: in pairs all the time or do you share responsibilities?

— Ilya and I jokingly call each other big directors, because we are both one meter and ninety tall. Ilya is very comfortable to work with. He has a great understanding of filmmaking and is one of the best editing directors in the country, which is a huge help on set. I work a little more with the actors and with myself as a writer. We complement each other in many ways. Ilya is younger, more energetic, understands cinema, I feel comfortable with him.

— Your previous script for the film “Vysotsky. Thank you for being alive,” was probably very personal because it was dedicated to your family. On the “Union of Salvation” you immersed yourself in historical material. Are you interested in history or did you get involved in the project by coincidence?

— This is a producer’s film, so the producers chose the material and the people who will work on it. And they expressed quite specific wishes about who could do it. When I wrote the script, I understood that they trusted me. Of course, there was a huge amount of preparatory work. Spears are still being broken around the Decembrists. They are scoundrels who wanted to destroy the country, and freemasons who were subordinate to secret European centers, and on the other hand, the first revolutionaries… We had several consultants, but I would like to highlight Oksana Kiyanskaya. She is a young active scientist, and within this topic she has oriented me in many ways.

— Only in your memory, the official attitude towards the Decembrists changed a couple of times. And given the current realities, it may change again…

“They lied a lot about the Decembrists and destroyed a lot of documents so that they would not spoil the picture that Lenin, for example, painted for us. The Decembrists themselves hid what they were doing, and when they were arrested, they clearly did not try to open the eyes of the investigators; on the contrary, to confuse everyone and cover their tracks. But among the mass of incomprehensible things, there is one absolutely anchoring thing. In that beautiful era there lived simply incredible people. And the Decembrists were young nobles who fought Napoleon as teenagers, like Muravyov-Apostol. And those who opposed them: Mordvinov, Speransky, Emperor Alexander himself. No matter what we say about the Decembrists now, no matter how we change our attitude towards them, they will remain people of extraordinary beauty and depth.

— Should historical cinema show everything as it really happened?

“It’s not scriptwriters and directors who need to correct the mistakes of historians and ideologists. But you need to listen, especially if there are specific names in the script. Of course, we are not writing a history textbook, we are making feature films that should be interesting today. And we have the right to fiction, but with respect for what is already known to us. I think there is not a single historical film that does not deviate from the facts. But these deviations are in the name of artistic truth. Of course, we are criticized. Liberals say that we made a counter-revolutionary film. The jingoistic patriots are sure that the Decembrists are enemies, they had to be trampled, and in general, they executed few people. For me, the main thing here is the internal harmony of those who made this movie. And I have this feeling. I think we succeeded in a lot, we did a lot right.

— If we talk about criticism, then the film “Vysotsky. Thank you for being alive,” I also got it. Did you expect there to be so many angry reviews?

— By that time, the film was released in 2011, I had lived with my last name for almost half a century and knew well that my father’s persona caused great controversy even during his lifetime, and even more so after his death. We, his close people and tellers of various stories, were also constantly bombarded with accusations of self-interest and lies. I was ready for something, but overall it was, of course, painful. In the case of the painting “Vysotsky. Thank you for being alive,” I understood that the film was my declaration of love to my father. This feeling supported me both in my work and in situations where I was shamed and intimidated. I wrote that script because I thought so and because I still love this man very much.

— Now there is a real boom in biographical films. Is there a possibility that they will film something else about Vysotsky?

— I am not considering such projects now. Perhaps they will appear, they will ask me to participate, and I will not be able to refuse. Not because they will offer me a lot of money, but because I will be needed in this project. But so far there is nothing like that.