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{{Infobox Television film
{{Expand Russian|date=December 2009}}
| name = Seventeen Moments of Spring
{{Refimprove|date=August 2008}}
| image = Vyacheslav Tikhonov grave.JPG
{{Infobox film
| image_size = 270px
| name = Seventeen Moments of Spring<br>Семнадцать мгновений весны
| caption = A photograph of himself as ] on ]'s grave.
| image =
| format = Espionage thriller
| image_size =
| caption = | camera =
| director = ] | picture_format =
| producer = | audio_format =
| writer = based on the books by ] | runtime = 840 minutes
| narrator = | developer =
| starring = ] | writer = ]
| music = ] | producer = Zinovi Genzer
| executive producer = Yefim Lebedinsky, David Prober
| cinematography =
| editing = | starring = ]
| voices =
| distributor = ]<br />]
| released = 1973 | narrated = Yefim Kopelian
| music = ]
| runtime = 840 minutes<br>12 parts
| country = {{FilmUSSR}} | opentheme = ''Mgnovenie'' ('''Moments''')
| language = ] | endtheme =''Mgnovenie''
| budget = | country = ]
| preceded_by = | budget =
| followed_by = | location =
| language =]
| network = ]
| first_aired = August 11, 1973
| last_aired = August 24, 1977
| num_series =
| num_episodes = 12
| list_episodes =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| related =
}} }}
'''''Seventeen Moments of Spring''''' ({{lang-ru|Семнадцать мгновений весны}} also '''''Seventeen Instants of Spring''''') is a 1973 ] TV miniseries. It was filmed at ], directed by ] and based on the book of the same title by the novelist ]. The series comprises 12 episodes of 70 minutes each. It received the national ] award in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|title=Biography of Tihonov V.V.|url=http://russia.rin.ru/guides/10743.html|language=Russian|accessdate=May 31, 2011}}</ref>


'''''Seventeen Moments of Spring''''' ({{lang-ru|''Семнадцать мгновений весны''}}, '''trans.''' ''Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny '') is a 1973 Soviet twelve-part television miniseries, directed by ] and based on the novel of the same title by ].
The series portrays the life of a Soviet ] ] operating in ] under the name Max Otto von ], played by ]. Other leading roles were played by ], ], ], ], ], ], and Mikhail Zharkovsky.


The series portrays the exploits of Maxim Isaev, a Soviet spy operating in ] under the name ], depicted by ]. Stierlitz is tasked with disrupting the ] between ] and ] taking place in Switzerland, who both aim to conclude separate peace between Germany and the Western Allies.
In 2009 remastered version ] was released.

The series is considered the most successful Soviet espionage thriller ever made, and as one of the most popular television series in Russian history.


==Plot== ==Plot==
12 February 1945, Germany. ], an esteemed ] in the ], is in fact Soviet spy Maxim Isaev, who has infiltrated the Nazi Party in 1933. While ] is resolved to continue the war, ] convinces ] to conduct secret negotiations with the Americans, hoping to reach a separate peace deal which would allow the Germans to concentrate all their forces on the ]. In the meantime, ] suspects Stierlitz, and orders ] to launch a secret investigation on him.
The plot is driven by Stirlitz's&mdash;ultimately successful&mdash;attempts at thwarting negotiations between SS General ], representing ] and ], and American intelligence operative ] in ], ] during the final months of ]. Dulles, portrayed in the show as acting without the authorization of the president, is interested in reaching a peace agreement with Nazi Germany that would leave many Nazi institutions in place to prevent the rise of ] in Western Europe. The negotiations are conducted in secret and behind the back of ] and, more importantly for ], the ].


Stierlitz is ordered by Moscow to ascertain wheter the Americans and the Germans have a secret channel, and if so - to obstruct it. His mission is complicated when the house of his only helpers, radio operators Erwin and Katherin Kinn, is bombed. Erwin is killed, and his pregnant wife is taken to a hospital, compromising Stierlitz. He recruits two new aids - Professor Pleischner, a former member of the German Resistance, and Pastor Schlag, a clergyman who disapproves of the regime. All the while, Stierlitz has to engage in a battle of wits with Müller, who seeks to expose him as an enemy agent. He must also manuver between the different factions inside the ], as differnet high-ranking officials vie for power.
Stirlitz's position is aggravated by the fact that right from the very beginning of the series, ] ] instructs Gestapo chief ] to launch an investigation of Stirlitz, having become suspicious of Stirlitz's apparent connection to the failed destruction of ], the delays the German atomic research program and his almost-too-impeccable record of loyalty and devotion to Hitler, even as other German officers had begun to grumble in private about the course of the war. While Müller (Bronevoy) is initially dismissive of his boss' suspicions, he soon develops doubts of his own and quickly turns into Stirlitz's arch-nemesis.


After realizing Himmler and Schellenberg have sent ] to handle with ] in the neutral Switzerland, Stierlitz manages to ally himself with ]. Playing on the rivalries between Himmler, Kaltenbrunner, Bormann and the other Nazi plenipotentiaries, he succedes in leaking the details of the negotiations - conducted under the code name ] - both to Hitler and to Stalin. The Soviets, now possesing evidence, demand to end those contacts and ] obliges them. Himmler narrowly convinces Hitler it was all merely an attempt to saw distrust between the Allies. In 24 March 1945, Stierlitz, who managed to ameliorate all suspicions against him, returns to his duties. The Red Army nears Berlin.
Near the end of the 12-part miniseries, Stirlitz's reports on the secret talks lead Ernst Kaltenbrunner and ] to recall Karl Wolff back to Berlin and to order his arrest upon landing. However, Wolff is saved in the nick of time when Schellenberg intervenes proceeds with his backup plan of passing the negotiations for a "masterful misinformation of the Soviets intended to disrupt the trust between the Allied forces".


==Cast== ==Cast==
Line 47: Line 58:
*] — Professor Pleischner. *] — Professor Pleischner.
*] - Krause. *] - Krause.
*] - Isaev's wife.
*] — Kurt Eismann. *] — Kurt Eismann.
*] - Jürgen Rolf. *] - Jürgen Rolf.
Line 63: Line 75:
*] — ]. *] — ].


==Production==
==Historical background==
===Background===
The negotiations between Dulles and Wolff did take place in reality on March 8, 1945, codenamed both ] and ] ("Sunrise Crossword" in the film) and Soviet agents supplied information on them to the ]. One of them was ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Analysis of the Name File of Guido Zimmer|work=Records of the ] - Records of the Directorate of Operations|url=http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-records/rg-263-cia-records/rg-263-zimmer.html|accessdate=September 10, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Superagent nicknamed "Little Son"|work=]|url=http://svr.gov.ru/smi/2004/bratishka20040125.htm|language=Russian|accessdate=September 10, 2006}}</ref> Another agent of the Soviet Military Intelligence, dubbed as "a fantastic source, who received the first-class information from Germany" by ], was Rudolph Rassler, working in ] during secret negotiations.<ref>{{cite web|title=They Are Honest and Modest People...|work=]|url=http://svr.gov.ru/smi/2000/trud20000415.htm|language=Russian|accessdate=September 10, 2006}}</ref>
In the late 1960s, after ] became the chairman of the Soviet Union's ], he launched a campaign to improve the service's image, which was primarily associated in the public's view with its role in the ] carried out by the government. Andropov encouraged a series of novels, songs, films and other works glorifying KGB agents, focusing on those serving abroad - mainly in the hope of attracting young and educated recruits to the organization. The television production of ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' was part of this trend.<ref>]. ''The Second Oldest Profession: Spies and Spying in the Twentieth Century''. Penguin (1988). ISBN 978-0140106558. Page 368.</ref>


===Writing===
Inventing the image of Isaev-Stirlitz, Yulian Semyonov worked with the biographies of well-known Soviet intelligence officers: Lev Manevich, ], ]. But no one of them became a prototype of the film's main character. Stirlitz is the collective image, in which the author embodied all the best features of the intelligence officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yulian Semyonov's "Moments"|work=]|url=http://www.vor.ru/culture/cultarch187_rus.html|language=Russian|accessdate=September 11, 2006}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
During 1965, Author ], a Soviet writer of espionage books, composed the novel ''No Password Required'', in which he first introduced the character of Vsevolod Vladimirov - a young ] agent who infiltrates Admiral ]'s staff under the alias Maxim Isaev. ''No Password Required'' became a success with readers. In 1967, it was adapted to screen and the eponymous film attracted more than 20,000,000 viewers. Semyonov published a sequel, ''Major Whirlwind'', during the same year.<ref name = "A">Fedor Razzakov. ''''. levdurov.ru.</ref> In 1968, he was invited to a meeting with Andropov, who told him he read ''No Password Required'' and enjoyed it. After the interview, Semyonov began directly cooperating with the KGB and received access to its archives. The third novel featuring Isaev, ''Thirteen Moments of Spring'', was inspired by a suggestion from the chairman himself; Semyonov wrote it down in less than two weeks.<ref>''''. 1tv.ru.</ref> In the new book, Isaev was - for the first time - the chief protagonist, operating inside German intelligence in the guise of SS officer Stierlitz. It was decided to turn it to a television series already in 1969, before it was even published.<ref name = "A"/> The character of Stierlitz reflected Andropov's own concept of the ideal Soviet spy: he was calculated, modest, devoted to his country and above all an intellectual, who accomplished his mission by outwitting his enemies.<ref>Vladimir Solovʹev, Elena Klepikova. ''Yuri Andropov: A Secret Passage into the Kremlin''. Macmillan (1983). ISBN 978-0026122900. Page 154.</ref> He was based primarily, although not exclusively and in a loose fashion, on a ] officer turned Soviet agent, ]. The American-German negotiations foiled by Stierlitz were modeled after the real agreement reached by ] and ] during 1945, which brought about the ].<ref name = "B">Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy. ''''. '''The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review''': Volume 29 (2002). ISSN 1075-1262. Pages 257-276.</ref>


===Development===
]]]
Director ] of the ] encountered ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' while reading an excerpt of it in '']'' magazine; Lioznova, who was already a well-known director, determined that she will adapt it for screen. By that time, Semyonov already successfully negotiated a deal with the ] Studio to produce the series. Lioznova applied strong pressure on him, and eventually convinced the author to cancel the arrangement with the Leningrad-based company. Semyonov wrote ], Chairman of the State Committee for Television and Radio, and requested to allow the Gorky Studio to take over the project.<ref name = "G">Vladimir Gromov. '''' ''']''', 20 July 2004. </ref>


Lioznova made several adjustments to Semyonov's material: she had in mind a character of Mrs. Saurich, an elderly German woman with whom Stierlitz will have occasional conversations, to make him more amiable; the author hesitantly indulged her, and wrote several such scenes. Actress ], to whom the director proposed the role, refused to perform it, saying that it was "horrible nonsense". Eventually, Lioznova decided to improvise it during the filming, and had given the part to ].<ref>Sergei Kapkov. ''''. utro.ru.</ref>
Stirlitz is sometimes referred to as a Russian ], even if the comparison is not entirely warranted. Although the show contains some relatively unbelievable elements (e.g., a Russian passing for a German for 20 years) and it may even have served a somewhat similar ideological role as the James Bond films did in the West, ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' is based, even if only loosely, on actual historical events. Moreover, the show also strives for a much more realistic version of foreign espionage than the James Bond films do, with Stirlitz carefully playing on rivalries within the ] and ], cautiously seeking out friendly contacts, prudently developing alibis for his covert activities and very rarely resorting to force or gadgetry. It is notable that one hardly gets the impression that many of the Nazis were the incarnation of evil: While the show does remind the viewer of the horror of Nazi death camps through the use of some original footage, one nonetheless finds it hard not to take something of a liking for ] and some of Stirlitz' other adversaries. This is a contrast to the Bond films, where the Russian generals and leaders are either brute vodka-guzzling stereotypes, calculating evil geniuses, or just greedy people involved in schemes for money.{{citation needed|date=November 2010}}


The work on the series was supervises by the KGB: Andropov's deputy, Colonel General ] served as chief consultant, alongside other high-ranking officers of the service. They encouraged Lioznova to make further changes to the script: A flashback from Stierlitz's last meeting with his wife was included. The director insisted on retaining the six-minute long wordless scene in spite of objections from other producers, who claimed that it was too monotonous. This scene later became one of the most memorable parts of the series.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref>
The music for the movie was written by ]n-born composer ].


==Broadcasts== ===Casting===
The first contender for the role of Stierlitz was actor ], who removed his application after learning that he would have to leave his home for more than two years for the filming. Afterwards, ] had auditioned for it, but he left the project upon receiving the role of ] in ] ] Eventually, ] was selected to portray the lead protagonist. ] was an early candidate to be cast as Hitler, but instead was given the role of SS officer Eismann; East German actor ] portrayed the dictator, making his fifth appearance as such on screen. ] had physically resembled ], whom he portrayed in the series - the latter's niece, who resided in East Germany, even wrote the actor a letter appreciating his work; at the same time, the producers lacked any photograph of ], and thus chose ], who was very different in appearance.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref>
The series was immensely popular in the ] - West German author ], who investigated Soviet popular culture in the 1970s, reported that each episode was watched by between 50 and 80 million viewers on television, making it the most successful program of its time.<ref>]. ''''. Hoover Institution Press (1983). ISBN 978-0817978211. Page 47.</ref> It originated many popular phrases as well as an entire ], the latter having seemingly taken a life of its own. The show is still frequently aired on Russian television. Plans were discussed to build a monument to Stirlitz in the city of ], his birthplace in the series. It's been said that "for older generations, the series is little more than a factual retelling of an actual historical event &mdash; a behind-the-scenes look at a war painful to remember."<ref name="Sind">"Stirlitz: A War Hero for All Times." Daisy Sindelar. ''The Moscow Times''. May 11, 1995.</ref> "But for younger people raised from childhood on yearly showings &mdash; the film was shown one hour-long serial at a time, 12 days in a row &mdash; "Spring" became more famous for its quirky lines and surreal shots than its cinematic whole."<ref name="Sind"/> "But "Spring's" most lasting claim to fame is the legion of anecdotes that have entered Stirlitz, Isayev and Tikhonov in the permanent annals of Russian folklore."<ref name="Sind"/>


===Filming===
A Polish television series with a very similar theme, '']'' ({{lang-pl|Stawka większa niż życie}}) (with ] being the analogous character to Stirlitz) was made in 1967-1968.
Lioznova began photographing at March 1971; the first part of the shooting took place in East Germany, mainly in Berlin.<ref name = "C">Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref> The crew remained there until the end of the summer. Then, they traveled to the ], where most of the scenes taking place in ] were shot in ]. The crew returned to Moscow to work further in the ]. In early 1972, they set out for the the ], using the mountains near ] as a substitute for the Swiss Alps featured in the series. After returning to Moscow to complete several further sessions, the filming ended in autumn 1972.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref>


The production crew encountered several problems: actor ] had mocked the members of the travel permit committee, resulting in a refusal to allow him to leave the USSR. The scene in which his character was killed had to be filmed in Moscow rather than in East Germany, as planned. In Berlin, Tikhonov had donned his costume prior to leaving his hotel; he was nearly arrested by the ].<ref name = "C"/> Actor Lavrenty Masokha, who played Müller's chief adjutant Scholz, died of a heart attack in 21 June 1971, before the work on the series has been completed.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref>
==Technical data==
''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' was filmed in black and white. It consists of 12 episodes, each between 65 and 79 minutes in length. The film uses a large amount of clips from war archives.


===Music===
], the head of the Composers Guild in the Soviet Cinematographers' Association, had at first refused to write the series' score, but changed his mind after reading the script. He authored lyrics for ten different songs to be featured in the soundtrack; since it was later decided to base it mainly on instrumental music, only two of those were included in the final version - ''Somewhere Far Away'' and ''Moments''. The first singer invited to vocalize them was Vadim Mulerman, but he was blacklisted and banned from performing in public at 1971, after including a ] song in his repertoire, a move that was frowned upon by the authorities in the wake of the ]. After Mulerman's disqualification, ] was considered for the role and recorded his own version of the text; however, the producers decided that his voice was not suited for the atmosphere of series' plot, and chose ]. Although he was allowed to perform the songs, the latter was also subject to the establishment's anti-Jewish campaign; therefore, he was not mentioned in the credits.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref> In spite of this, Kobzon subsequently met great acclaim for singing the series' score.<ref>David MacFadyen. ''Red Stars: Personality and the Soviet Popular Song, 1955-1991''. Mcgill Queens (2001). ISBN 978-0773521063. Page 115.</ref>

===Approval===
During early 1973, after undergoing editing, a demonstration of Lioznova's materials was held for a committee of high-ranking television officials. The series was met with much criticism; many of those present were indignant, claiming it made the impression that the Second World War was won "by a few spies". To accommodate their demands, the director added a great amount of wartime newsreel footage about the fighting of the Red Army.<ref>Fedor Razzakov. '''' levdurov.ru.</ref>

Another screening was held for Yuri Andropov. The chairman made two requests: to remove the names of the KGB consultants who were on active service from the credits and replace them with pseudonyms - Tzvigun, for example, became 'General S.K. Mishin'. He also asked to make a mention of the German communist movement and its leader, ]. A short scene in which Stierlitz recalls seeing Thälmann and being impressed with the fervor of the ] was added.<ref name = "G"/>

==Reception==
===Public reaction===
{| class="wikitable" {| class="wikitable"
|- |-
! width=80|Episode ! width=80|Episode
!width=150|Original air date
! width=160|Length in the original 1972 version<ref></ref>
! width=160|Length in the 1973 version<ref></ref>
! width=160|Length in the 2009 color version<br /><ref>длительность серии указана по фактическому времени эфира первой трансляции, без учёта рекламы</ref> ! width=160|Length in the 2009 color version<br /><ref>длительность серии указана по фактическому времени эфира первой трансляции, без учёта рекламы</ref>
! width=100|Material lost (%) ! width=100|Material lost (%)
|- align=center |- align=center
| 01 | 01
|August 11, 1973
| 01:08:42 | 01:08:42
| 51:21 | 51:21
Line 95: Line 122:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 02 | 02
|August 12, 1973
| 01:09:01 | 01:09:01
| 51:37 | 51:37
Line 100: Line 128:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 03 | 03
|August 13, 1973
| 01:06:10 | 01:06:10
| 51:20 | 51:20
Line 105: Line 134:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 04 | 04
|August 14, 1973
| 01:15:20 | 01:15:20
| 51:50 | 51:50
Line 110: Line 140:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 05 | 05
|August 16, 1973
| 01:05:32 | 01:05:32
| 51:58 | 51:58
Line 115: Line 146:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 06 | 06
|August 17, 1973
| 01:12:15 | 01:12:15
| 52:22 | 52:22
Line 120: Line 152:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 07 | 07
|August 18, 1973
| 01:10:29 | 01:10:29
| 51:13 | 51:13
Line 125: Line 158:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 08 | 08
|August 19, 1973
| 01:05:13 | 01:05:13
| 51:24 | 51:24
Line 130: Line 164:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 09 | 09
|August 20, 1973
| 01:18:49 | 01:18:49
| 52:32 | 52:32
Line 135: Line 170:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 10 | 10
|August 21, 1973
| 01:07:38 | 01:07:38
| 51:39 | 51:39
Line 140: Line 176:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 11 | 11
|August 23, 1973
| 01:04:50 | 01:04:50
| 51:12 | 51:12
Line 145: Line 182:
|- align=center |- align=center
| 12 | 12
|August 24, 1973
| 01:06:11 | 01:06:11
| 51:56 | 51:56
| ~22 % | ~22 %
|} |}
Broadcast in 19:30 by the channel ] between 11 and 24 August 1973, ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' was immensely popular in the Soviet Union: ] reported that during its original run, each episode was watched by between 50,000,000 and 80,000,000 viewers, making it the most successful television show of its time.<ref>]. ''''. Hoover Institution Press (1983). ISBN 978-0817978211. Page 47.</ref>


Ivan Zasursky described the public's reaction: "during its first showing, city streets would empty. It was a larger-than-life hit, attracting greater audiences than hockey matches."<ref name ="IZ">Ivan Zasursky. ''Media and Power in post-Soviet Russia''. M. E. Sharpe (2004). ISBN 978-0765608635. Pages 133.</ref> Crime rates dropped significantly during the broadcasts;<ref>Yuri Vorontsov. ''Phenomenon of the Soviet Cinema''. Imported Publishing (1980). ISBN 978-0828518741. Page 314.</ref> power stations had to increase production at the same time, since the activation of many television sets caused a surge in electricity consumption.<ref>Bart McDowell, Dean Conger. ''Journey across Russia: the Soviet Union Today''. National Geographic Society (1977). ISBN 9780870442209. Page 148.</ref> Oleg Kharkhordin wrote that ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' became a "cult" series,<ref name = "OK">Oleg Kharkhordin. ''The Collective and the Individual in Russia: A Study of Practices''. University of California Press (1999). ISBN 978-0520216044. Page 115.</ref>, and ] added it was "a television blockbuster".<ref name = "RIS">Richard Stites. ''Russian Popular Culture: Entertainment and Society Since 1900''. Cambridge University Press (1992). ISBN 0521362148. Pages 168, 170.</ref>
==Inaccuracies in the movie==
{{very long|section|date=December 2010}}
The historian K. Zalessky proposes that the image of Nazi Germany as portrayed in the film is in fact more similar to the ]. In his opinion, "this is a myth, the shown in this movie, it did not exist... The spirit, all the interactions between characters, they have nothing in common with reality. The Third Reich was different. It was, so to say, not worse, not better, it was just different. And here, repeating once more, this is more similar to our country."<ref></ref> His 2006 book ''Seventeen Moments of Spring: The Curved Mirror of the Third Reich'' (]: ''Семнадцать мгновений весны. Кривое зеркало Третьего рейха'') is dedicated to the analysis of all possible historical inaccuracies in the film. Regardless of the close attention to historical details by the directors and actors of the film, Zalessky had different personal opinions of the film, which cannot be corroborated or disproved by the late author of the novel, Y. Semenov.


According to his personal assistant Alexei Chernayev, ] was a devoted fan of ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'', and watched the entire series some twenty times.<ref name = "E">Dmitri Volkogonov, Harold Shukman. ''Autopsy for an Empire: The Seven Leaders Who Built the Soviet Regime''. Touchstone (1999). ISBN 978-0684871127. Page 306.</ref> Author Anthony Olcott claimed that it was rumored Brezhnev moved meetings of the ] in order not to miss episodes.<ref>Anthony Olcott. ''Russian Pulp: the Detektiv and the Russian Way of Crime''. Rowman and Littlefield (2001). ISBN 978-0742511408. Page 5.</ref>
===Historical inaccuracies and anachronisms===
*In the personal files on ], ], and ], it is said that they each have a "secondary education." In reality:
**Goebbels was a Doctor of ] at ]. During his education, owing to the sponsorship of the Catholic society of A. Magnus, he attended lecture series from the best German professors at the universities at Bonn, Freiburg, Wurzburg, Cologne, and Munich.
**Goering graduated from the Army academy in ] and later from the Prussian Military Academy in ], Berlin with the highest possible grades, for which he was personally congratulated by ].
**Himmler studied at the agricultural department of the ] with a specialty in "agrarian economy."
*Goebbels was appointed as ] of Berlin not in 1944, as said in the film, but in 1926. He did not have the rank of Obergruppenführer. In the second episode it is said that "the Führer visited Goebbels's home in January 1945 for a birthday party." However, Goebbels was born on October 29, and his wife on November 11; none of Goebbels's six children were born in January either.<ref>Залесский К. А. НСДАП. Власть в Третьем рейхе. — М.: Эксмо, 2005</ref>
*On his trip with Pastor Schlag, Stirlitz listens to "]" by ], written in the ].
*Women did not serve in the SS, with the exception of so-called Women's Auxiliary Divisions, which had their own system of ranks. Thus, Unterscharführer could not have had a real-life prototype.
*Stirlitz (as well as many of his colleagues) smokes at work, which contradicts the Third Reich's anti-smoking policies. In 1939 the NSDAP issued a ban on smoking in all of its facilities, and Himmler forbade SS officers and police to smoke during work hours (see ]).
*In the first episode, when listing the countries under German control in February 1945, Hitler speaks of Austria, Germany, and the Czech and Bohemian Protectorates. But Hitler could not have spoken of Austria as a country separate from the Reich, and the "Czech and ]n Protectorate" is nonsense, since it was actually called the Protectorate of ]. (This mistake was present in the novel as well as the film.)
*In the information on Himmler it is said that he worked for ]. However, the photo shown is of ].
*In the 12th episode, Stirlitz sends three telegrams from Bern, naming the city of destination as "]," which had been renamed to ] in 1930.
*In the first episode, ] reprimands ] for the failure of the operation to destroy ]. Krüger was in fact the director of the SS and police, but only until 1943; thus, he could not have had anything to do with destroying Krakow.


''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' remained highly popular after its first run in 1973. It was re-aired annually until the dissolution of the USSR, usually around ], and continued to be broadcast in Russian television afterwards.<ref name = "BB">Birgit Beumers. ''Pop Culture Russia!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle''. ABC-CLIO (2005). ISBN 9781851094592. Pages 179-180, 196.</ref> In 1983, a writer of the Paris-based Polish magazine '']'' described ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' as "the most successful television production in the history of the Soviet Union."<ref>] (chief editor). ''''. Instytut Literacki (February 1983). OCLC 15262381. Page 115.</ref> In 1995, after another re-run, Russian commentator Divanov noted: "Just like 20 years before, city streets were empty during the showing... A drop in the crime level almost to zero was noted in cities, which testifies to the popularity of ''Seventeen Moments''."<ref name = "B"/> David MacFadyen called it "the most famous Russian espionage drama."<ref name = "DM">David MacFadyen. ''Russian Television Today: Primetime Drama and Comedy''. Routledge (2007). ISBN 978-0415424622. Page 65.</ref>
===Plot inconsistencies===
*The ] officers went to Stirlitz's home to set up an ] arrive openly, without disguise, leaving their cars by the entrance.
*Rolf, when speaking on the telephone in the ninth episode, introduces himself as Kühn. The same last name is mentioned in the seventh episode by Barbara Krein, when Stirlitz visits: "...Obersturmbannführer Kühn has brought some nice tea..."
*Schlag is called a "] priest", despite being a "]" (i.e., from a ] church); he also dresses as a Protestant priest and is the minister of a Kirche (a Lutheran, not a Catholic, church).<ref>See also К. А. Залесский. "Семнадцать мгновений весны. Кривое зеркало Третьего рейха. Глава «Кто Вы, пастор Шлаг?» (М., 2006, СС. 185—204)</ref>
*When in the ninth episode Rolf tries to get Kat to state the name of the spy, a car with SS observer is standing in front of the building. Rolf's conversation with Kat is recorded on a tape recorder also operated by a SS officer. But after Rolf and Barbara are killed, Kat and Hellmut leave the building without interference from the Gestapo agents, nor was Müller notified. Müller realized that something had happened only after he was told that nobody was answering the phone in the apartment.
*Müller makes a connection between his intercepted message and the coded message taken from Pleischner based on identical numbers at the beginning and of the message. If the code can have such similarities between messages, its security is quite low and it can be cracked by ]. Nevertheless, not a single one of Stirlitz's coded reports were deciphered by the Germans.


===Awards===
===Technical and animation errors===
In 1976, Director Lioznova, cinematographer Piotr Kataev and lead actors Tikhonov and ] received the ]'s ] for their work on the television series.<ref>''''. russiancinema.ru.</ref>
*When Stirlitz is sending telegrams, it can be seen that they are written on "USSR International Telegram" blanks with the seal blotted out with ink. In the corner the Russian words "Paid: __ ]s __ kopecks" are clearly visible. The text of the telegram is written in Russian (]), but the city of origin is written by the operator as "Bern," in the ].
*The courier pilot sent by General Wolff gets into a Soviet ], which looks quite similar to a German ]. But then, a clip is shown of a completely different fighter plane taking off: the ]. Furthermore, a ] is shown taking off. The ] on the Yak-12 is different form the standard form used in Nazi Germany.
*When Schellenberg meets Wolff at the airport, an ] is shown, but that airplane was only produced starting in 1947.
*The ] dictophone used by Stirlitz is actually a Soviet "Electron 52D" from 1969; even further, it is a ] device; the first transistor was made on 1947. It cannot record more than 10 minutes and does not have a built-in speaker.<ref name="">http://rw6ase.narod.ru/ej/elektron/elektron52d.html</ref><ref></ref>
*In the Dulles's Bern headquarters, there is an Italian ] ] made in the early 1960s. On the walls, Soviet power outlets can be seen, and a Soviet-made fan is shown being turned on.<ref>http://www.soundtapewereld.nl/Bandrecorders/Merken/Geloso/Types/G%20257/GelosoG257index.html</ref><ref>http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/geloso_g257_g_257.html</ref>
*The plumbing briefly shown in the film is obviously made after 1945 and not in Germany.
*In Müller's office is a Soviet "Slava" clock, produced in the 1970s.
*When Stirlitz takes Kat to the train in Bern, the writing on the train car reads "38 Platze," which should be written with an umlaut ("38 Plätze"). The Russian "TAPA 58 T" is quite poorly blotted out. The train cars themselves, though produced in Germany, were used only in the USSR and never in Switzerland. They were made at the Amendorf factory in Galle, DDR between 1948 and 1996. The cars shown in the film were made no later than the end of the 1960s.
*Two different cars with small, but noticeable, discrepancies are portrayed as Stirlitz's ] in the film: the differences are in the color of the steering wheel and a transparent protrusion on the front side window trim.
*Stirlitz sketches the Nazi leaders with a marker. Markers were invented in Germany, but only in 1960.
*The marble gourami in Müller's aquarium appeared only in 1956.
*Stirlitz places Klaus's letter in a Soviet-type envelope (a 4-pointed star), not the "pocket" type used in Germany.
*The handcuffs placed on Kat and several others in the Film are "Vopo" handcuffs used by the East German police in the 1950s.
*When Müller inspects the cases from Hellmut's gun, Gestapo expert declares, "Parabellum." The case is bottle-shaped, not cylindrical, and are noticeably longer than the ].
*When Stirlitz throws his gun in the lake after killing Klaus, he is not actually throwing anything. The object that falls in the water does not at all resemble a pistol.
*When in the Gestapo underground torture chamber, Stirlitz makes a lion's head out of matches, using 94 matches and leaving 4 unused next to empty matchbox. But that type of matchbox at the time held no more than 60 matches.
*There is a "Saratov" refrigerator in Stirlitz's kitchen, produced in Russia only from 1952 onwards.


In 1982, after watching another re-run of all the episodes, Brezhnev was exceptionally moved: his bodyguard Vladimir Medvedev recalled that the Soviet premier inquired about the true identity of 'Stierlitz' for days afterwards, and wanted to award the agent the title ],<ref> Vladimir Medvedev. ''Chelovek za Spinoi''. Ruslit (1994). ISBN 9785914870109. Page 49.</ref> a version of events corroborated by Chernayev; the latter added that when the ruler learned Stierlitz was fictional, he ordered to award Tikhonov with the parallel civilian order, ].<ref name = "E"/> Composer ]'s wife Vera recalled that Brezhnev decided to bestow honors on other members of the crew and cast; nine years after the series' first broadcast, her husband received the ] for his contribution to it.<ref>Olga Cherukhin. ''''. Krasnoyarsk Daily. 17 November 2011.</ref> During that year, director Lioznova and actor ] received the ]; ], ] and ] were given the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and ] was awarded the ].<ref>Boris Sokolov. grani.ru. 11 August 2003.</ref><ref>'''' Delo Ukraina. 30 September 2011.</ref>
===Costumes===
*Gestapo and SD employees wear black SS uniforms of the 1934 type; this uniform was out of use by 1939 and was replaced with green-gray ]-type uniforms.
*The stripes on Sturmbannführer Rolf's uniform indicate the rank of Obersturmbannführer.
*In many episodes, Stirlitz and other RSHA members wear Soviet-made boots and were used only by the RSHA higher command.
*Müller and Stirlitz have chevrons on their right sleeves. This is a sign worn by people who were members of the NSDAP before 1933 (]); however, Müller joined the party only in 1939.<ref>К. А. Залесский. Семнадцать мгновений весны. Кривое зеркало Третьего рейха. М., 2006. С. 113</ref>
*General Wolff wears a Knight's Cross of the ], an award which he did not actually have; however, he did have First and Second Order Iron Crosses. (see ])
*Though Hellmut was seriously wounded near ], he does not have a corresponding mark on his uniform.<ref> // Эхо Москвы, 21 января 2008</ref>


In 23 December 2009, two weeks after his passing away, Tikhonov was posthumously awarded the ] ], as a tribute to his portrayal of Stierlitz.<ref>'''' ], 23 December 2009.</ref>
===Geography===
*When the insurance agent asks Kat where her property was insured, she replies, "On the corner of Kurfürstendamm and Kantstrasse." These streets do not intersect; if extended, they would meet at the place were the ] stands.
*There is not and never was a Blümenstrasse (Flower Street) in Bern. Even if there were, it would be spelled Blumenstraße, without the umlaut. The filming in this street took place at Jauniela in the old town of Riga. Also, the ] had not been used in Switzerland since 1906. However, this is a common street name in Germany.
*The employees of the ] 4th and 6th divisions (Gestapo and SD, respectively) could not have met, as their headquarters were in different parts of Berlin; also, the Gestapo building at Prinz-Albrechtstrasse 8 was bombed by the British in early 1945.
*To reach Erwin&Kinn, Stirlitz drove on Köpenickerstrasse via Bayreutherstrasse. In reality the streets are not even close to each other.


===Other mistakes=== ===Interpretation===
Richard Taylor and D. W. Spring noted that ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' was the "only real contemporary Soviet spy hit"; while the subject of espionage was not uncommon in the country's cinema and television, it was usually set in a pattern conforming to the concept of class struggle: the honest Soviets would confront the corrupt capitalist Americans, who themselves would always include at least one low-level operative of humble origins who would have some sympathy to communism. Lioznova's series was produced when the "ideological foundations of the genre were already melting", and featured virtually no such political message.<ref>Richard Taylor, D. W. Spring. ''Stalinism and Soviet Cinema''. Routledge (1993). ISBN 978-0415072854. Page 133.</ref> ] commented that Stierlitz is seen acting more out of love to his homeland than due to socialist convictions, reflecting the Soviet public and government's gradual embrace of local patriotism, which replaced the international proletarian solidarity emphasized in the past.<ref name = "RS">Richard Sakwa. ''Putin: Russia’s Choice''. (Routledge, 2008). ISBN 978-0-415-40766-3. Page 6.</ref>
*In the scene where Stirlitz sketches the Nazi leaders, light pencil sketches can be seen on the paper.
*A Soviet ] truck and a ] can be seen when Stirlitz is sitting on the grass in the 12th episode. When Stirlitz is sleeping in his car, a ZIL 130 also drives by.
*When exiting the train that is taking Pleischner to Bern, Stirlitz goes to a kiosk with the sign "Zeitschrifte" (magazines), while the correct plural would be "Zeitschriften."
*In the 9th episode a box of bird food is labeled as "Fögel" rather than "Vögel."
*In the 12th episode, Stirlitz is seen walking at night around Bern, but he is actually being filmed in ]: he passes the store "Centrs," in the window of which is the sign in Latvian: "Apavi katram gadalaikam" ("Shoes for every season"). In the next window is a Russian sign.
*In the fifth episode, when Stirlitz exits the cafe, the camera operator and assistant can be seen in the car window: a woman wearing a sweater with a large bracelet on the right hand.
*When Stirlitz meets his wife, the time shown on the clock on the wall does not match the time in the plot.
*In the tenth episode, as soon as Hellmut fires his first shot, three holes appear in the windshield of the Gestapo car.
*In the fourth episode, when Stirlitz decides to take a day off because of the Soviet holiday of February 23 (which only became a ] in post-Soviet Russia in 2002), Eismann is seen closing the window blinds for some reason&mdash;but outside it is dark.
*When Stirlitz visits the museum before meeting Bormann, modern cars and buses are seen out the window, clearly on the first floor. Later in the same scene, Stirlitz looks out the window from a height of at least the second floor.
*In the scene where Stirlitz takes Klaus to Schlag's church, a ] suddenly appears on Stirlitz.
*The sign on the doors of the Elefant cafe is written as to be read from the inside, for the viewer of the film, though the sign would have been written to be read by passers-by.
*In the fifth episode, when escaping a car following his own, Stirlitz turns the steering wheel to the left, and the objects in the window can be seen moving to the right. However, his car turns to the left in the next frames.
*When Rolf and Barbara are killed, "16 March 1945, 13:45," the clock on the wall shows 15:53. 95 seconds later, the time has not changed.
*In the fifth episode, Wolff comments to Dulles that the aria from ''The Marriage of Figaro'' playing is an "excellent contralto." However, the music is sung in soprano.
*In the first episode, Hitler's secretary is blonde and is waiting for Hitler to begin speaking. In the close-up frames that follow, she has dark hair and is writing quickly. Later, her hair turns light again.
*Stirlitz could not have left his fingerprints on the suitcase with Kat's radio equipment because he was wearing gloves the whole time while handling the suitcase.
*He also could not have left his fingerprints on the suitcases and stroller of the woman he used as alibi, since the SS winter uniform included leather gloves.
*When Müller and Stirlitz enter the Gestapo basement, Müller gives his pistol to the guard. When he leaves, the pistol cannot be seen on him.
*In the sixth episode, Stirlitz presents his identification to an SS officer, who looks Asian and would not have been permitted to be a member of the SS.
*The heading of Holtoff's file reads "Reichssicherheitshauptumt," which is correctly spelled ].


Catherine Nepomnyashchy noted that on another level, the plot stresses the outcome of the Second World War is already decided, and the Allies are already preparing for the Cold War; ''Seventeen Moments'' presents the Americans as adversaries, while the Germans had been "parsed to good ones and bad ones", in accordance with the political atmosphere of the 1970s: beside presenting several positive Germans, like Schlag and Pleischnner, even ] is portrayed almost amicably.<ref name = "B"/>
==Soundtrack==

The main musical theme to the movie, titled ''"Mgnovenia"'' ("Moments"), was composed by ] and performed by ].
] believed the series' achieved its popularity by depicting an "exciting espionage story for the masses" and at the same time, luring the ] by making "weakly disguised parallels" between Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union.<ref name = "VS">Vladimir Shlapentokh. ''Soviet Intellectuals and Political Power: the Post-Stalin Era''. I.B.Tauris (1991). ISBN 978-1850432845. Page 62.</ref> Konstantin Zaleski, too, noted that the German state apparatus as portrayed in ''Seventeen Moments'' bears little resemblance to reality, but is rather reminiscent of the Stalinist system, and the Soviet one in general.<ref>''." Echo Moscow Radio, 21 January 2008.</ref> Nepomnyashchy also concluded the series "suggests an analogy between Hitler’s Germany and the Soviet Union", and interpreted Stierlitz as a "paradigm for the survival of the honest intellectual in the totalitarian state... Hiding his true face from the inhuman state bureaucracy." However, while writing that there was a "subversiveness inherent" in ''Seventeen Moments'', Nepomnyashchy was not sure if it was intentional or not.<ref name = "B"/>

Mark Lipovetsky viewed the series as a metaphor for life in the USSR at the time of its production, and believed its popularity was a consequence of this: Stierlitz - and also Schellenberg - symbolized the generation of young rebellious intellectuals who graduated from universities in the 1960s but joined the government apparatus during the early years of the Brezhnev rule. While ostensibly loyal to his superiors, Stierlitz is their hidden enemy, and constantly struggles with the immense bureaucracy which he supposedly serves. The show also offered other messages the young intelligentsia could identify with, including an ideal portrayal of 'The West' as orderly and prosperous, although Lipovetsky also stressed that this landscape was largely a Soviet concept of how foreign lands look.<ref>Mark Lipovetsky. '''' '''Neprikosovnye Zapas''' (Issue 53). 2007.</ref>

Stephen Lovell wrote the series was both "an entirely orthodox piece of Cold War culture", centering on an American plot to make separate peace with the Germans which is thwarted by a man who "corresponds to the ] model of a positive hero" , while also offering a "beguiling view" of the affluent, "imagined West", where private car ownership, cognac and imported coffee were in abundance - making it "a classical document of Soviet ambivalent fascination" with the West. Lovell concluded that it is an "Urtext of late Soviet civilization".<ref>Stephen Lovell. ''The Shadow of War: Russia and the USSR, 1941 to the Present''. Wiley-Blackwell (2010). ISBN 978-1405169592. Pages 71, 284.</ref>

===Cultural impact===
The character of Stierliz was already recognized as the most well-known fictional spy in the USSR before the broadcast of ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'', and was further popularized afterwards.<ref>Adele Marie Barker. ''Consuming Russia: Popular Culture, Sex, and Society since Gorbachev''. Duke University Press (1999). ISBN 978-0822323136. Page 164.</ref> ]'s reporter John Kohan defined him as "the Soviet ]",<ref>''''. ''']'''. 14 February 1983.</ref>, a comparison made also by ]<ref name = "VS"/>, David MacFayden<ref name = "DM"/>and others. Ivan Zarusky commented that beside reaching a "Bond-like status", he entered "popular subconsciousness".<ref name ="IZ"/> Birgit Beumers added he became a "cult figure", and is the best known fictional character in Russian cinematic history.<ref name = "BB"/>

Andropov's original intent in commissioning the series was fulfilled: Mikhail Geller regarded ''Seventeen Moments'' as "one of the most successful operations in advertising the KGB."<ref> Mikhail Geller. ''Cogs in the Wheel: The Formation of Soviet Man''. Knopf (1988). ISBN 978-0394569260. Page 221.</ref> ] told that his decision to join the KGB was motivated by the spy thrillers of his childhood, among them Lioznova's series.<ref name = "RS"/> Ivan Zarusky that the series' influence of public opinion greatly contributed to Putin's popularity in the beginning of his term as President, since his background as the service's agent in East Germany enabled to identify him with the fictional spy; Putin continued to benefit from that also later, and remains associated with the character.<ref name ="IZ"/> Catharine Nepomnyashchy also recalled the "Stierlitz effect" was often mentioned by commentators during the President's first years in power.<ref name ="B"/>

Russian political scientists Yuri Krasin and Alexander Galkin linked the rise of their country's ] movement in the 1970s with the "romantic depiction" of wartime Germany and its leaders in the series,<ref>Stephen Shenfield. ''Russian Fascism: Traditions, Tendencies, Movements''. M. E. Sharpe (2001). ISBN 978-0765606341. Page 40.</ref>. ] reported the leaders of a Neo-Nazi cell, who were arrested during the 1970s, were influenced by ''Seventeen Moments'' and called themselves after some of the lead characters.<ref name = "RIS"/>

Catchphrases and expressions from the series entered Russian parlance, and remain in common use.<ref name = "OK"/> In 2006, '']'' rated ''Seventeen Moments'' as the most quoted film or television production in the country' history.<ref>'']: Volume 49''. Rich Frontier (2006). ISSN 1066-999X. Page 24.</ref> Alexander Kozintsev wrote that the series was above all popularized in culture by an "immense body of ]",<ref>Alexander Kozintsev. ''The Mirror of Laughter''. Transaction Publishers (2010). ISBN 978-1412810999. Page 165.</ref> which entered "urban folklore" according to Birgit Beumers.<ref>Birgit Beumers, Stephen C. Hutchings, Natalia Rulyova. ''The Post-Soviet Russian Media: Conflicting Signals''. Routledge (2008). ISBN 978-0-415-67487-4. Page 161.</ref> Russian linguist Gennady Slyshkin, who researched the series' influence on vernacular speech, noted that characters' names became synonymous with other words: in fishermen's jargon, 'Stierlitz' became the common name for a variant of the ], which is known for being hard to catch; among themselves, schoolchildren often referred to the principle and his chief assistant as 'Müller' and 'Bormann' - the same was done by prisoners, when alluding to their jail's directors.<ref>Gennady Slyshkin. '''' '''Yazekoznanie'''. January 2004.</ref>

===Historical accuracy===
While holding the opinion that Germany, as presented in ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'', resembled the Soviet Union more than its real countepart, Russian historian Konstantin Zaleski also noted numerous inaccuracies, errors and inconsistencies in the series. In his 2006 book, ''Seventeen Moments of Spring: A Crooked Mirror of the Third Reich'', Zaleski pointed out many such. For example, while Pastor Schlag is supposedly a Catholic priest, he possesses all the characteristics of a Lutheran one, including the title 'pastor'; Müller is decorated with the ], although he only joined the NSDAP at 1939; Stierlitz listens to ]'s '']'', released in 1956; all members of the SS are seen to wear black uniform - which were replaced by gray ones already in 1938 - and frequently smoke, in spite of the ]. In addition, ], ] and ] all had university, rather than merely secondary education, as claimed in the series: Goebbels also became the ] of Berlin already in 1926, and not in 1944. At one point, footage of ] is presented as if he were ]. Another incorrect detail was ]'s portrayal as the SS and Police Leader in Poland at early 1945, while he was relieved from this position in November 1943.<ref>Konstantin Zaleski. ''Semnadcat Mgnovenij Vesny : Krivoe Zerkalo Tretego Rejcha''. Veche (2006). ISBN 9785953314602.</ref>

===Spin-offs and parodies===
Stierlitz was the hero of other films and television series made throughout the years, including the 1975 ''Diamonds for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat'',<ref>''''. kinoexpert.ru.</ref> the 1976 ''The Life and Death of Ferdinand Luce'',<ref>''''. kino-teatr.ru.</ref> the 1980 ''Spanish Variant''<ref>''''. kinopoisk.ru.</ref> and the 2009 ''Isaev''.<ref>''''. centpart.ru.</ref>

In 2009, several international companies were hired to colorize the series. High costs and technical difficulties resulted in the removal of much footage from the original episodes. The new version was subject for criticism upon broadcast, including for the poor quality of the new format; the Communist Party of St. Petersburg led a campaign against it.<ref>Anna Malpas. ''''. ''']''', 12 May 2009.</ref>

] parodies of ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' were distributed already in the 1970, as well as such approved by the authorities.<ref name = "B"/> The 2008 film '']'' was mainly intended as comical reinterpretation of ''Seventeen Moments''.<ref>Ellen Barry. ''''. New York Times, 21 September 2008.</ref> ] starred in a parody of the scene in which Stierlitz and his wife met, broadcast by the Russian Channel 1 for the 2011 New Year's Eve.<ref>'''' 1 January 2011. ].</ref>


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
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1973 Soviet Union TV series or program
Seventeen Moments of Spring
A photograph of himself as Stierlitz on Vyacheslav Tikhonov's grave.
Written byYulian Semyonov
StarringVyacheslav Tikhonov
Narrated byYefim Kopelian
Music byMikael Tariverdiev
Opening themeMgnovenie (Moments)
Ending themeMgnovenie
Country of originSoviet Union
Original languageRussian
No. of episodes12
Production
ProducerZinovi Genzer
Running time840 minutes
Original release
NetworkProgramme One
ReleaseAugust 11, 1973 –
August 24, 1977

Seventeen Moments of Spring (Template:Lang-ru, trans. Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny ) is a 1973 Soviet twelve-part television miniseries, directed by Tatyana Lioznova and based on the novel of the same title by Yulian Semyonov.

The series portrays the exploits of Maxim Isaev, a Soviet spy operating in Nazi Germany under the name Max Otto von Stierlitz, depicted by Vyacheslav Tikhonov. Stierlitz is tasked with disrupting the negotiations between Karl Wolff and Allen Dulles taking place in Switzerland, who both aim to conclude separate peace between Germany and the Western Allies.

The series is considered the most successful Soviet espionage thriller ever made, and as one of the most popular television series in Russian history.

Plot

12 February 1945, Germany. Max Otto von Stierlitz, an esteemed Standartenführer in the SD-Ausland, is in fact Soviet spy Maxim Isaev, who has infiltrated the Nazi Party in 1933. While Adolf Hitler is resolved to continue the war, Walter Schellenberg convinces Heinrich Himmler to conduct secret negotiations with the Americans, hoping to reach a separate peace deal which would allow the Germans to concentrate all their forces on the Eastern Front. In the meantime, Ernst Kaltenbrunner suspects Stierlitz, and orders Heinrich Müller to launch a secret investigation on him.

Stierlitz is ordered by Moscow to ascertain wheter the Americans and the Germans have a secret channel, and if so - to obstruct it. His mission is complicated when the house of his only helpers, radio operators Erwin and Katherin Kinn, is bombed. Erwin is killed, and his pregnant wife is taken to a hospital, compromising Stierlitz. He recruits two new aids - Professor Pleischner, a former member of the German Resistance, and Pastor Schlag, a clergyman who disapproves of the regime. All the while, Stierlitz has to engage in a battle of wits with Müller, who seeks to expose him as an enemy agent. He must also manuver between the different factions inside the Main Security Office, as differnet high-ranking officials vie for power.

After realizing Himmler and Schellenberg have sent Karl Wolff to handle with Allen Dulles in the neutral Switzerland, Stierlitz manages to ally himself with Martin Bormann. Playing on the rivalries between Himmler, Kaltenbrunner, Bormann and the other Nazi plenipotentiaries, he succedes in leaking the details of the negotiations - conducted under the code name Operation Crossword - both to Hitler and to Stalin. The Soviets, now possesing evidence, demand to end those contacts and President Roosevelt obliges them. Himmler narrowly convinces Hitler it was all merely an attempt to saw distrust between the Allies. In 24 March 1945, Stierlitz, who managed to ameliorate all suspicions against him, returns to his duties. The Red Army nears Berlin.

Cast

Production

Background

In the late 1960s, after Yuri Andropov became the chairman of the Soviet Union's Committee for State Security, he launched a campaign to improve the service's image, which was primarily associated in the public's view with its role in the political repressions carried out by the government. Andropov encouraged a series of novels, songs, films and other works glorifying KGB agents, focusing on those serving abroad - mainly in the hope of attracting young and educated recruits to the organization. The television production of Seventeen Moments of Spring was part of this trend.

Writing

During 1965, Author Yulian Semyonov, a Soviet writer of espionage books, composed the novel No Password Required, in which he first introduced the character of Vsevolod Vladimirov - a young Cheka agent who infiltrates Admiral Alexander Kolchak's staff under the alias Maxim Isaev. No Password Required became a success with readers. In 1967, it was adapted to screen and the eponymous film attracted more than 20,000,000 viewers. Semyonov published a sequel, Major Whirlwind, during the same year. In 1968, he was invited to a meeting with Andropov, who told him he read No Password Required and enjoyed it. After the interview, Semyonov began directly cooperating with the KGB and received access to its archives. The third novel featuring Isaev, Thirteen Moments of Spring, was inspired by a suggestion from the chairman himself; Semyonov wrote it down in less than two weeks. In the new book, Isaev was - for the first time - the chief protagonist, operating inside German intelligence in the guise of SS officer Stierlitz. It was decided to turn it to a television series already in 1969, before it was even published. The character of Stierlitz reflected Andropov's own concept of the ideal Soviet spy: he was calculated, modest, devoted to his country and above all an intellectual, who accomplished his mission by outwitting his enemies. He was based primarily, although not exclusively and in a loose fashion, on a Gestapo officer turned Soviet agent, Willi Lehmann. The American-German negotiations foiled by Stierlitz were modeled after the real agreement reached by Allen Dulles and Karl Wolff during 1945, which brought about the surrender of the Wehrmacht in Northern Italy on 2 May 1945.

Development

Director Tatyana Lioznova of the Gorky Film Studio encountered Seventeen Moments of Spring while reading an excerpt of it in The Banner magazine; Lioznova, who was already a well-known director, determined that she will adapt it for screen. By that time, Semyonov already successfully negotiated a deal with the Lenfilm Studio to produce the series. Lioznova applied strong pressure on him, and eventually convinced the author to cancel the arrangement with the Leningrad-based company. Semyonov wrote Sergey Lapin, Chairman of the State Committee for Television and Radio, and requested to allow the Gorky Studio to take over the project.

Lioznova made several adjustments to Semyonov's material: she had in mind a character of Mrs. Saurich, an elderly German woman with whom Stierlitz will have occasional conversations, to make him more amiable; the author hesitantly indulged her, and wrote several such scenes. Actress Faina Ranevskaya, to whom the director proposed the role, refused to perform it, saying that it was "horrible nonsense". Eventually, Lioznova decided to improvise it during the filming, and had given the part to Emilia Milton.

The work on the series was supervises by the KGB: Andropov's deputy, Colonel General Semen Tzvigun served as chief consultant, alongside other high-ranking officers of the service. They encouraged Lioznova to make further changes to the script: A flashback from Stierlitz's last meeting with his wife was included. The director insisted on retaining the six-minute long wordless scene in spite of objections from other producers, who claimed that it was too monotonous. This scene later became one of the most memorable parts of the series.

Casting

The first contender for the role of Stierlitz was actor Innokenty Smoktunovsky, who removed his application after learning that he would have to leave his home for more than two years for the filming. Afterwards, Archil Gomiashvili had auditioned for it, but he left the project upon receiving the role of Ostap Bender in Leonid Gaidai upcoming adaptation of The Twelve Chairs. Eventually, Vyacheslav Tikhonov was selected to portray the lead protagonist. Leonid Kuravlyov was an early candidate to be cast as Hitler, but instead was given the role of SS officer Eismann; East German actor Fritz Diez portrayed the dictator, making his fifth appearance as such on screen. Oleg Tabakov had physically resembled Walter Schellenberg, whom he portrayed in the series - the latter's niece, who resided in East Germany, even wrote the actor a letter appreciating his work; at the same time, the producers lacked any photograph of Heinrich Müller, and thus chose Leonid Bronevoy, who was very different in appearance.

Filming

Lioznova began photographing at March 1971; the first part of the shooting took place in East Germany, mainly in Berlin. The crew remained there until the end of the summer. Then, they traveled to the Latvian SSR, where most of the scenes taking place in Bern were shot in Riga. The crew returned to Moscow to work further in the Gorky Film Studio. In early 1972, they set out for the the Georgian SSR, using the mountains near Tbilisi as a substitute for the Swiss Alps featured in the series. After returning to Moscow to complete several further sessions, the filming ended in autumn 1972.

The production crew encountered several problems: actor Lev Durov had mocked the members of the travel permit committee, resulting in a refusal to allow him to leave the USSR. The scene in which his character was killed had to be filmed in Moscow rather than in East Germany, as planned. In Berlin, Tikhonov had donned his costume prior to leaving his hotel; he was nearly arrested by the People's Police. Actor Lavrenty Masokha, who played Müller's chief adjutant Scholz, died of a heart attack in 21 June 1971, before the work on the series has been completed.

Music

Mikael Tariverdiev, the head of the Composers Guild in the Soviet Cinematographers' Association, had at first refused to write the series' score, but changed his mind after reading the script. He authored lyrics for ten different songs to be featured in the soundtrack; since it was later decided to base it mainly on instrumental music, only two of those were included in the final version - Somewhere Far Away and Moments. The first singer invited to vocalize them was Vadim Mulerman, but he was blacklisted and banned from performing in public at 1971, after including a Yiddish song in his repertoire, a move that was frowned upon by the authorities in the wake of the Six Day War. After Mulerman's disqualification, Muslim Magomayev was considered for the role and recorded his own version of the text; however, the producers decided that his voice was not suited for the atmosphere of series' plot, and chose Joseph Kobzon. Although he was allowed to perform the songs, the latter was also subject to the establishment's anti-Jewish campaign; therefore, he was not mentioned in the credits. In spite of this, Kobzon subsequently met great acclaim for singing the series' score.

Approval

During early 1973, after undergoing editing, a demonstration of Lioznova's materials was held for a committee of high-ranking television officials. The series was met with much criticism; many of those present were indignant, claiming it made the impression that the Second World War was won "by a few spies". To accommodate their demands, the director added a great amount of wartime newsreel footage about the fighting of the Red Army.

Another screening was held for Yuri Andropov. The chairman made two requests: to remove the names of the KGB consultants who were on active service from the credits and replace them with pseudonyms - Tzvigun, for example, became 'General S.K. Mishin'. He also asked to make a mention of the German communist movement and its leader, Ernst Thälmann. A short scene in which Stierlitz recalls seeing Thälmann and being impressed with the fervor of the Red Front Fighters' Association was added.

Reception

Public reaction

Episode Original air date Length in the 1973 version Length in the 2009 color version
Material lost (%)
01 August 11, 1973 01:08:42 51:21 ~25 %
02 August 12, 1973 01:09:01 51:37 ~26 %
03 August 13, 1973 01:06:10 51:20 ~22 %
04 August 14, 1973 01:15:20 51:50 ~32 %
05 August 16, 1973 01:05:32 51:58 ~21 %
06 August 17, 1973 01:12:15 52:22 ~27 %
07 August 18, 1973 01:10:29 51:13 ~27 %
08 August 19, 1973 01:05:13 51:24 ~21 %
09 August 20, 1973 01:18:49 52:32 ~33 %
10 August 21, 1973 01:07:38 51:39 ~24 %
11 August 23, 1973 01:04:50 51:12 ~21 %
12 August 24, 1973 01:06:11 51:56 ~22 %

Broadcast in 19:30 by the channel Programme One between 11 and 24 August 1973, Seventeen Moments of Spring was immensely popular in the Soviet Union: Klaus Mehnert reported that during its original run, each episode was watched by between 50,000,000 and 80,000,000 viewers, making it the most successful television show of its time.

Ivan Zasursky described the public's reaction: "during its first showing, city streets would empty. It was a larger-than-life hit, attracting greater audiences than hockey matches." Crime rates dropped significantly during the broadcasts; power stations had to increase production at the same time, since the activation of many television sets caused a surge in electricity consumption. Oleg Kharkhordin wrote that Seventeen Moments of Spring became a "cult" series,, and Richard Stites added it was "a television blockbuster".

According to his personal assistant Alexei Chernayev, Leonid Brezhnev was a devoted fan of Seventeen Moments of Spring, and watched the entire series some twenty times. Author Anthony Olcott claimed that it was rumored Brezhnev moved meetings of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in order not to miss episodes.

Seventeen Moments of Spring remained highly popular after its first run in 1973. It was re-aired annually until the dissolution of the USSR, usually around Victory Day, and continued to be broadcast in Russian television afterwards. In 1983, a writer of the Paris-based Polish magazine Kultura described Seventeen Moments of Spring as "the most successful television production in the history of the Soviet Union." In 1995, after another re-run, Russian commentator Divanov noted: "Just like 20 years before, city streets were empty during the showing... A drop in the crime level almost to zero was noted in cities, which testifies to the popularity of Seventeen Moments." David MacFadyen called it "the most famous Russian espionage drama."

Awards

In 1976, Director Lioznova, cinematographer Piotr Kataev and lead actors Tikhonov and Leonid Bronevoy received the Russian SFSR's Vasilyev Brothers' State Prize for their work on the television series.

In 1982, after watching another re-run of all the episodes, Brezhnev was exceptionally moved: his bodyguard Vladimir Medvedev recalled that the Soviet premier inquired about the true identity of 'Stierlitz' for days afterwards, and wanted to award the agent the title Hero of the Soviet Union, a version of events corroborated by Chernayev; the latter added that when the ruler learned Stierlitz was fictional, he ordered to award Tikhonov with the parallel civilian order, Hero of Socialist Labor. Composer Mikael Tariverdiev's wife Vera recalled that Brezhnev decided to bestow honors on other members of the crew and cast; nine years after the series' first broadcast, her husband received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for his contribution to it. During that year, director Lioznova and actor Rostislav Plyatt received the Order of the October Revolution; Oleg Tabakov, Leonid Bronevoy and Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev were given the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and Yekaterina Gradova was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples.

In 23 December 2009, two weeks after his passing away, Tikhonov was posthumously awarded the Russian Federal Security Service Medal for Support in Combat, as a tribute to his portrayal of Stierlitz.

Interpretation

Richard Taylor and D. W. Spring noted that Seventeen Moments of Spring was the "only real contemporary Soviet spy hit"; while the subject of espionage was not uncommon in the country's cinema and television, it was usually set in a pattern conforming to the concept of class struggle: the honest Soviets would confront the corrupt capitalist Americans, who themselves would always include at least one low-level operative of humble origins who would have some sympathy to communism. Lioznova's series was produced when the "ideological foundations of the genre were already melting", and featured virtually no such political message. Richard Sakwa commented that Stierlitz is seen acting more out of love to his homeland than due to socialist convictions, reflecting the Soviet public and government's gradual embrace of local patriotism, which replaced the international proletarian solidarity emphasized in the past.

Catherine Nepomnyashchy noted that on another level, the plot stresses the outcome of the Second World War is already decided, and the Allies are already preparing for the Cold War; Seventeen Moments presents the Americans as adversaries, while the Germans had been "parsed to good ones and bad ones", in accordance with the political atmosphere of the 1970s: beside presenting several positive Germans, like Schlag and Pleischnner, even Heinrich Müller is portrayed almost amicably.

Vladimir Shlapentokh believed the series' achieved its popularity by depicting an "exciting espionage story for the masses" and at the same time, luring the Intelligentsia by making "weakly disguised parallels" between Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Konstantin Zaleski, too, noted that the German state apparatus as portrayed in Seventeen Moments bears little resemblance to reality, but is rather reminiscent of the Stalinist system, and the Soviet one in general. Nepomnyashchy also concluded the series "suggests an analogy between Hitler’s Germany and the Soviet Union", and interpreted Stierlitz as a "paradigm for the survival of the honest intellectual in the totalitarian state... Hiding his true face from the inhuman state bureaucracy." However, while writing that there was a "subversiveness inherent" in Seventeen Moments, Nepomnyashchy was not sure if it was intentional or not.

Mark Lipovetsky viewed the series as a metaphor for life in the USSR at the time of its production, and believed its popularity was a consequence of this: Stierlitz - and also Schellenberg - symbolized the generation of young rebellious intellectuals who graduated from universities in the 1960s but joined the government apparatus during the early years of the Brezhnev rule. While ostensibly loyal to his superiors, Stierlitz is their hidden enemy, and constantly struggles with the immense bureaucracy which he supposedly serves. The show also offered other messages the young intelligentsia could identify with, including an ideal portrayal of 'The West' as orderly and prosperous, although Lipovetsky also stressed that this landscape was largely a Soviet concept of how foreign lands look.

Stephen Lovell wrote the series was both "an entirely orthodox piece of Cold War culture", centering on an American plot to make separate peace with the Germans which is thwarted by a man who "corresponds to the Socialist realist model of a positive hero" , while also offering a "beguiling view" of the affluent, "imagined West", where private car ownership, cognac and imported coffee were in abundance - making it "a classical document of Soviet ambivalent fascination" with the West. Lovell concluded that it is an "Urtext of late Soviet civilization".

Cultural impact

The character of Stierliz was already recognized as the most well-known fictional spy in the USSR before the broadcast of Seventeen Moments of Spring, and was further popularized afterwards. Time Magazine's reporter John Kohan defined him as "the Soviet James Bond",, a comparison made also by Vladimir Shlapentokh, David MacFaydenand others. Ivan Zarusky commented that beside reaching a "Bond-like status", he entered "popular subconsciousness". Birgit Beumers added he became a "cult figure", and is the best known fictional character in Russian cinematic history.

Andropov's original intent in commissioning the series was fulfilled: Mikhail Geller regarded Seventeen Moments as "one of the most successful operations in advertising the KGB." Vladimir Putin told that his decision to join the KGB was motivated by the spy thrillers of his childhood, among them Lioznova's series. Ivan Zarusky that the series' influence of public opinion greatly contributed to Putin's popularity in the beginning of his term as President, since his background as the service's agent in East Germany enabled to identify him with the fictional spy; Putin continued to benefit from that also later, and remains associated with the character. Catharine Nepomnyashchy also recalled the "Stierlitz effect" was often mentioned by commentators during the President's first years in power.

Russian political scientists Yuri Krasin and Alexander Galkin linked the rise of their country's Neo-Nazi movement in the 1970s with the "romantic depiction" of wartime Germany and its leaders in the series,. Richard Stites reported the leaders of a Neo-Nazi cell, who were arrested during the 1970s, were influenced by Seventeen Moments and called themselves after some of the lead characters.

Catchphrases and expressions from the series entered Russian parlance, and remain in common use. In 2006, Russian Life rated Seventeen Moments as the most quoted film or television production in the country' history. Alexander Kozintsev wrote that the series was above all popularized in culture by an "immense body of Stierlitz jokes", which entered "urban folklore" according to Birgit Beumers. Russian linguist Gennady Slyshkin, who researched the series' influence on vernacular speech, noted that characters' names became synonymous with other words: in fishermen's jargon, 'Stierlitz' became the common name for a variant of the common bream, which is known for being hard to catch; among themselves, schoolchildren often referred to the principle and his chief assistant as 'Müller' and 'Bormann' - the same was done by prisoners, when alluding to their jail's directors.

Historical accuracy

While holding the opinion that Germany, as presented in Seventeen Moments of Spring, resembled the Soviet Union more than its real countepart, Russian historian Konstantin Zaleski also noted numerous inaccuracies, errors and inconsistencies in the series. In his 2006 book, Seventeen Moments of Spring: A Crooked Mirror of the Third Reich, Zaleski pointed out many such. For example, while Pastor Schlag is supposedly a Catholic priest, he possesses all the characteristics of a Lutheran one, including the title 'pastor'; Müller is decorated with the Honour Chevron for the Old Guard, although he only joined the NSDAP at 1939; Stierlitz listens to Édith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien, released in 1956; all members of the SS are seen to wear black uniform - which were replaced by gray ones already in 1938 - and frequently smoke, in spite of the campaign to ban this habit. In addition, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler all had university, rather than merely secondary education, as claimed in the series: Goebbels also became the Gauleiter of Berlin already in 1926, and not in 1944. At one point, footage of Julius Streicher is presented as if he were Robert Ley. Another incorrect detail was Friedrich Krüger's portrayal as the SS and Police Leader in Poland at early 1945, while he was relieved from this position in November 1943.

Spin-offs and parodies

Stierlitz was the hero of other films and television series made throughout the years, including the 1975 Diamonds for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the 1976 The Life and Death of Ferdinand Luce, the 1980 Spanish Variant and the 2009 Isaev.

In 2009, several international companies were hired to colorize the series. High costs and technical difficulties resulted in the removal of much footage from the original episodes. The new version was subject for criticism upon broadcast, including for the poor quality of the new format; the Communist Party of St. Petersburg led a campaign against it.

Samizdat parodies of Seventeen Moments of Spring were distributed already in the 1970, as well as such approved by the authorities. The 2008 film Gitler Kaput! was mainly intended as comical reinterpretation of Seventeen Moments. Anna Chapman starred in a parody of the scene in which Stierlitz and his wife met, broadcast by the Russian Channel 1 for the 2011 New Year's Eve.

References

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