"First Cavalry" by Valentin Yezhov, summary

Valentin Yezhov’s work describes the combat history of a cavalry unit during the Russian Civil War. The text was written in the early 1980s. The book’s most remarkable feature is the realistic depiction of everyday scenes. The author focuses on the psychological portraits of ordinary soldiers, depicting their everyday life at the front.

Based on this screenplay, director Vladimir Lyubomudrov made a large-scale feature film. Filming took place at the Soviet Mosfilm studio. The film was released in 1984. The film meticulously conveys the tense atmosphere of the historical era.

Arrival of the Red units in the city

A Red Cavalry regiment quickly occupies a quiet provincial town. The reconnaissance commander and experienced fighter Matvey survey the empty, unpaved streets. Local residents hide in their houses. Matvey rides into the courtyard of a ransacked estate, where he takes four prisoners. They turn out to be an old tsarist general, a gendarme captain, an Orthodox priest, and a stout townsman.

Matvey escorts the detainees to the town church. In the churchyard, he forces the prisoners to dig their own graves. The prisoners obediently take up the shovels. The captain declares that he has no fear of death. Matvey refuses to shoot them immediately, promising his enemies a long, painful life. Entering the gloomy church, the cavalryman orders the local bell ringer to ring the bells.

Ceremonial march and funeral

The First Cavalry Army enters the city to the sound of bells. Semyon Budyonny and Kliment Voroshilov ride at the head of a long column. The regiments display an incredible variety of uniforms. Marching songs are played. A spontaneous celebration begins in the square. An accordion plays. The stern nurse Polinka challenges Budyonny to a dance. The army commander dances wildly with a girl. Budyonny’s legal wife, Nadezhda Ivanovna, watches this merriment jealously.

The celebration suddenly ends with the mournful sound of trumpets. The bodies of the fallen commanders are carried on artillery carriages. Budyonny delivers a stern speech over the open grave, promising to exterminate all the rich. Voroshilov calls on local residents to form revolutionary committees to govern the city.

Everyday life of soldiers and commanders

The army is taking a short rest. Artilleryman Andrei Dobrov requisitions cloth from a local factory. The owner of the factory protests. Dobrov, firing a blank from a captured cannon, shatters the oak doors of the warehouse. The soldiers happily dismantle their well-made uniforms. Soon, Budyonny meets his former superior, the veteran Tsarist general Kopachev, at headquarters. The general voluntarily surrenders his inscribed saber to the Reds. Budyonny offers the experienced officer a transfer to the Bolsheviks. Kopachev refuses to participate in a fratricidal war. The army commander accepts his position.

Later, three young graduates of the Red Army commanders’ courses arrive at the command. They arrived from Petrograd in full hussar uniforms. The soldiers laugh at their smart appearance. Officer Alyosha Zorin claims that the poet Lermontov wore similar attire. Budyonny appoints the young men to command simple infantry platoons.

Combating illiteracy and looting

Commander Gorodovikov notices a passing formation of soldiers. Each soldier has a sign with a letter of the alphabet on his back. It turns out the squadron commander is educating illiteracy right on the march. Gorodovikov approves of this useful initiative. Meanwhile, Cossack Pashka Tikhomolov thwarts an attempted looting. Soldier Afonka attempts to smuggle out stolen household goods. Tikhomolov, with the help of Red Army soldiers, beats up the looter. Afonka is handed over to a special unit. Local residents thank the Cossack for saving their belongings.

An intelligent, bespectacled soldier suffers from the ridicule of his fellow soldiers. He accidentally kills his horse. Tikhomolov takes the wounded animal for himself. The bespectacled soldier finds refuge with other peace-loving Cossacks. He helps the illiterate soldiers read newspapers and write letters home.

Mutiny and tribunal

A delegation of old Cossacks is brought into the headquarters courtyard. They declare their desire to serve the Reds honorably. Budyonny takes their word and sends the old men home. In gratitude, the Cossacks give the army commander a magnificent bay stallion named Kazbek. Suddenly, a wounded commander arrives, reporting an armed mutiny. Budyonny gallops alone toward the rebels. A crowd of soldiers noisily protests. The army commander orders the mutinous regiment to lay down its arms. The soldiers weep. The soldiers obediently lay down their rifles. Budyonny orders this shame to be washed away in enemy blood.

Punishment of the guilty

Kliment Voroshilov physically assaults Brigade Commander Maslak. The execution takes place in a hot bathhouse. Voroshilov lashes the offending commander with a birch broom. He scolds the officer for the lack of discipline among his subordinates. Maslak defends himself with his past combat achievements, but endures the blows.

The final battle

Early in the morning, the army moves to its battle positions. The thick morning fog clears. Elite regiments of White Guards stand in the distance. White Cossacks stand frozen in neat squares. Budyonny launches a massive attack with tachankas (horse-drawn carts with machine guns). The artillery deploys. The cannons open fire. Two horse-drawn cavalry clashes in the very center of the field. A terrifying battle begins. Men and horses mingle in a single bloody tangle. Cold steel rings.

A previously released delegation of old Cossacks betrays the Reds’ trust. The old men shoot commanders Barannikov and Miroshnichenko point-blank. The Red cavalry rushes to take revenge on the traitors. Pashka Tikhomolov and Alyosha Zorin fight to the death. The outcome of the brutal battle is lost in the thick dust and the roar of artillery.