Screenplay "Viennese Holidays" by Eduard Volodarsky and Vladimir Vysotsky, summary

The film was created by writer Eduard Voldarsky and actor Vladimir Vysotsky in January 1979. The script was written by the authors in five days. The work is based on the true story of General Voitenko. The former Soviet pilot told Vysotsky about his escape from a concentration camp in southern Germany, where prisoners assembled rockets and the first jet aircraft in the mountains.

The novella was not adapted for the screen during the authors’ lifetimes. The text was published in print only in 1989.

Escape from a concentration camp

The events unfold on a foggy morning on May 2, 1945. Guards at a secret German concentration camp receive an emergency order. American troops are located thirty kilometers from the mountain plateau — the commandant’s office decides to immediately exterminate all prisoners before the Allies arrive. A column of exhausted people is driven from the barracks with the help of guard dogs.

Four prisoners brought up the rear and managed to disarm the soldiers. A French aircraft engine mechanic, Gerard, jumped on a guard and snatched his machine gun. A Polish bomber pilot, Daniel, who was carrying a copy of the Bible, also snatched a weapon from an SS man. Soviet fighter pilot Vladimir knocked out NCO Stolz and took his pistol. The fugitives ran up the steep slope into the pine forest.

At that moment, a prisoner riot breaks out on the road. Soviet infantry company commander Vakhtang rushes to the cordon. A Georgian officer seizes a machine gun and runs down the slope after the first trio. In a shootout with SS men and German shepherds, Vakhtang is shot in the left shoulder.

Shelter in an abandoned estate

Having eluded pursuit, the four comrades reach a wealthy German estate. The owners of the mansion have abandoned it, leaving behind valuables and clothing. In the courtyard, Vladimir shoots the remaining driver, wearing a corporal’s uniform, with a pistol. Inside the house, the prisoners find food supplies and old wine in the cellar. A radio broadcast in Russian announces that Soviet troops have captured Berlin.

The prisoners celebrate their victory, despite the grave condition of the wounded Vakhtang and the shell-shocked Daniel. Gerard calls the hospital, demanding a doctor be sent for the hosts. A withered old doctor and nurse, Magda, arrive. The surgeon removes chunks of lead from an infantryman’s shoulder. A drunken Vladimir attempts to rape a German girl. Vakhtang stops his comrade with a well-aimed blow to the cheekbone, protecting the woman.

Soon, a company of guards on motorcycles converges on the estate. The former prisoners hide on the second floor, clutching machine guns. Magda keeps the secret: she gives the German officer the food supplies from the kitchen, and the detachment leaves.

Life of the rich in Vienna

In the morning, the friends pick up a Maybach left in the garage and leave the estate. They’re heading to Vienna. The fugitives need civilian clothes and cash. They plan to rob a cash-in-transit company. Gerard, Daniel, and Vakhtang enter a large store. The Frenchman drops a light bulb from a stepladder. The loud bang distracts the police — Vakhtang threatens the guards with a pistol, and Daniel takes two black suitcases filled with banknotes.

Having amassed a fortune, the four men check into prestigious rooms at a Viennese hotel. They pay the concierge and order vodka and wine. Gerard buys a German shepherd and meets a local girl, Nicole. Vladimir brings a woman, Eliza, to their room, spills wads of cash on the bed, and leaves. The companions enjoy the illusion of a peaceful life.

While out for cigarettes at night, a drunken Vladimir encounters a Soviet military patrol. He takes cigarettes from the soldiers and tells them about the fighting in Kuban in 1942. The lieutenant asks for his papers. The former prisoner has none, so the soldiers prepare to take him to the commandant’s office. A black Maybach screeches to a halt nearby. Gerard puts a pistol to the back of Vladimir’s head, introduces himself as a military police inspector, and takes the pilot away. Soon, the hotel staff reports the suspicious guests to the authorities. The friends are forced to leave their rooms.

Hijacking a plane and its tragic ending

The former prisoners decide to hijack a jet from an American military airfield. Gerard takes on the dangerous part of the operation. He cuts the fence wire with wire cutters and makes his way to the giant silver tanks holding aviation fuel. The Frenchman plants two TNT blocks and lights the fuse. A series of explosions erupts, lighting up the night sky. Guards rush to extinguish the fire.

Vladimir, Daniel, and Vakhtang accelerate the Mercedes and break through the gate. The car slows to a stop next to the outermost plane, its wings slanted. The Soviet and Polish pilots are the first to climb the steps to the cockpit. An unexpected technical detail is revealed: there is no third seat — the cockpit is designed for only two people. The wounded Vakhtang, smiling, refuses to allow his comrades to lie down on their laps. He orders takeoff and rolls the steps aside.

American soldiers spot the fugitives on the runway. Gerard runs to his car with Nicole but encounters a patrol. A French mechanic shields the girl with his body, takes the bullets himself, and dies, looking at the plane’s flashing lights. Vakhtang walks toward the armed soldiers. The officer asks the Americans not to fire on the plane as it takes off and is killed by machine gun fire. The jet leaves the airfield. Dying on the ground, Vakhtang sees in his mind’s eye his hometown in a pit, bathed in lights, the Kura River in a misty haze, and a distant monastery on a mountain cliff. "An ancient, mighty monastery…"