9th Company
Encyclopedia
The 9th Company is a 2005 Russian
–Finnish–Ukrainian
film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk
about the Soviet War in Afghanistan
.
. They train in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley
where they befriend a local woman who is more than happy to support the morale of the soldiers. On their arrival at Baghram air base they greet soldiers returning home who meet an unfortunate fate on their flight out. The story ends at a bloody battle on a mountain top in Afghanistan against the mujahideen
.
The film is loosely based on a real-life battle that took place at Hill 3234
in early 1988, during the last large-scale Soviet military operation Magistral
. Numerous Soviet armoured vehicles and aircraft appear in the film which are rarely seen or depicted in Western films.
In the film, only one soldier from the company survives unscathed and the company is said to have been "forgotten" by the military command because of the Soviet withdrawal. In reality, the 9th Company, 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment
was pinned down under heavy fire on Hill 3234 between the 7th and 8th of January 1988. They managed to stop 3 attacks by an estimated 200-250 mujahideen. The company lost a total of 6 men. Another 28 out of the total 39 were wounded seriously. Four of the killed soldiers were posthumously awarded the golden star of the Hero of the Soviet Union
. The unit was in constant communication with headquarters and got everything the regimental commander, Colonel Valery Vostrotin, could provide in terms of rations, ammunition, reinforcements, and helicopter
evacuation of the wounded.
. Although first released in 2005, and broadcast on TV in several nations, it was not released in the US until 2010 as a DVD.
Release dates:
hit, generating $7.7 million in its first five days of release alone, a new domestic record.
nomination. It was also given the Golden Eagle Award
for Best Feature Film by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts.
History
Cinema of Russia
The cinema of Russia began in the Russian Empire, widely developed under the Soviet and in the years following the fall of the Soviet system, the Russian film industry would remain internationally recognised...
–Finnish–Ukrainian
Cinema of Ukraine
-State owned:* Dovzhenko Film Studios * Odessa Film Studio * National Cinematheque of Ukraine * Ukrtelefilm* Yalta Film Studio-Film distribution:...
film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk
Fyodor Bondarchuk
Fyodor Sergeyevich Bondarchuk is a Russian film director and actor. He is the director of the acclaimed film The 9th Company, and producer of the 2006 film Heat, where he starred as himself with his mother Irina Skobtseva....
about the Soviet War in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
.
Plot
The film follows a band of young recruits from a farewell ceremony with friends and family back homeKrasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
. They train in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
where they befriend a local woman who is more than happy to support the morale of the soldiers. On their arrival at Baghram air base they greet soldiers returning home who meet an unfortunate fate on their flight out. The story ends at a bloody battle on a mountain top in Afghanistan against the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
.
The film is loosely based on a real-life battle that took place at Hill 3234
Battle for Hill 3234
The Battle for Hill 3234 was a defensive battle and successful military campaign fought by 345th Soviet paratroopers in Afghanistan against a force of 200 to 250 Mujahideen rebels...
in early 1988, during the last large-scale Soviet military operation Magistral
Operation Magistral
Operation Magistral was a Soviet Army military operation during the Soviet war in Afghanistan that began in late November 1987 and ended in early January 1988.- The early operation :...
. Numerous Soviet armoured vehicles and aircraft appear in the film which are rarely seen or depicted in Western films.
In the film, only one soldier from the company survives unscathed and the company is said to have been "forgotten" by the military command because of the Soviet withdrawal. In reality, the 9th Company, 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment
345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment
The 345th Guards Airborne Regiment of the Soviet Airborne Troops was active from 1944 to 1998. It was formed on 30 December 1944 at Lapichi, Osipovichi district, Mogilev Oblast, in the Byelorussian SSR...
was pinned down under heavy fire on Hill 3234 between the 7th and 8th of January 1988. They managed to stop 3 attacks by an estimated 200-250 mujahideen. The company lost a total of 6 men. Another 28 out of the total 39 were wounded seriously. Four of the killed soldiers were posthumously awarded the golden star of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
. The unit was in constant communication with headquarters and got everything the regimental commander, Colonel Valery Vostrotin, could provide in terms of rations, ammunition, reinforcements, and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
evacuation of the wounded.
Reception
The film received a mixed reaction from the veterans of that war, who pointed to a number of inaccuracies, but nevertheless, judging by ticket sales, was embraced by the general public, and even by Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
. Although first released in 2005, and broadcast on TV in several nations, it was not released in the US until 2010 as a DVD.
Release dates:
- Belarus 29 September 2005
- Kazakhstan 29 September 2005
- Russia 29 September 2005
- Ukraine 29 September 2005
- Estonia 14 October 2005
- Finland 3 March 2006
- France 20 May 2006 (Cannes Film Festival)
- Sweden 11 October 2006 (DVD premiere)
- Poland 12 October 2006 (Warsaw International FilmFest)
- Poland 20 October 2006
- Philippines 3 November 2006 (Cinemanila Film Festival)
- UK 16 February 2007
- France 17 February 2007 (TV premiere)
- Argentina 18 June 2007 (DVD premiere)
- Belgium 12 September 2007
- Netherlands 26 February 2008 (DVD premiere)
- Germany 26 August 2008
- USA 31 August 2010 (DVD premiere) (Blu-ray premiere)
Box office
The film was released in September 2005 and became a Russian box officeBox office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
hit, generating $7.7 million in its first five days of release alone, a new domestic record.
Awards
In 2006, Russia selected the film as its candidate for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
nomination. It was also given the Golden Eagle Award
Golden Eagle Award
The Golden Eagle Award is an accolade by the Russian National Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Russia to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Feature Film by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts.
See also
Film- GiocondoMona LisaMona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
, the nickname for the Soviet artist soldier - Hadji MuradHadji MuradHadji Murad was an important Avar leader during the resistance of the peoples of Dagestan and Chechnya in 1811-1864 against the incorporation of the region into Russian Empire.-Alliance with Russia:...
, the name of an Afghan boy
History
- Battle for Hill 3234Battle for Hill 3234The Battle for Hill 3234 was a defensive battle and successful military campaign fought by 345th Soviet paratroopers in Afghanistan against a force of 200 to 250 Mujahideen rebels...
- The Truth About 9th CompanyThe Truth About 9th CompanyThe Truth About 9th Company is the first Russian documentary computer game which was officially launched on 18 February 2008. This war game simulates the historical battle for Hill 3234 taken place on 7-8 January 1988 in southern Afghanistan between Soviet paratroop units of the 345th Independent...
- Soviet War in AfghanistanSoviet war in AfghanistanThe Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...