- Galia, why aren't you sleeping?
- Did father not sleep home?
- He is at the river, busy. You go back to sleep.
We'll wake you up for the school.
- It's cold.
Other people heat their stoves, and only us are freezing.
- Daughter, what, what are you saying? Our izba is the warmest.
And it's still warm outside.
- Sure, warm. It's fall, by the way.
- What, what are you saying, silly?
Now you are warm, right?
Well, sleep, sleep. I will heat the house.
It will be hot. You and your dad will even complain.
- Father!
- No, it's just a boat.
Its motor is strong like one of a launch.
Sleep.
THREE POPLARS AT PLYUSCHIKHA STREET
- Good morning, busy bee. - Good morning.
-Don't look that way, but the opposite!
Those who will see a sunrise, will have one sin forgiven.
- What sin may I have!?
- Grishka will be also forgiven. - What Grishka should be forgiven for?
Man always got a sin. Especially the greedy one.
Eh, this one is not yours.
These are some guys went to see girls and left their boat here for the night.
- Oh, whose is this one? Marusia Zlobina's?
- No, Zlobina's is red. And this is Rykhina's.
She got her in kolkhoz, just like you with your Lysukha.
You'll see she'll have even more milk than yours.
You see, they give us cows, they let to cut grass everywhere.
There's the law for everyone.
- Law might be changed. It happened already.
- Doesn't look that way. But who knows...
Now the authorities are trying to get some profit,
before they worked only for ideas.
It's cold.
- See! - What?
- The sun has shown the shadows.
See, you get up so early, because you've got so many things to do.
But people are lazy nowadays.
Work starts only at 8, so they sleep...
Sleep, sleep...
And people of the city sleep even longer!
Even in Moscow?
Oh, Moscow sleeps the most of all!
There are so many floors. So far from the ground.
For example, a rooster starts to crow...
How will you hear it, if you are on the 10th floor?
No way.
- Home? - Home.
Kutuzovsky avenue, behind "Panorama".
Then I'll tell.
Moscow sleeps till late.
London and Paris has their roads full since the morning.
Life starts so early. All on the wheels.
- Have you been there?
- I know. I know for sure.
- Here you are.
- Don't worry. You'll be just in time for the morning gymnastics.
- Oh, God.
- You could knock!
Hand would not die for that! It's not some kennel, but a house!
- I thought you were in the room, Fedosia Ivanovna!
I spent all night waiting for my husband, but he is still not here.
- Married, but live apart.
When will he manage to make you a son? I have no idea.
- In the winter it will not be any difficult.
Sit down. Eat with us.
- Sure, will she mess her mouth with your grub?!
- To eat I am always willing.
- I'm full. Time to go.
Let her talk to you about her business.
With no business she does not come here.
- She does not like us...
- Even me, she does not like every single day.
It's not easy to get along with her. Very stubborn.
She is responsible for vegetables at the kolkhoz now. Very busy.
But that's good for her.
You would not find kinder then her.
But I guess, life takes its own.
She lost two sons during the war. And my arm in addition.
All in different countries.
You came? Well, well. Here.
- Uncle Egor, but I really came with a business.
I'm going to Moscow to see my sister-in-law
And I'm taking ham to the market, at one.
The bag is so heavy, I cannot lift it.
Could you give me a ride on your way to the station?
- But there're trucks today. Fedosia is going with cabbages
- No cars. Grisha does not like to owe something to the kolkhoz.
- Well, you know, my cart is full.
Everyone is sending their apples to their relatives.
As if it doesn't grow anywhere but here.
I saw, your apples are also good?
- Big. - Falling?
- Yes, they are too many! Not even rotten, but falling!
- Tree is smart. It does not like when it's too many.
- But how will you manage in Moscow? It's so big.
- I will take a taxi.
- They will not take you for free...
It's just me who do so. It costs half a ruble there.
- What are you saying!
At least, it will cost 1.20!
There're numbers jumping up in the box in the taxi.
And you sit and watch it, until your eyes climb the forehead.
They are also cheating!
But Grisha has taught me.
I will hold 1.10 in my fist and that's it!
Even if the meter shows 1.20
“What could you take from her?
Here we are. You'll have just what she's got.
- Don't stay there for a long. No reason.
- I've been waiting for you, Grisha.
I thought, you might sleep home the night before Moscow, at least.
- It's not the last day on Earth.
- You've forgotten how to pet me. I've forgotten the touch of your hand.
- Why should I pet you? You are not a cow.
Forgot my hand? It means I don't beat you. It's good, right?
We have a lot of work. It doesn't come easy.
- Right.
- These hands are busy...
- Right.
- We have to work. - Right, right.
- Here I am.
- Don't waste money.
- You're angry with your sister, but you bite me!
- Listen to me!
You shall give to Nina that ham which is in the cloth and not more.
So she wouldn't attract some stallions with our ham.
And sell the rest.
Go to Danilovsky market. It's closer and the price is hard there.
- What if they don't pay the price?
Oh!!! Porridge!
- So, here I am. And what if they don't pay the price?
- Nina will help, she knows all.
- Will she mess with bazaar?
- She's already all messy! It's 300 km till Moscow, but it stinks in the village.
- She's not hiding with him! Nina can be understood.
Two years with no husband!
- Even if 10!
If he's not dead, she should wait! He'll serve his time and be back.
Sit calm! You'll breathe enough of Moscow!
You'll see enough of others' blouses.
- Listen to me, you tell to Nina...
If she files for a divorce, she may forget her road back here!
I will beat her here by myself! She won't raise up from the ground.
She has lived enough of her own. She already has a marriageable daughter!
- Lived enough, Grisha? So, have I lived enough too?
I'm only two years younger then her.
- Dad, can I take the radio?
- Ok, but be careful with it.
- Sloven you are, Egor! Didn't fix the back chain properly.
- Why do you let Galia go? She's supposed to go to school already!
- It's alright. She's already the best of her class.
You'll take off your robe – no need to take this dud to Moscow.
- I have... - She'll take your stuff home.
- Well, leave it, cripple! Go, I'll fix it.
- Uncle Egor, can I sit there? - What?
- I'm saying, can I sit there? - Yes.
- Thrifty!
You could at least clean fish scales off you. You look like a merman.
Nowadays, they judge pothunters! Have you read about it?
- Who cares?! Go!
- I will buy some ice-cream for Galia!
- Stay away from thieves! After bazaar go straight to Nina!
... How unhappy I am! Two good guys have fallen in love with me...
We know each other, since we were kids..
- Oh, goodness...
- She's going wild there. Do you understand?
- Just some words. Actually I'm the best pupil at my French class.
But I understand only few words here.
I love listening it just like this.
- Hey! And you, Saint Gregory, turning a penny?
Be careful! Fedosya will tear your hair for helping Nurka!
Look at you!
You put a girl next to yourself on a chair, and Fedosya is in the trunk!
- She likes to sit by the cabbage! And for me it doesn't matter.
All the seats are the same here.
- Full of cabbages, mother?
- I can see your hands aren't empty either.
- With empty hands it is not good.
- You'd better take care of your horse!
Nurka is a well-fed woman! She could run after the cart!
- You got out of a table hungry – now you're angry at everybody!
Bite some cabbage! Maybe it will make you kinder!
- She doesn't love us.
- Uncle Egor, actually, why are you giving us a ride?
- I'm riding every day. Mail.
- But why are you giving us a ride? Why did you pick us up?
- Your mother asked for it. - I'm sure it's for money!
- I wouldn't mind, but nobody's offering.
Nobody can take anything from Grisha even by force.
- Why don't you ask mother?
- Well, when you grow up, you will pay me. I'm not in a hurry.
- When I grow up, there'll be no money!
- If there's no money, I won't need any though. All the same.
- I know, why nobody likes my father... He is always sober, he's not drinking.
That's why they don't like him.
- Who told you that nobody likes him?! Everyone respects him.
Ask your mother.
- She's sleeping. She may even sleep standing, like a chicken.
- She is tired.
Tired.
When Grisha brought her to our village, it seemed like more sun came on us.
- Are there many pretty girls in your village?
- Of course. Guys from all over come to woo our girls!
- And you choose me...
- All our girls belong to somebody... If not to a husband, then to parents.
- But you will belong to me! To me, Nurka!!!
- You will lock me home? - I will lock you!
- And what about the wedding? I cover you with vale so nobody sees you
- I haven't even thought of marrying you.
When you came to our dancing, I din't even dare to think of you.
"Well, he came. Well, so what. Why would I care".
There're girls better then me.
- And who, I wonder?
- Polinka Nazarova... Evstegneeva Glasha... There're some...
- All the bad girls you're naming.
I decided immediately, that you are mine!
I took a look at you and said: “She's mine”. Understand?
- Understand.
- A chairman of the kolkhoz offered me a tractor. All to take me to the kolkhoz
Would you ride with me on a tractor?
- I would even walk after you!
So would you join the kolkhoz as a tractor-driver?
- I will think. I will look around. I won't go so easily.
They need me. I don't need them.
- Will we live together with yours?
- We will try. Their living is so poor!
But you'll see: I'll build such a house for you!
You haven't seen such! White, clean.
You will walk barefoot in the winter!
- Galya
I don't want to leave, daughter. Oh, I don't want.
But, it's too late.
Too late.
It's needed.
We have to thank Egor somehow!
- Mama, don't spoil him! He will be offended. He's our relative.
- Right.
- Wow, your hog in this coffin is cut or whole?
- Cut, uncle Egor.
- Mom, pass me my ice-cream.
- But where's it? - There it is.
- Oh, God.
- Here I go.
- Good luck, Anna Grigorievna. - Thank you.
- Would you like some ice-cream? - Give me a bit, they say it's sweet.
- Don't say you've never tried!
- C'mon. One doesn't need strong teeth for it.
- What are you?! Why are you pouring like crazy?!
Don't you see, rain is coming soon!
- I've got my plan, rain got his own.
- Hallo...
- Hallo, listen, is it an order department?
- Is it 27165? - Is it an order department?
...Exactly, exactly. I will deliver your grandpa very soon!
- Why are you fooling me here?!
(Speaking Uzbek)
- That's it! Now translate.
- I will hang up!
- Do you have a pencil and a paper over there?
- What pencil?
- Write down: a grandpa has arrived on Kazansky railway station.
He was on the train Tashkent - Moscow. Now he's in a taxi.
- What grandpa?!
- You have 10 minutes to get ready! - What grandpa?!
- What, what... Small, quiet, kind.
- Grandpa Sadik!
- What did he say?
- Said, to drive you.
- Drive to whom?
- To someone who picked the phone.
- Why didn't you ask, whom?
- What kind of voice he had? - Good voice.
- Where do you have to go?
- Plyuschikha.
- Let's go. - I haven't got much money...
- 1 ruble 12 kopeks. - Alright.
- Oh, there's someone else here!
- Why are you huddling? Make yourself comfortable.
- It's not near by. - I know the way.
- Alright. Then we won't get lost.
- What is that?
- A stocking.
- God, just take a look at that!
- Son, what voice was that? Male or female?
- Rather female.
- Daughter...
I thought... maybe to send a telegram...
But then I thought why should I worry my children
Maybe I won't make it to Moscow. Maybe a crash...
Maybe the train would get off the rails...
Now it's Moscow.
I should make it...
- I will ride you.
- And me? And what about me?
- And you too.
- Are we going the right direction?
- There're many ways to your Plyuschikha street.
- But I've got only 1 ruble 12 kopeks.
- Alright.
- What is in your suitcase?
I've never carried anything heavier.
- Are you carrying bricks in there?! - Bricks...
It's ham in there.
Homemade!
- And where are you going?
- But, to Plyuschikha street. - Yes, Plyuschikha. But to whom?
- To the sister in law. To whom else?!
- Sister in law...
- You mean your husband's sister? - Exactly! Ninka!
- It means that you're married. - For a long.
- And you've got children... - Two
- I've got two children.
- And who is your husband? - Torch-bearer.
He's lighting fires on a river.
A good job! And an authority is far away.
While they reach us with a checking, all the river knows about them coming.
- Is it alright if I smoke? - Smoke, smoke.
- It's your tobacco. Why not to smoke?! - And you know everything...
You've got an answer for everything. Your living is easy.
- It's only for evil men the life is easy.
- Those have got no problems. - And you?
- The house.
- The house is on me.
- Grandfather! Grandfather!
(speaking Uzbek)
- What are they? - From Tashkent.
- They were quaked there.
Have you heard of earthquakes?
- Do you ever read newspapers? - Read.
Quakes! We are also having quakes all the time!
Today one thing, tomorrow is another!
The cow isn't not calving!
As soon as the cow calves, she gets mastitis!
Then, Seryozhka's shoes leak...
Here we had a talk.
- What is your name?
- Like it was before. Nura. - Which means Anna...
- Anna Grigorievna. If you want it full.
One man calls me like this: Anna Grigorievna.
- Why does only one? - Out of poverty...
Or maybe out of being a relative. Or maybe he has some other reasons.
- I know, what's that reason... - How do you know?
- He simply likes you. - Oh! He's an old man!
- And he hasn't got an arm! - So what?!
- He respects your beauty. - What? Is the smoke bothering you?
- Smoke, I'm telling you.
- Does your husband smoke?
- He does.
He smokes the sky together with others.
His smoke does not bother my eyes anymore.
He's rarely home. He is always at work.
And now they made him to be a jaeger.
To take care of the river, so nobody would do any bad.
- Why didn't you count the money?
You could be cheated easily.
- I can see the client through from the first sight.
I know, who will cheat and who won't.
It's been 10 years that I've been driving.
I'm old now.
- I got scared of him.
Of this old man.
I thought, what if he hits me from the back.
- Are you also scared of me?
- No.
-So, Anna Grigorievna, you won't be Anna Grigorievna in your village anymore.
- What are you saying?! I won't be Nura also. I will die as Nurka.
- Are you also from a village? - I'm from Saint Petersburg.
- From Leningrad. - Ah. And all your relatives are there.
- At the cemetery. They died during the blockade.
- All of them?! From the famine.
- And I see, you have also starved.
- They sent us, the kids, to a village. On Volga River.
When they started to feed us, I started to grow.
- You see, how tall I am! - And me, I only get wider.
- No, you are not fat. - Oh no, I am!
- No, everything is normal.
- Why did we stop?
- The windshield is flooded.
- And how are they driving?
- They cannot wait.
- Are you in a hurry?
- Ok. Let's wait.
- You will waist your money with me.
- My husband says speed is money for men like you.
but you are just standing and standing.
- Such a day it is...
- And I'm not even shaved. - Why would you shave every day?!
- You would become a bummer if you shave every day.
- Why did you pick me up at the station? Others didn't take me...
- I liked your suitcase.
- You knew immediately: a country bumpkin!
“I'll fool her easily”
What a tricky. I would leave you with no money at all.
See, I've told to that old man not to pour the water, it would be raining.
How much water did he waste?!
- I liked your earrings.
- Oh. Why are you lying to me?...
- I had my shawl on.
- Anyway they cost few kopecks.
- It was your husband's gift?
- Not at all. My dad was spoiling me.
- I've finished my 8th grade, and he gave them to me.
- I got used to them, don't even think of it.
- And how do you live with your husband?
- With my husband?..
- All good. - Good.
- We also have one like this, but smaller. Is it yours?
- It's my mate's.
- Why do you turn on and off? Are you looking for something?
- Aha. - What for?
- I want to find one song... They often transmit it.
- A song? Which one?
- It has an odd title. “Tenderness”.
- “Tenderness”? It's the title?
- And what's it about?
- Well, it's... How can one retell the song?
- Well, yes...
- I also have a song, which I like very much.
- I don't know what's the title.
- Try to sing it.
- How can I... Sing?
- Sing.
- Just go and sing? - Sing.
- Well, you don't look at me, because I lose the words anyway.
The sky became empty without you.
Oh!
How should I survive even a few hours?
Leaves are falling in the empty parks...
And taxis are in a hurry for some places
Only I feel empty without you, by myself, on this Earth.
And you just keep flying away.
And all the stars are gifting you with their tend-erness.
Tenderness, see.
It was as empty on this Earth.
Oh!
When was flying E...
It was one pilot flying, a French one.
Exup... the same leaves were falling in the parks...
- Do you want me, Anna Grigorievna, to show you all the Moscow?
Don't think of money. Who cares of it?!
- But it's raining.
- Rain will pass. It's a short one.
- I've been to Moscow. A year ago.
- I've seen a new market with a glass above it.
- You are funny.
- You know, how many things were built in this year in Moscow!
I'll show you riverfronts, Moscow from above (from the university),
where all the tourists are taken...
- No.
I have to go to my sister-in-law.
She'll go for a night shift at work, and we'll miss each other...
- Well, fine...
Let it be your way.
- Is it far... till Plyuschikha?
- What number do you need there?
- You keep driving, I'll tell you. - Don't miss it.
- I won't. Their house is so tall, you won't miss it.
- A sky-scrapper? Then it's on Smolenskaya.
- What are you saying? Smolenskaya?
There's a bridge! And an old church.
- As soon as they build the house, the church got under the ground.
It shrank.
- Shrank?
- I'll be back. I have something to do here.
Taxi fare: 1 rubles 26 kopecks.
- Take me tickets for 8 pm.
- One or two? - Two.
- Maybe you want a dozen?
Or do you want me to give you my place in line?
All people are queuing and nobody dies from it so far...
- Girl! Girl...
Is it very far from here to Plyushikha street?
Girl...
- What do you need, babushka?!
- What kind of babushka am I?!?
- And what kind of girl am I?!!
- Try to understand, I have comrades from Czechoslovakia in my car.
- Well-well. - They need two tickets.
- You'll show me. I won't drive fast.
- While you were out, it was clicking...
Did it get broken?
It's an easy job you have.
You drive and drive, while machine is clicking.
How much could it only click for a day?!
- What did you...? What did you do?
- It's not what you should be afraid of in life, Anna Grigorievna!
- I'm not afraid of anything. Why should I be afraid?!
It's not like we live in a forest or in America!
- What? Is it that scary in America?
Scary! They were writing about it!
- No, Anna Grigorievna. I'll be better remembering you with no money.
- What does it mean, you'll have a heart for me all your life?
- Take it for good. - Alright.
- Take it all.
- I'll make a hole in it, hang it on a string and be wearing it.
- What for? - For luck.
- Take away the money!
Don't niggle.
- Let me help you with your suitcase. - No, leave it.
If one doesn't carry own luggage, one doesn't have any happiness in life.
It will go away to another house.
Happiness? But you are swimming in happiness.
Swimming...
I live by Oka River...
And I hardly ever swim in it.
- Listen...
What are you going to do all this time in Moscow on your own?!
Let's go to the movies! Will you go?
- I will!
- You'll really go??
I don't want any bad to you. Only good...
- I love movies!
- I'll come at 7. It's not too early?
- No, it's alright.
- Which are your windows? - Here, here they are.
- So many... But Ninka has just two windows.
- Then I'll be waiting here by the café at 7 o'clock.
- 19.00 - Aha.
- Will you come out to me? - I will.
- Then I don't say goodbye.
- Why should we say goodbye?!
- It's good that you came by time.
Otherwise you'd be waiting by the door. Until Svetka comes back from school.
And she is, you know, never in a hurry.
Sometimes she comes later then me.
- Take a good care of her.
Our neighbors are on vacation in Caucasus.
Nowadays everyone is trying to get to the sea.
- Next year I also want to go. - You got so skinny like a ragged goat!
How shameful it would be to get undressed...
- What a silly you are!
What am I a little girl? I am the way I am.
- You started to use so much make up!
It's good that Grisha doesn't see.
- When do you expect him to be back?
- Who are you talking about?
- About your husband... Who else?
- I'm husbandless now.
Stepan has filed for a divorce.
- Oh, Ninka... You're leaving your daughter with no father.
- Did she ever have a father, have you thought of that?!?
She could hardly memorize his face!
She would leave for school all beaten. All in tears.
There they start to ask questions: who and why?
That's why she had to go to the evening school.
People there are grown up, closer to a real life.
- Nonetheless, your husband is her father...
There won't be another one.
- It's easy for you to moralize here!
Grisha is by your side day and night!
He's bringing everything to the house. He's all good to you.
You're like under his wings.
To spend one year with a husband the way you live worth all life!
Do not compare our lives!
I haven't spent a year in love!
I cannot recall even a month of joy!
And you are given with happiness for all your long life!
Grisha's care is holding you up in the air!
You live the way you want and don't even know the sorrow!
All in the warmth and caress.
What happened? What?
- I'm feeling sorry for you... - Oh God!
- Me? - You.
- Stepan only signed that paper so he could get out earlier...
And when he gets back, you won't have any living...
...he'll beat you and kill you.
- I will go away, run away, hide somewhere!
I get hired with a contract somewhere! Together with my daughter.
Look at me, I finally don't have any bruises anymore.
- Poor you... - Poor me?
I've fallen in love with a man!
And he fell in love with me.
He's so young, but I can spend all life with him with no worries...
- We've heard it all before... People are talking about you.
- So what. Even my daughter has recognized him.
- But Grisha is against it! - Grisha...
- Grisha is not our master!!! We don't need his permission!
We have such love, that even death doesn't threaten us!
While I'm going to the factory: by tram, then by subway...
then by another tram, – I have thousands of people around...
But I see only him alone!
If he's there or not there, I still see him.
I tried to read (here they all read in subway)
...But it's no use.
- You're lost, Ninka...
- What are you saying? I've just started to live.
I've just understood this word “love”.
- When he get used to you, he will also start beating you.
- What a silly you are.
You just let him, he'd carry me in his hands.
He'd lift me and carry on a square, on a street, anywhere.
- Wow.
Look at him.
Just think...
Wow.
This one is a better one...
Much better...
You can see immediately that he's a serious man.
Better.
Maybe it will work out after all...
- How was your trip? - Good, Grishenka.
- How was your trip?
- Good, Grishenka.
- Did they give a good price? - They did.
- They couldn't wait to buy it.
- What about Ninka? Did you bring her to a reason?
- Did you bring any gifts to your father-in-law, mother-in-law?
- But they are dead, Grishenka.
- Even dead they are waiting for what's theirs.
They were not given enough in their lifetime.
- I brought something for uncle Egor!
So you thought of that handicap... And you're hurting them.
- I'll give them something of my own.
- Well, show. Show off!
- I also had 2 kopecks left. New ones.
- Are you available, comrade?
Tovarisch driver, are you available?
- I'm taken. - Nonsense.
- Let's go! - I'm taken!
- How is it possible?! Is it your car? - Mine.
- Why wouldn't you get in a cabin, Nura?
It took 3 days to destroy the road. Rains!
- Has it also been raining in Moscow? - It has.
- Right. We and Moscow are living under the same roof.
- It's you who bringing us the weather?!
- Were you robbed or something bad happened to your sister-in-law?
- As you wish...
- But hold on! There's nothing left of the road.
- Just the right size!
- Oh, mother, what a beautiful lace!
- Is it for Seryozha, right, mom?
- Seryozha, it's for you!
- It is so warm!
- Oh, you've also brought the black one!
- It's also the right size! Look!
- Look, mom!
Radio:
By the request of the mounters from the Construction Management №104
we broadcast the song "Tenderness".
Music: Alexandra Pakhmutova.
Lyrics: Grebennikov and Dobronravov.
“The Earth is empty without you.
How should I survive even a few hours?
The leaves are falling in the empty parks as always...
And taxis are in a hurry for some places
- What did you get for yourself?
Only I feel empty without you, by myself, on this Earth.
And you just keep flying. And to you...
- What have you bought for yourself, I'm asking!
...The stars are gifting you with...
Their tenderness.
The End.