A group of Soviet mechanics slog through a muddy forest on a mission that would eventually help change the course of World War II: reaching dictator Joseph Stalin
Epic journey that changed history
Based on the epic tale of Mikhail Koshkin, who in the spring of 1940 drove his prototype tank more than 2,000 km across USSR to pitch the design to Stalin, this is the scenario for a new film To See Stalin being shot outside Moscow with state funding, AFP reported
The journey would eventually cost Koshkin his life, as he died from pneumonia contracted along the route, but his legendary T-34 tank went into mass production and eventually helped Moscow push back Nazi forces after their invasion of the USSR in 1941 during World War II
Whitewashing Stalin’s crimes
The film has raised eyebrows over what is expected to be a positive portrayal of Stalin, the news agency added. Under President Putin, Russia has sought to downplay the horrors of Stalin’s rule during which millions were executed or sent to labour camps. Russia has even classified a textbook dealing with Stalin’s repression as “dangerous to the health of children”
Myth as history in Russia
Director Kim Druzhinin earlier shot a WWII movie called Panfilov’s 28 about the resistance of a group of Soviet soldiers who sacrificed their lives destroying 18 German tanks. But there was a catch; it was invented by a Soviet journalist