A three-part film shot at the Odessa Film Studio by director Vadim Lysenko tells the story of how yesterday's schoolboy Vasily Romashkin becomes the commander of a reconnaissance platoon. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Vladimir Karpov. Interestingly, the scenes of the storming of Königsberg for the film were shot in two cities at once — Kaliningrad and Daugavpils. In the finale of the film, you can see footage of military newsreels, in which the Kaliningrad towers of Don and Wrangel are easily recognizable. And the role of the German fort in the film was played by the Dvinsk (Daugavpils) Fortress, located in Latvia.

Filming Locations:

Königsberg

In the Film

Scene where Soviet soldiers prepare for the assault on Königsberg. They are focused, concentrated, and carefully planning this operation. They have managed to find out that the earthen dam abuts an ancient gate, but its masonry is brick and can be blown up.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the Dvinsk Fortress, located in the Latvian city of Daugavpils, which was founded in 1810 by decree of Emperor Alexander I. Its construction was planned to protect St. Petersburg from a possible attack by Napoleon's army. However, the fortress did not participate in the hostilities of 1812, as it was not yet completed at that time. The official opening took place only in May 1833 in the personal presence of Emperor Nicholas I. By the time of filming in 1982, the Daugavpils Higher Military Aviation Engineering School named after Jan Fabricius was located on the territory of the fortress, training officers for the USSR Air Force.

German Fortress

In the Film

Scene where a majestic and formidable picture opens before us — the massive walls of a German fortress rise above the ground. Solid stonework, dark embrasures, traces of battles on the walls — all this creates a feeling of impregnability and hostility.

In Reality

The scene was filmed this time at the twin towers in Kaliningrad — Don and Wrangel. These massive structures were once part of the fortification system of Königsberg, and in the film 'Take Alive' they organically fit into the historical setting. In addition to archival footage, the film also includes shots from 1982 demonstrating the impressive architecture of the fortresses.

Square near the Church

In the Film

Scene where two Soviet officers, after the end of hostilities, walk past the cathedral and sit down at desks located outside the building. One of them tells how much he has learned during this time, how his comrades helped him. The second replies: 'It would have been better if this school had never existed.' We absolutely agree.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Martin Luther in Daugavpils. It was built in 1892–1893 according to the design of architect Wilhelm Neumann. The building is located on the so-called Church Hill, where churches of four Christian denominations are located: Lutheran, Orthodox, Old Believer, and Catholic. In 1941, during the battles for the city, the building was seriously damaged, but later it was partially restored.