The film was shot in Crimea, Moscow, and Uzbekistan. A total of 18 locations were used. The director and his team chose Crimea for the main filming because the peninsula has such diverse terrain and nature that it can easily be turned into the lands of Afghanistan on screen. The Balaklava quarry, Stary Krym, the Saki airfield, and the cave city of Eski-Kermen became the locations of the film crew. On Mount Agarmysh, even Afghan structures built by the film team remain.

Filming Locations:

"Burrows" in the Rock

In the Movie

The scene where after the shelling of the convoy, a group of soldiers led by Khokhol climb to a height. Suddenly, the heroes are attacked by enemy forces, and then just as suddenly disappear into the crevices between the rocks. One of the heroes throws a grenade into these holes. Then the team jumps down, pursuing the enemy.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the cave city of Eski-Kermen, in Crimea. The former underground grain storages of this medieval city turned into "burrows" in the Hindu Kush mountains on screen. Such burrows were actually used by enemy forces in the Afghan war.

Training Camp

In the Movie

The scene where the soldiers undergo three months of military training at a training center. Warrant Officer Dygalo does not mince words and trains the soldiers harshly. Together they overcome barriers and artificial ditches. While crossing the obstacle course, Chugun falls from a log into a pit, and the soldiers, on the warrant officer's orders, return to pull him out.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on the territory of a military unit in the village of Perevalnoye, Simferopol district. To match the film's plot, the blue-and-yellow buildings of the military base were repainted. For this purpose, the film crew visited all the stores in Simferopol and purchased one ton of acrylic paint. Part of this paint was used to repaint military vehicles.

Kishlak

In the Movie

The scene where the heroes go to an Afghan village for reconnaissance. They walk through deserted streets in a tight formation. Khokhol sends soldiers in pairs to check each alley. When Lyuty and Stas split up, the latter encounters a boy. He lowers his weapon and walks past, at which point the boy shoots Stas in the back with a machine gun. Taking their wounded comrade, they leave the village. The settlement is bombed.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on the territory of the Stary Krym quarry, which is located near the village of Izyumovka in Crimea. The film crew spent 4 months building a classic eastern kishlak from clay. An area of 2 hectares was used. For the explosion scene, 9 tons of explosives and 7 kilometers of wires were used.