Vladimir Kopalin

A two-part East German documentary tracing Russia’s transformation from the Tsarist Empire to the Soviet Union, from the 1917 October Revolution to the achievements of the space program. Directed by Andrew Thorndike and Annelie Thorndike, the film assembles extensive archival footage to chart political upheaval, ideological consolidation, and technological ambition in twentieth-century Russia. Produced by DEFA and first broadcast on East German television in 1963.

Follows the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1975

Arctic landscape. Polar station. Winterers at their instruments, by the map. Preparing dog sleds for the journey. Winterers and dogs making their way through the snow. Bear cub tracks in the snow. Amidst a blizzard, two bear cubs traverse the snowy plain. Winterers collect the cubs, bring them to the station. Cubs get to know the station, play and wrestle. Constructing a play area, digging a den for the cubs. Sending the cubs by plane to Moscow. Zoo. Cubs are washed, examined by a veterinarian. Cubs on the young animals' platform, bathing, playing with a dog.