Heroes of Shipka

The 1870s. The Balkan Peninsula is under the heel of the Ottoman Empire. After the bloody suppression of the Bulgarian April Uprising, a wave of outrage spreads among Russian intellectuals, including the writer Garshin and the surgeon Pirogov. To ease the growing tensions within the Russian Empire, the tsarists government declares war on the Ottoman Empire in 1877. The war involves the interests of several nations: England seeks control over the straits, while Germany and Austria anticipate the weakening of their rival, Russia.

The Russian army crosses the Danube and advances deep into Bulgarian territory. The film depicts the key events of the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War on a grand scale: the Battle of Svishtov, the defense of Shipka, the third assault on Pleven, and the Battle of Sheynovo. Numerous historical figures are portrayed-military leaders, diplomats, and public figures. Special attention is given to the joint struggle of Russian and Bulgarian soldiers.

The film has the hallmarks of a historical epic. One of the actors, Georgiy Yumatov, mentioned in an interview that the movie was shot in Bulgaria, in locations where the actual historical events took place. Several thousand soldiers from Soviet and Bulgarian forces participated in the battle scenes.

Two Bulgarian women are dragged for hundreds of feet behind a galloping horse. When they are cut loose by a Russian they have no visible bruising and their clothes are not even dirty.