Yesterday in St. Petersburg there was a presentation of a documentary film about Russian submariners "Russian 'Shark'". Tomorrow, on Navy Day, it will be shown on ORT. The creators modestly call the forty-minute film a “documentary blockbuster”: the story about the world’s largest submarine, “Shark,” has already attracted the interest of many foreign TV channels, and ORT just sunk its teeth into it. Everyone here, of course, has their own reasons. Foreigners are obviously expecting a surge in love for the underwater theme after the likely success of Hollywood's K-19. ORT’s motives are even clearer: the film, designed, as producer Vitaly Fedko put it, “to displace all the negativity about the Kursk nuclear submarine,” simply could not help but be in demand. It is characteristic that yesterday the authorities announced the closure of the criminal case into the death of the Kursk for lack of evidence of a crime.
The lost nuclear submarine is mentioned twice in the film. First, it is reported that not a single one of the Russian sailors submitted a resignation letter after that tragedy. The commander of the Akula speaks about the Kursk for the second time when he is giving instructions: if you don’t stay on guard, it will turn out like with the Kursk. But the overall pathos of the film is of a completely different kind. “We wanted to show that the country still has something to be proud of,” the authors say.
The film has everything you expect. Heroic music, a giant boat floats out of the dock, the team forms up to the anthem, drills are carried out. A commander with an open, courageous face. “Here is the first mate - he dreams of becoming a commander. And this is our new sailor - sailor Khabibullin...” The story is told from the first person in the charming style of “Brother-2”. Here are the guys, here is the boat, and here we are eating, and they are also allowed to watch videos. A great power must have powerful fists. “And the country will break through, definitely, it’s not a question at all...” Sometimes, however, the narrator switches to very high rhetoric: “You can’t help but love the ‘Shark’ - you saw it in the sea! You can’t help but admire...” Voice-over text interrupted by short interviews. Officer: “We have friendly, trusting relationships in our team.” The officer's wife: “I love him so much! He comes in a cap and a tunic - so handsome...” The sailors compete to see who can put on a wetsuit the fastest. The prize is a cake. The shooting will be successful, NATO intelligence officers will be left with nothing. In the finale, the commander will come home, smile shyly at the camera and say: “This is how we work.”
Mr. Fedko admitted to Kommersant that he does not consider his film propaganda. And in general he is a former Buddhist. But it is important that everyone in the world knows: Russia, if anything happens, will have weighty arguments. As for the Kursk, the producer noted, one must understand that boats sink, that’s why they are boats.
STANISLAV ZELVENSKY

Newspaper "Kommersant St. Petersburg" No. 131 dated July 27, 2002, p. 4

"Akula" came for "Kursk"