New Putin Documentary is a Hit: Film Reveals New Details From Putin’s Personal Life Unknown to Public
Almost 10,000,000 people have already seen the 2-hour movie "Putin" by my colleague, Andrey Kondrashov. That's just in 1.5 days. Every minute, the number of views online increases by 20,000. The movie is posted on our Vesti News of the Week host, Dmitry Kiselyov's page on vk.com and ok.ru. On ok.ru, the documental movie, based on the President's interviews, has over 4,000,000 views. On vk.com, there have been over 3,200,000 views, and almost 3,000,000 views on other social networks. The movie tells about previously unknown facts about the Russian leader and his biography. It's no surprise that this sensational footage has peaked interests far beyond Russia.
In Germany, after watching the movie, they asked Chancellor Merkel, if she was really bringing beer to Vladimir Putin. Here's the footage that raised this question, along with Angela Merkel's comments.
Vladimir Putin: Sometimes, Angela sends me a few bottles of Radeberger beer.
- Angela Merkel?
Vladimir Putin: Yes.
Angela Merkel, Germany's Federal Chancellor: "We all know that the Russian President loves German beer. From time to time, we have the chance to complete the barter. Once, he gave me great smoked fish."
Our correspondent Denis Davydov reports on the grand online premiere.
A portrait movie, a revelation, it's like nothing they've filed about Putin before.
Vladimir Putin: What I'm about to say, is a brand-new information, I haven't talked about it yet.
10 months of shooting, 7 interviews with the protagonist. VGTRK journalist Andrey Kondrashov and Vladimir Putin didn't just talk in the Kremlin. They've been to Valamo together.
- So, you're happy?
Vladimir Putin: I can't answer that on the spot, happiness…
They've been to St. Petersburg, the President's hometown, and to Crimea, which has been reunited with Russia, thanks to Putin.
- Is there any way you'd be willing to give away Crimea and Sevastopol?
Vladimir Putin: What are you, nuts? There is no way, nor will there ever be.
The walk in the Sochi Olympic Park was confusing. Turns out, Putin was very nervous just before the winter games opening ceremony. But, he had to smile and keep his nerves at bay at the crowded stadium.
Vladimir Putin: My aide-de-camp passed me the phone, and said that the plane from Ukraine to Istanbul had been hijacked. The hijackers demanded the plane to be landed in Sochi. I asked him what he was suggesting. The answer was predictable: "According to the plan of action in such situations."
- Meaning?
Vladimir Putin: Shoot it down.
The audience was clueless on the tribunes, and the destroyers were on their way to intercept. The hijackers could've re-routed the plane with 110 passengers to the Olympic Park, which would've led to thousands of victims.
Vladimir Putin: Then the second call came through. It was a drunk prank, the plane was about to land in Turkey. This is a very sensitive page in the Olympics' book.
For the first time, Putin went through some of his personal book's pages in front of the cameras. The protagonists shared treasured memories, like his first time in the sports club, as a little boy.
Vladimir Putin: Boxing was the first one.
- Then what?
Vladimir Putin: They broke my nose there, and, while it was healing, I'd switched to wrestling. I went into wrestling, self-defense, then judo. I started changing, my grades went up.”
Vera Dmitrievna Gurevich, Putin's homeroom teacher, she was very young when she took on his class.
Vera Dmitrievna Gurevich: The were humming, when they met me. It was endless. Then Volodya got up and said, "Stop humming, you're not cattle, after all". So, they stopped.
Thanks to the movie, the audience aren't the only ones discovering the new Putin. It was a news for him, to hear the name of the man who'd saved his father at the Nevsky Pyatachok. He carried his injured father over a river, while being shot at.
Vladimir Putin: He brought him to a hospital, and said, "Now, you'll live, and I'm going to go die.
He survived, returning from the war, like the President's father. The journalist had gone through tons of documents, but they found the savior's name and the picture.
- Petr Ivanovich Teselkin, who carried Vladimir Spiridonovich's body over ice…
Vladimir Putin: My Dad mentioned him, I remember now that you've said it.
Turns out, Vladimir Vladimirovich isn't the first from his family to work in top-government echelons. In the first half of the XX century, his grandfather knew a lot about the political kitchen.
Vladimir Putin: He worked as a chef for Lenin, then for Stalin, in one of Moscow's suburban cottages, in Horki.
His first test as the President was the tragedy with the Kursk submarine. Soon after entering the Office, Putin promised to the relatives he'd pull out the submarine. Igor Spassky, the general engineer, needed 3 years for the operation. The Commander-in-Chief had ordered him to manage in a year.
Igor Spassky: He lifted up his finger.
- But, you did it?
- Did we have another choice?
It was impossible for Putin not to visit Chechnya, where Pskov paratroopers had died. During the war, he visited Ichkeria several times, often putting his life at risk. On New Year's eve, the President's plane was shelled out on their way to Gudermes.
Vladimir Putin: I thought those were fireworks, since it was the New Year's. The pilots told me, "It's not fireworks, we're under fire.
The Syrian operation has its own spot in the movie. The award orders had Putin's visa, "Approved. Will honor personally".
Vladimir Putin: Of course, I wanted to shake their hands and thank them, they're heroes. If they're not heroes, then who is?
There are over 5 hours of recorded conversations with the President himself. His friends have spoken out, too. Gerhard Schroeder had cut his vacation short for the movie, Silvio Berlusconi had agreed to an interview with foreign journalists for the first time in years.
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's former PM: I consider President Putin my great friend. If you allow me to exaggerate like this, I even think of myself as his older brother.
- Has he ever invited you to join a game?
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's former PM: He plays hockey, I don't.
The movie shows how Putin learned how to skate, while being President. He just really wanted to start playing hockey.
Within the first 24 hours, the online views have reached millions. And, this is just the first episode, the second one is yet to come.
Denis Davydov, Natalya Ivanova, and Anna Medvedeva, Vesti.