Original subtitles

TV Channel Russia presents

TV Channel Russia

'Moskino' Production Company

Supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation

Supported by Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation

present

Maria Andreeva as Sophia Paleologue

Evgeny Tsyganov as Ioann III

Nadezhda Markina as the Grand Princess

Pyotr Zaichenko as the Metropolitan

Boris Nevzorov as Grigory Mamonov

Giuliano Di Capua as Ivan Fryazin

Director of Photography Denis Alarcon Ramirez

Art Director Evgeny Kachanov

Costumes by Natalya Saltykova

Make-up by Anastasia Esadze

Edited by Igor Litoninsky

Music by Artem Vasilyev

Produced by Ekaterina Zhukova Maria Ushakova

Directed by Alexei Andrianov

SOPHIA

Episode 4

Russia, split apart and drained by incessant feuds,

is still under the yoke of the Horde.

Many princes have tried to free their land.

But only Grand Prince Ioann III

will finally be able to accomplish this.

Good day, Signor.

Sophia Paleologue, Grand Princess of Moscow.

Greetings, Signora.

My name is Aristotele Fioravanti.

Signor Fioravanti,

everyone in your entourage has private chambers prepared for them.

And a meal as well.

Please, be my guests.

-O, Signora...

Grand Princess...

Allow us to take a liberty...

We would like to inspect the site straight away.

Of course.

Come.

Good day to you. Sister Zoe.

Here everyone calls me “Princess Sophia”.

And you ought to speak Russian to me.

Sophia?

Well, and why, pray tell, did you come here?

I am to talk

to your husband, the Prince of Moscow, on business.

On business? But what made you think that you

might have any business with the Grand Prince?

That is of no concern for you.

This business is strictly between him and me

for we are equals.

Sophia Fominishna, the Italian architects have come to see you.

Let them in

Signora Princess.

We have inspected the site.

Do you find it agreeable?

We do not know yet.

We will need to study the soil.

Then, we can make our calculations.

Very well.

And another thing,

Signora.

This stone,

it cannot be used in construction.

It is too soft.

I have mined one hundred and fifty cartfuls of stone,

the very best stone you will ever find.

And now they tell me that my stone is useless.

Now, now, do not cry, Grigory Ivanovich.

Nothing has been decided yet.

The Romans are just making drawings.

Walking around, looking at the churches...

And our Prince's wife follows them like a servant,

God forgive me.

They are devils.

Devils.

They will put a curse on all our churches.

My Lady, if we were to find, say, a hundred men.

All with clubs,

so they can break their bones and chase them out forever!

Chase whom out?

The Romans, who else!

All this outlandish gang!

I never knew you're so wicked.

What else am I to be, My Lady!

I have emptied my pockets to the last, My Lady!

Grigory Ivanovich.

You are a man of service.

This is your duty - to empty your pockets for the Prince's sake.

No, My Lady!

My duty is to serve.

And emptying pockets, now that is the Prince's duty, My Lady.

Well, well, I do see how you have

emptied your pockets to the last doing your bitter duty!

Every week, you come in wearing new boots.

Yes, you win, My Lady...

Go, for now.

Please forgive an old fool for losing his temper.

You are no fool, and do not pretend to be one.

Greedy, that is what you are.

But you cannot be greedy in the Lord's matters.

Leave, and speak to me of this no more.

I shall simply not listen.

I understand, My Lady.

And why would you need to go to Vladimir?

We need to see everything with our own eyes.

Who is “we”? You? Or your craftsmen?

Please understand I must be with them.

Signor Fioravanti does not quite understand...

the temple - it should not be so oppressive.

It should be filled with more light...

We shall only be able to make our calculations

once we see the Church in Vladimir.

This is not right for the Grand Prince's wife

to go on the journeys alone with her craftsmen.

After all, it's dangerous.

And what am I supposed to do?

Languishing here in my chambers?

Let Khromyi travel with them.

And you stay by your husband's side.

Khromyi does not care what the temple will look like.

And I do care!

I have spoken my will.

And you do as you think best.

I understand, Grand Prince.

They have been lying here long.

Nothing but the bones is left for now.

-Hold your horse.

My Lady!

You should not look at this.

Come, My Lady, come.

Oh dear God...

It's the Legate...

Burn in hell, you piece of scum!

Burn in hell!

You will never get my daughter!

Burn in hell!

Burn in hell!

You will never get my daughter!

What is this?

Apple cider vinegar.

And this?

Rose oil.

Eucalyptus oil.

Pumpkin seed oil.

Sweet briar infusion.

Nut shell infusion...

-And what do we have here?

A boy.

I do not know yet...

I do.

It's a boy.

Signora, I do not believe my own eyes.

You have honored a modest coin master

with your illustrious presence.

Do you mock everyone, or just me?

Just myself, Signora.

Wait. I came to beg for help.

Gian-Battista della Volpe is at your service.

This must stay between the two of us.

Naturally!

Please, I implore you.

Send this to Rome

as if it were your own letter.

I hope this is not a wife's letter to her husband.

I have no husband.

I appreciate your trust,

But bear in mind that this will take time.

It does not matter.

I shall wait.

Just promise me

that my message will reach the person it is destined for.

It will.

It will reach that very person.

-Thank you.

Upon my honor, I swear to you it will!

Thank you.

My darling Daughter,

I guess by now you have already learned to read...

Oh my God! Why are you frightening me like this?!

Ioann Ioannovich,

do you read any books?

I do.

What do you know of Stefan the Great?

I know that he is the prince of the Moldavian people.

And that his realm is flourishing.

Would you be willing to marry his daughter?

Heh...

Is it not too early?

You might marry him off,

and then instead of a boon for your throne,

there will be nothing but harm and disorder.

There will be disorder

if I am disobeyed

in my own house.

I don't know.

Perhaps he should get married after all?

Who is to say,

maybe I will live long enough to see my great-grandchildren.

There is no need to hurry.

But no need to dally, either.

This is what your Father used to say.

Well, you are a groom now.

Princess Sophia is busy with the Italian masters by the moment;

she has asked that you wait for her in the chambers.

What?

Where is Sophia?

She asked that you wait.

(speaks broken Russian) Chee asked sat yoo wah-eet.

Here, we will have metal framing for the arched vaults.

This will allow us to expand the space below the dome.

Very beautiful, Signor Fioravanti...

Very beautiful.

And these support pillars

will become thinner.

We will build them out of burnt brick.

No-one here knows how to make burnt brick.

I am already aware of this, Princess.

We shall make the bricks ourselves.

No.

You will need to teach the local masters.

Oh, Signora...

Doing something oneself and teaching others

are two completely different matters.

Signor Fioravanti.

You are to do both.

Do you understand me?

Yes, Princess.

Are you Italian?

Yes. I was born and raised in Rome.

Me likewise.

My name is Sergio, Signora.

I am apprenticed to the Master.

Laura!

One must speak Russian in the Princess's presence.

I shall speak Russian, for your sake.

This does not in the least resemble Hagia Sophia.

Do you remember what Hagia Sophia looks like?

I remember even the wart on the neck of our Uncle Constantine,

the last Emperor.

As I recall, I had no fondness for his palace,

but I was always mesmerized by the glimmering gold.

The glimmer of gold can make you just crazy.

Yes, it can.

And it suits me.

When will your husband buy our crown from me?

Never. If you offer him the crown,

you shall be a disgrace in the face of all our ancestors.

Do you fear being a disgrace?

Yes, it is very bad that you do not.

I do not fear anything.

I have the blessing of the Pope himself.

I came here to do his bidding.

It is my duty

to make certain that the walls of this beautiful cathedral

resound with Catholic Masses.

-This shall never happen.

If this does not happen,

the Pope shall seek revenge.

The Pope cannot seek revenge. He is the Voice of God.

He is the voice of the devil, and your fate is in his hands.

Then, I do not quite understand.

You will understand later.

They say, Prince,

that your stone church has cracked and fell.

Your God is displeased.

And is yours pleased all the time?

My God is displeased also.

So does the Great Khan.

And I am

displeased as well.

This “paizza” credential tag

extends the Great Khan's boon granted to you for 10 more years.

I am immensely honored.

And what does the Khan want in return?

This credential tag shall be yours

if you give us what is due.

And what would that be?

For each year

you haven't visited us,

you owe

15 thousand silver rubles.

And what if I do not collect the money?

Oh you will collect it, Prince.

Or the Great Khan will come for you.

Your city will burn.

Your warriors will die.

Your women will scream and weep...

-And what about yours?

Your women - will they laugh?

My women sit silent

when men talk.

Well then, how shall we agree, Ioann?

Or am I to discuss this matter with your wife?

Cease this!

Go home!

And tell your Ahmed Khan that if he comes here,

the same will happen to him.

He had killed my brother.

He owes me!

What have you done?

You have brought trouble on all of us!

What have you done, Ioann Vasilievich?

My Father had wanted to fight the Tatars

throughout all his life.

He told me about this.

You let the gnats bite you till it is time to swat -

now we shall be swatting the Tatars.

Maybe you should not have done this,

Ioann Vasilievich?

Hm?

Killed the Tatars...

Enough.

Now listen.

Not to me, to them...

Come on!

Ioann Vasilievich... I beg you...

Whilst it is still not too late to make this right...

I have 50 people in my household...

And if the Tatars come, they shall burn them all...

They shall not leave a single hovel standing...

Please, My Prince!!

Let us pay them off...

Not a single soul shall know.

-We will deal with them ourselves, Ioann Vasilievich,

and you can stay aside...

You could leave Moscow, Sire...

And then come back... after a while...

Come back as who?

The Grand Prince of Moscow, or Judas?

For your sake, I shall forget all that has been said here.

If I am to hear another word about it,

I shall put you to death.

The Lithuanian Principality. Casimir's Castle.

Tuck in, my boys, do tuck in.

I bet your journey made you weary.

I was a friend of your Father,

so you are like kin to me.

Although God was merciful enough to grant me the children of my own.

Allow me to speak, Grand Duke.

Hold a moment, Boris Vasilievich.

I have five thousand warriors.

He has three and a half.

That is far from sufficient.

We require your aid.

If Ioann is not stopped now,

he may someday come to your land as well.

And which of you will become the Grand Prince?

I will.

You had better tell me

what would I gain in exchange for my aid?

Novgorod.

Why do you keep offering me that Novgorod of yours?

It shall be mine soon enough regardless.

Go now and rest, Russian Princes.

And tomorrow we shall go to meet my daughters.

Serai. The Great Horde.

Do not touch the pieces

Until you have made up your mind.

Do not let the enemy know of your intentions.

Great Khan.

The Prince Ioann of Moscow

has refused to pay his due.

And rejected the Khan's paiza.

And where did you leave your hand, Timur?

In Moscow, Great Khan.

You have dared to insult me.

To humiliate me before my son.

Why did you not die with your men?

Get up.

You were loyal to my Father.

How would you like me to repay for that?

Grant me your boon, My Lord.

Kill me.

I shall grant you this great boon.

You will die.

But you will die as a warrior, in the battle field.

We are marching on Moscow.

I shall deprive the Muscovites of everything they have.

And burn down their city.

As the Great Khan Tokhtamysh once did.

Call for the steppe warriors!

So here we all are in Moscow.

The Horde.

Casimir, the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.

And the Crimean Khanate.

You had better shown us

where Andrei Bolshoi and Prince Boris are.

Either here or there with Casimir, I bet.

Ioann Vasilievich,

do you think they will rise against you?

Would you?

And what about the Khan?

Nur Devlet has gone to see the Khan.

He has negotiated with him.

The Crimean Khan will stand with us.

-No-one will stand with us.

All are against us.

And your brothers as well, Ioann Vasilievich.

What are you saying this for, Grigory Ivanovich?

Let His Grace read out something,

out of John the Apostle...

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth...

Many people will be killed.

That is what I meant.

For when Tokhtamysh came to Moscow, he spared no-one.

No-one!

But that was a hundred years ago!

Everything repeats itself,

Fyodor Davydych.

Everything repeats itself.

Well then, Your Grace.

Will you be reading me about locusts too?

I won't.

I shall read you out of John Chrysostom.

It is said,

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is liberty”.

If you, Grand Prince,

take away all that we own and give it away to the Tatars

bowing at their feet - where will your freedom be then?

Where will our freedom be?

That is all, I shall read no more.

If you march against the Horde,

I shall bless you.

And absolve you of all your sins.

Each of you.

We have just learned that the ambassadors of Great Khan Ahmed,

my friend and ally, have been murdered in Moscow.

Who have murdered them?

It's the Grand Prince.

Ahmed-Khan will soon move out against Moscow.

I shall join him.

And you will come with us.

With you?

With you and Ahmed?

You did want to invade Moscovia, did you not?

To punish your brother?

Grand Duke...

We cannot invade our land together with the Tatar infidels.

Our people will curse us...

You asked me for aid, and I am giving you aid.

In exchange, you are to provide me

with your eight thousand blades to attack Ioann from the back.

For how long have you been languishing

in your own brother's cellar?

Give us time to think, Grand Duke.

Very well, think it over.

But not too long.

Still no messenger from Nur-Devlet?

No, Your Majesty.

That's too bad.

So what's now, Fyodor Davydych?

The Horde is circling around the edges.

Along the border with Lithuania.

Casimir is helping them.

He has given them the guides.

Somewhere around here, near Vorotynsk,

they will cross the Ugra River.

-We shall have to meet them there.

It is a direct journey from Ugra to Moscow.

-There is no time left.

They are moving fast.

We can move fast as well.

We can intercept them with a regiment.

And with all our cannons.

They can only be hindered with a great fire.

How long will it take to drag the cannons to Ugra?

We will pull through in time, Sire.

Ahmed Khan will not dare attack alone.

He will wait for Casimir.

And we shall make use of that delay.

Good.

Let you be the one to command the intercepting army,

Danila Dmitrich.

And you will come with Kholmsky.

I will!

Many thanks, Grand Prince!

Hold Ahmed Khan off until I arrive with the others.

And you, write down my Decree.

“All those who have been exiled to Perm and the outlands,

are to be returned and conscripted”.

When we win, I shall grant them all amnesty.

Hey, Godynya,

you've got a messenger from Moscow.

From Moscow, you say?

Tell him I will be right over.

Load it with care.

That's it.

First, I will send the cannon founders with my druzhina.

They will make a line of defense along the Ugra bank.

If we arrive there before the Horde,

we might have a fight yet.

I was too hasty, Danila Dmitrich.

Too hasty.

Will there be war again?

We have been at war for three hundred years.

If we do not pay the Horde, it comes and slaughters us.

Three hundred years?

My Empire survived a thousand years... Nothing lasts forever.

I have fought them before.

I have seen their horse herds drinking the rivers dry.

The fear of the Horde lives in each of us.

You do not have fear.

I do not have any allies.

You will find them.

-Oh!

-What?

-He has moved...

-He is glad to meet you.

Salve, Princess.

We would like to present you with this box

to celebrate the birth of the son of Grande Prince di Mosca.

Thank you, Signors.

And we would also like to ask your husband

to let us go to Roma.

We want to leave Moscow.

Afraid of the war, are you?

We are no cowards, Signora.

But we are no fools.

The nomad army will be here soon.

They will rob and burn the city.

My husband has a big army.

You saw the cannons yourselves.

O Signora,

These cannons are not the best ones!

Your enemy

is Khan of Golden Horde, he hires the best engineers.

From China, Persia.

Do you think wars are won by engineers?

Yes, Signora.

You are mistaken, Signor Fioravanti.

Wars are not won by separate people.

Wars are won by nations.

If I cease the temple construction now,

what am I to tell my subjects?

Am I to tell them that building the temple is pointless

because it will get burned down anyway?

Where will you go to?

To Florence?

To build palaces for the wealthy murderers?

Signor Fioravanti.

You are here because...

because this is what God wants.

Here, you are needed more, Signor.

Here, you are not merely an engineer.

You are the beacon of light.

Just think of it for a while...

I did it, Signora.

If Fioravanti is needed -

Fioravanti stays.

I am very,

very grateful to you.

I bless ye, defenders of Faith

and the people, in the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Farewell, Your Grace!

Farewell, Ioann Vasilievich!

Go - and please come back, all of you!

God is with us!!

God is with us!!

God is with us!!

God is with us!!

God is with us!!

God is with us!!

You need to eat, My Lady.

Do not scorn food.

The body needs to be strong as well.

What is the use of a strong body

if the Tatars will soon be here

and burn all of Moscow down.

Your Son will not allow this.

Do you even know what happened here in the days of old?

All the men were killed.

All the children were taken away.

None remained but the old and the women.

And almost all of them starved to death.

Moscow burned to the ground,

right down to the houses' cellars.

For two years

the clouds were filled with ash!

And it shall be so once more.

That is all your blessing's fault.

My Son has doomed himself,

and all of us, to certain death!

And you've blessed it!

That was his choice.

And to bless him was my choice.

And you, My Lady,

do not allow yourself to be afraid.

What happened once will not happen again.

A new age is upon us.

What gives you such faith in a new age?

Why are you so certain that Ioann will have enough strength

to vanquish the Tatars?

I have faith in but one thing, My Lady -

that the Grand Prince shall be Russia's very first free ruler.

And I shall not renounce my faith.

Forgive me, My Lady.

-I shall go to see my Son. -Go.

-Your Grace.

-My Lady...

-He has arrived from Uglich...

With a message for the Grand Prince.

-What is it? Speak!

-Grand Princess, please forgive me for the ill tidings...

The Princes Andrei Vasilievich... and Boris Vasilievich...

they have ordered their druzhinas to go to Lithuania.

To march against Ioann Vasilievich.

Tell them to feed the runner and send him back.

-As you wish, My Lady.

See now, Your Grace.

You are wrong.

There is no new age.

As brother used to wage war against brother, so he does now.

Go downstairs.

Summon an escort for me.

Some five bodyguards.

No fools if you please.

I am going to Ugra, to make peace between my sons.

-Please don't, My Lady.

You cannot go; such trip is beyond your strength.

Upon Princess Sophia's orders. Sturgeon pie.

-Allow me to help you, Signora.

-Thank you.

Thank you.

Please, I beg you.

Signora,

would you tell me who takes care of you in this foreign land?

No-one does.

Thank you.

I could have taken care of you, Signora.

My thanks. Perhaps you will have a chance to do so.

I would be happy to.

Wait, My Lady, what are you doing?

How can you go to Ugra?

Nazary the Healer

has ordered that you rest and drink some herbs...

Give me that healer's poison.

I do not have time to rest.

I need to make my sons stop fighting.

Grand Princess.

Sophia Fominishna.

Go, go.

Let her in.

Good health to you, Mother Princess.

What is this?

Where are you off to?

I shall go to where you're intending to travel.

I shall meet with the Princes Andrei and Boris.

They will not even wish to speak to you.

Oh, they will!

If I bring them a letter from you.

Would you please write the letter? And I'll deliver it.

You are my family.

Let us bring peace to them together.

I shall leave my child in your care.

My child is your grandchild.

Won't that be a burden for you?

No, it won't.

Hand me some paper!

-How should I announce you?

-Are you blind or what?

Don't you recognize the Grand Princess?!

Once the Princes make peace,

they will cleave your head right off!

Oh, they won't make peace.

Grand Princess of Moscow

Sophia Fominishna Paleologue.

Go.

My Mother is the Grand Princess.

And she is no-one grand yet.

Are you so concerned about grandeur?

No.

I'm concerned about justice.

Why did you come here?

The Princess wanted to come herself.

But she could not.

Is she unwell?

Yes!

She is troubled by the quarrel between her sons.

This will change nothing.

Your husband

has broken the laws of succession.

He has insulted his brothers.

And he shall be deposed.

Andrei, Boris, listen to me.

Your brother wants peace.

You are no enemies of his.

But if you ally yourselves with the Golden Horde,

you shall go against your own brother.

You should go back and talk to the Grand Prince.

You are Roman.

And some say that you are also a witch.

What?

Why should we believe you?

If you don't believe me,

then lock me up right here.

Keep me under guard

and do not let me go until you talk to Ioann.

-That is not possible, My Lady.

-Yes it is!

The Grand Prince

regrets that

there is a rift among the brothers.

He made a mistake,

but he will acknowledge that.

And if he won't?

Then you will kill me.

We do not kill women.

But you are going to.

You want to bring the enemy into your native land.

Do you not understand

that if you do so, women and children will die?

Please, I beg you, stop it.

-Moscow will have a new prince.

This is all you need to tell him.

Please, write a reply to your Mother.

-We will.

No, we won't!

There will be no reply.

And I do not need you either -

I do not parlay with the wives of my enemies.

Leave.

-Princess!

Do not bear a grudge against Andrei Vasilievich.

He is not an evil man.

-I know.

I do not want to march with the Horde.

Tell that to your husband. Will you?

I will.

We have found a way to cross the river, My Liege.

Have my scouts returned?

No, My Liege.

If we wait, we might lose time.

Great Khan.

It's risky to march without scouting first.

It is you to make the decision.

All is ready, Danila Dmitrich.

Are the archers ready?

Yes. Your druzhina is waiting for you.

Will they handle it?

We shall see.

Command us, Young Prince.

Light it up

Fire! Fire!

Back! Back!