| Mission in Kabul (Missiya v Kabule)
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Original Poster
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| Country
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 USSR
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| Directed by
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Leonid Kvinikhidze
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| Release Date
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1971
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| Language
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Russian
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| Studio
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Lenfilm
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Mission in Kabul (Missiya v Kabule) is a 1971 (filmed 1970) Soviet two-part adventure movie directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze. In 1919, a Soviet diplomatic mission is sent to Kabul. Friendly relations between Afghanistan and the Soviet Republic become a threat to the British interests. The Britains try to provoke the rupture of relations by using Russian White emigres to make an attempt on the Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan.
The following weapons were used in the film Mission in Kabul (Missiya v Kabule):
Revolvers
Nagant M1895
A Nagant M1895 is seen in hands of a pilot of a Soviet plane, transporting the diplomatic pouches and downed by Basmachi Muslim fighters. The revolver is of correct pre-1930 version.
Russian Nagant 1895, produced 1920s - 7.62x38R Nagant. The rounded front sight is a sign of revolvers produced from 1890s until 1930ю
The pilot holds his Nagant behind the chassis of the plane.
The barrel of the revolver is seen. Note the pre-1930 front sight.
Webley .455 Mk VI
Major Steveni's unnamed agent fires a Webley .455 Mk VI revolver. This must be the same prop that is seen in numerous Lenfilm productions, best known to the audience as Sherlock Holmes' revolver.
Webley Mk. VI - .455 Webley.
Steveni's agent fires at Gerhard Epp.
Pistols
Luger P08
Soviet diplomatic courier Ivan Kolokoltsev (Gennadiy Nilov), the passenger on the downed plane, is armed with a Luger P08.
Kolokoltsev readies his pistol.
He fires at
Basmachi, eyes closed.
Mauser C96
The military adviser of the Soviet diplomatic mission Aleksey Repin (Vladimir Zamanskiy) carries a Mauser C96. Several sailors, guarding the Soviet diplomatic mission in Kabul, also carry Mauser C96 pistols. The pistols are seen only in holsters, and the grips look somewhat unnatural so these guns may be mere mockups.
Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser
Repin, at the foreground, carries a Mauser C96 in holster.
A sailor carries a Mauser C96 in holster. Note that the grip seems to be a wooden piece, allowing to guess that the pistol together with its holster are wooden mockups.
Percussion Dueling Pistol
A pair of Percussion Dueling Pistols is used in the duel of Russian emigres Gedeonov (Gleb Strizhenov) and Roman Luzhin (Oleg Strizhenov) (it's worth noting that actors Gleb and Oleg Strizhenov are brothers). These pistols are seen in numerous Lenfilm productions.
Percussion Cap Ardesa 1871 Dueling Pistol - .45 inch
Luzhin and Gedeonov takes pistols from Gedeonov's dueling pair.
Gedeonov holds his pistol.
Gedeonov fires. Note the moving hammer.
Flintlock Pistols
Two Flintlock Pistols are used as decorations on the wall of Gedeonov's apartments. One of them is a "Knee Pistol" that also can be seen in several Lenfilm productions.
Turkish Flintlock Pistol.
Flintlock Knee Pistol, 17th century, Tunisia - 45mm (1.77 inch)
Two antique pistols are seen on the wall together with sabers and daggers. The pistol at the bottom has a small buttstock and is a "Knee Pistol".
Rifles
Mosin Nagant M1891/30
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles, stand-in for original M1891 Dragoon, are used by the sailors on guard of the Soviet diplomatic mission and by Basmachi.
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R
Sailors carry M91/30 rifles.
Basmachi with Mosin Nagant rifles.
Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry
Imperial Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry - 7.62x54mm R
Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry rifles are seen in hands of Red Army men on a photo that depicts the Soviet ambassador Pyotr Petrovich Sorokin (
Oleg Zhakov) when he was a commander of Red Army regiment. The photo is very likely a photomontage of actor's face on original photo of Russian Civil War era.
Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbine
The soldiers of the royal guard of the Emir of Afghanistan are armed with anachronistic Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbines. An M44 Carbine is also seen in hands of a British soldier in a battle during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine, with attached side-folding bayonet - 7.62x54mm R
An M44 Carbine with folded bayonet is seen in hands of a British soldier.
Royal guards perform drill commands with M44 Carbines.
Royal guards stand in formation with M44 Carbines.
A royal guard carries an M44 Carbine on sling during the ceremonial raising of the flag.
The royal guards stand in formation during the diplomatic reception.
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III
British and Afghan soldiers are armed with Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III rifles during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III* - .303 British
General Nadir Khan's bodyguard carries an SMLE rifle on sling at the background.
British and Afghan soldiers with No. 1 Mk III rifles in close combat.
Royal guards at the Emir's tent during the hunt carry short rifles that resemble No. 1 Mk III but look somewhat unnatural and may be mockups.
Note that the nose caps look too simplified in comparison with original rifles.
Lee-Enfield Mk.I
Several Afghans from a caravan carry Lee-Enfield Mk.I rifles.
Lee-Enfield Mk I* CLLE (Charger Loading Lee Enfield) - .303 British
An Afghan sits near wounded Soviet diplomatic courier Skazkin (
Oleg Vidov). His rifle looks similar to pre-SMLE Lee-Enfield but the rear sight seems different in comparison with Mk.I. Possibly this is a genuine Mk.I that had the rear sight replaced during a repair.
Another man from the caravan with Lee-Enfield rifle.
The barrel of the rifle is seen.
The bolt of the rifle is seen.
Unidentified rifle
Two of the royal guards at the Emir palace carry unidentified short rifles.
Farquharson Rifle (?)
During the Emir's hunt British military attache Major Steveni (Vladimir Zeldin) carries a hunting rifle. This is most likely a falling block gun, possibly a kind of Farquharson Rifle.
For comparison: Late 19th Century Farquharson Rifle - .400 Nitro Express.
Steveni holds his rifle. The barrel and buttstock are seen.
The rifle has a kind of lever on the trigger guard so it may be a falling block gun.
Another view of this detail.
The receiver can be seen. A small detail, barely seen on the receiver, may be a safety lever if the guess about Farquharson Rifle is correct; or it may be a loading gate, like on Winchester or Marlin lever action rifles (in such case the rifle is not a falling block but rather a lever action gun).
The barrel with sling swivel is seen.
Musket
Three muskets (the locks aren't seen) are used as a wall decoration in the house where Steveni meets with Gedeonov and Gerhard Epp.
Another musket on the wall carpet.
All three muskets are seen.
Shotguns
Double Barreled Shotgun
Several different double barreled shotguns are seen in hands of Gedeonov (Gleb Strizhenov) and German businessman and British agent Gerhard Epp (Algimantas Masiulis).
Gedeonov's shotgun lies on the rock.
Epp tries to threaten Gedeonov...
...but he gets hit and falls in the water. The exposed hammers of his shotgun are seen.
In the following scene Epp is seen with a different shotgun, a hammerless model that lacks any handguard.
Machine Guns
Maxim M1910
Basmachi use a Maxim M1910 to down a Soviet plane.
Maxim M1910, simplified version with smooth water jacket - 7.62x54mmR
Basmachi fire at a Soviet plane.
A close view of the barrel of the Maxim.
A Maxim is seen on a photo that depicts the Soviet ambassador Pyotr Petrovich Sorokin (
Oleg Zhakov) when he was a commander of Red Army regiment. The photo is very likely a photomontage of actor's face on original photo of Russian Civil War era.
Bren Mk.1
A Bren machine gun is used by Gerhard Epp (Algimantas Masiulis) during the attempt of the Emir. This anachronistic gun is described in the movie as fictional "machine gun of Mauser system". In firing scenes it is substituted with a Degtyaryov DP-27.
Epp readies to open fire at Emir's car. Note that the Bren lacks the magazine. The long flash hider allows to guess that this is Mk.1 rather than Mk.2 version.
Degtyaryov DP-27
A Degtyaryov DP-27 is used to replace Epp's Bren gun in the firing scenes. Only the barrel with removed flash hider is seen.
Degtyaryov DP-27 - 7.62x54mm R
Only the part of the barrel of the firing machine gun is seen.
Trivia
Several field cannons of Afghan and British military are seen.
A battery of Afghan field guns of unidentified model. These are short-barreled howitzers of large caliber. 120 mm Krupp M1901 seems to be a good guess. The artillerymen carry
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III rifles.
A rather small size British cannon under the attack of Afghan soldiers. It may represent a BL 2.75-inch (70 mm) mountain gun, used in the Third Anglo-Afghan War, but the screen cannon may be not a real British artillery piece.
A Napoleonic era style field gun near the Emir's palace.
A documentary footage of a military parade in late 1960s Afghanistan is used in the movie.
AK-47
Type 1 AK-47 with slab sided magazine - 7.62x39mm
Afghan soldiers march with
AK-47 assault rifles.
Goryunov SGMT
SGMT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R. Solenoid-operated version intended for use as a coaxial weapon on tanks
A coaxial
SGMT is seen on a T-55 tank.
Degtyaryov-Shpagin DShKM
DShKM heavy machine gun in standard vehicle mounting on a Romanian TR-85 main battle tank - 12.7x108mm
DShKM machine guns are mounted on the turrets of T-55 tanks.
Artillery
An old cannon (supposedly a field howitzer) is used for ceremonial purposes.
Tanks
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