Courier of Special Importance
(Kurersky osoboy vazhnosti)
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Original Poster
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| Country
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 Russian
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| Directed by
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Oleg Fomin
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| Release Date
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2013
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| Language
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Russian
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| Studio
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Talan Film Studio
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Courier of Special Importance (Курьерский особой важности, Kurersky osoboy vazhnosti) is a Russian 2013 made for TV four-part action movie directed by Oleg Fomin. The plot is set in Russian Empire in 1916. Secret papers about the Russian troops in the Far East are stolen from the General Staff in Petrograd. The group of counterintelligence service follow the traces of the captor on the Trans-Siberian railroad to Vladivostok. In order to disguise themselves, they pose as a film crew.
Note: the transliteration of the Russian title is per IMDb though "Kuryerskiy" would be more correct than "Kurersky". The title itself is also very sloppy translated, literally it would be "Courier Train of Special Importance" (a term similar to the German "Schnellzug"), and in meaning - "Express of Special Importance".
The following weapons were used in the film Courier of Special Importance (Kurersky osoboy vazhnosti):
Revolvers
Nagant M1895
All Nagant M1895 revolvers turn out to be blank-firing "Blef" (VPO-503 "Nagan-S"), identified by the groove on the frame between the cylinder and the barrel. Also these guns have angular front sights that appeared only in 1930. The revolvers are seen in hands of the members of the counterintelligence group - Capt. Vasiliy Sergeevich Schepkin (Semyon Shkalikov), Poruchik (Lt.) Andrey Ivanovich Belkin (Aleksey Faddeev), Rotmistr (Capt.) Georgiy Vakhtangovich Goglidze (Guram Bablishvili), and Diana Yuryevna Kholodova (Viktoriya Poltorak), the assistant to film director Sergey Mikhaylovich Zinshtein (Aleksandr Bobrov), American journalist Jack Brown (Vladimir Yavorsky), a bodyguard to Japanese diplomat Kasumi (Vedat Mametov), gang boss Tikhon-Balda (Pavel Abdalov) and other criminals in Petrograd and Vladivostok, and Russian police personnel.
"Blef" (VPO-503 "Nagan-S"), a blank-firing version of Nagant M1895 - .22 Gevelot small cap
Diana Kholodova dual-wields Nagants during the encounter with criminals.
An
okolotochniy nadziratel (police officer rank) Yegor Karpovich (
Yuriy Maslak) aims a Nagant at Schepkin whom he misidentified as a criminal.
A closeup of Schepkin's Nagant in same scene.
Zinshtein holds a Nagant in the role of a robber.
Schepkin draws a Nagant when Diana suprises him in bathroom.
Goglidze, Belkin and Diana with Nagants during the bandtis attack on Schepkin's room in hotel. Diana holds Schepkin's revolver. Note the lack of the front sight while the Nagant in hands of Schepkin had the sight on place.
A closeup of Balda's Nagant when he plans to kill captured and chained Skok.
Belkin's Nagant on the table. It has brown bakelite grips.
Kasumi dual-wields Nagants.
Balda and one of his men hold Nagants. Balda's revolver lacks the front sight; it is probably same prop that was earlier used by Diana.
Pistols
Mauser C96
A Mauser C96 is the main weapon of Poruchik Andrey Belkin (Aleksey Faddeev). Bandit Griroriy Sofronov aka Grisha Skok (Konstantin Demidov) also uses a Mauser (most likely the same prop).
Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser
Belkin holds his Mauser during the shootout in the suburban estate.
A closeup of Skok's Mauser when he aims at Belkin. Note that the hammer isn't cocked.
Skok's pistol is hit by Diana Kholodova's perfect shot.
Skok's Mauser on the floor.
Steyr M1912
American journalist Jack Brown (Vladimir Yavorsky) who joins Schepkin's group in Vladivostok is armed with two Steyr M1912 pistols, a blued and a nickel plated.
Steyr-Hahn M1912 (1913 mfg) - 9x23mm Steyr
Brown takes a nickel plated Steyr from the crate on Belkin's car.
Another view of the pistol.
Brown dual-wields the pistols.
Brown is gunned down by Kasumi. Note that both his pistol ran out of ammo.
Another view of a blued Steyr with the slide in rear position.
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket
A Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket is the main weapon of Diana Kholodova (Viktoriya Poltorak). The pistol has Colt logo on grips but it is seen too briefly to appear on screenshots.
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket w/ wood grips - .25 ACP
Diana holds Schepkin at gunpoint. The wooden grips are seen.
Another view of the pistol.
A good view of the pistol.
Diana makes a perfect shot, knocking out a Mauser off Skok's hand.
Submachine Guns
Bergmann MP35
During the events in Vladivostok Belkin (Aleksey Faddeev) uses a heavily inappropriate Bergmann MP35 submachine gun. He correctly calls this gun "Bergmann". This is, most likely, standing for the MP 18/I, although how it could be available in 1916 is inexplicable.
Brown examines Belkin's MP35. It is loaded with an
MP 40 magazine.
Belkin fires. The muzzle flame is a CGI effect but the MP35 correctly operates, with moving slide and extracted spent brass.
Belkin with the MP35 in action.
Rifles
Mosin Nagant M1891
Mosin Nagant M1891 rifles are used by Russian soldiers.
Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry Rifle in original configuration - 7.62x54mm R
A soldier on guard at the building of the General Staff in Petrograd.
Close views of M1891 Infantry rifles with bayonets.
A soldier fires at the intruder who is dressed as Japanese ninja.
A soldier on guard with M1891 Infantry rifle in February 1917.
Mosin Nagant M1891/30
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles, standing for M91 Dragoon, are used by Russian and Japanese soldiers. Capt. Vasiliy Schepkin (Semyon Shkalikov) uses an M91/30 with bayonet in a close combat with Kinjiro (Vadim Astafyev), a bodyguard to Japanese assistant to Ambassador Izumi Hiro (Mikhail Vodzumi).
Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mmR
A ninja kills soldiers, armed with M91/30 rifles.
A close view of M91/30 rifle of a dead Russian soldier on the railroad flatcar.
A dead Japanese soldier with an M91/30 rifle. In previous moment all Japanese soldiers were seen with Arisaka rifles.
Schepkin holds an M91/30 rifle, taken from a dead Japanese soldier.
Schepkin uses a rifle with bayonet in close combat against sword-wielding Kinjiro.
Mosin Nagant "Obrez"
A Mosin Nagant "obrez" is briefly seen in hands of a bandit of Tikhon-Balda's gang.
A blurry (due to fast motion) view of a bandit with the "obrez".
Arisaka Type 30
Japanese soldiers on guard of consulate in Vladivostok and in the suburban estate are armed with Arisaka Type 30 rifles.
Arisaka Type 30 rifle - 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka
Soldiers aim their rifles at Schepkin and Goglidze, caught sneaking into the Japanese Consulate.
The shape of the front sight allows to differ Type 30 from very similar Type 38.
Japanese soldiers with rifles.
An abandoned Arisaka rifle.
Machine Guns
Maxim M1910/30
A Maxim M1910/30 machine gun, standing for correct M1910, is used by Japanese during the shootout in the suburban estate.
Maxim M1910/30 machine gun - 7.62x54mmR
Japanese soldiers fire at Belkin and Brown.
Another view of the Maxim in action.
Kasumi (Vedat Mametov) fires the machine gun. Note the metallic belt with obviously blank cartridges.
Grenades
RKG-3
An RKG-3 anti-tank grenade is seen among Belkin's weapons. This heavily inappropriate grenade with a certain assumption may be used for equally large Novitsky-Fyodorov Grenade of all Russian-used hand grenades that existed in 1916.
An RKG-3 is seen among the weapons in the crate on Belkin's car.
F-1
An F-1 hand grenade is also seen among Belkin's weapons. It may stand for such grenades of WW1 era as French F1 or British Mills Bomb.
F-1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade
An F-1 is seen among the weapons in the crate on Belkin's car.
Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Several Model 24 Stielhandgranate is also seen among Belkin's weapons. M24 is very close to WW1 era German stick grenades and may be used with less assumption.
Model 24 Stielhandgranate "Potato Masher" high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade
Several Stielhandgranate are seen among the weapons in the crate on Belkin's car.
Japanese cruiser
Soya (former Russian
Varyag) in Vladivostok. The cruiser was repurchased by Russian Navy in April 1916, and its original name restored. In the movie this scene (without mentioning the actual ship) is related to late 1916.
Japanese soldiers with
Arisaka Type 30 rifles in Vladivostok during the Siberian intervention. The chronicle very likely was taken in January 1918 when the Japanese troops landed in Vladivostok but in the movie the scene is related to late 1916.
The revolutionary soldiers and Red Guards in Moscow after the October revolution of 1917. They are mostly armed with Arisaka rifles. In the movie this scene is used to depict the February revolution of 1917.
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