The Executioner (Palach)

The Executioner (Palach) Poster Country Russia Language Russian Creator Vyacheslav Nikiforov Broadcast 2015 No. of Seasons 1 No. of Episodes 10 Main Cast Character Actor Militsiya Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov Andrey Smolyakov Antonina Grigoryevna Malyshkina alias Raisa Ivanonva Yakovleva Viktoriya Tolstoganova Raisa Safonova alias Nina Krivovyaz Yuliya Peresild Militsiya Lt. Sonya Timofeeva Marina Aleksandrova Militsiya Sr.Lt. Aleksey Garkusha Aleksey Bardukov Margarita Karpukhina Daniela Stoyanovich

The Executioner (Palach) is a 2015 (filmed 2014) Russian detective TV series. In 1965 a seventeen years old boy Petya Yakovlev is gunned down in the Moscow outskirts. The investigation, hold by Militsiya Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov (Andrey Smolyakov), finds that the boy studied the past of his aunt Raisa Ivanonva Yakovleva who is known as a veteran of Soviet partisans during the WW2. The truth is that during the war a Red Army nurse Antonina Malyshkina (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) becomes a Nazi collaborator and carried out mass executions of Soviet POWs and civilians. After the war she manages to escapes and lives under the name of Raisa Yakovleva. When Malyshkina-Yakovleva feels threatened with exposure, she begins to kill.

The plot is based on the real case of Antonina Makarova.

Palach is the second installment in the TV series about detective Ivan Tcherkasov.

The following weapons were used in the television series The Executioner (Palach):

Revolvers

Nagant M1895

Three Nagant M1895 revolvers are briefly seen in the gun locker in the class of basic military training at school.

Nagant M1895 Revolver - 7.62x38R Nagant. Note the angular front sight which was used from 1930s.

One Nagant, together with a Makarov PM (see below), lies on the top shelf, two more revolvers are seen on the bottom shelf.

The grip of the Nagant on the top shelf is seen.

Pistols

TT-33

A TT-33 is briefly seen in the gun locker in the class of basic military training. In the final of the series, a TT is used for the execution of Antonina Malyshkina.

Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Post-1947 version.

What appears to be a TT is seen on the medium shelf in the locker.

The TT and the magazine of the executioner.

The executioner, a Captain of the department of penal colonies (Boris Polunin), loads the pistol.

The muzzle.

Makarov PM (IZh-79-8)

A Makarov PM, stolen from the class of basic military training, is a plot item. The screen gun is a gas-firing version of PM, an IZh-79-8. The pistol is used by Antonina Malyshkina alias Raisa Yakovleva (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) to kill Petya Yakovlev. A service PM pistol of Militsiya Maj. Stepan Zinchuk (Vasily Slusarenko) turns out to be the same prop.

IZh-79-8, a non-letal gas firing version of Makarov PM - 8mm PA

A schoolboy Lyonka Ponomaryov (Ivan Sukhanov) who is a suspect in the case fires the pistol on Militsia shooting range during the forensic experiment.

The forensic expert Militsiya Lt. Sonya Timofeeva (Marina Aleksandrova) holds the same pistol on the shooting range.

The pistol in Lyonka's hands during the forensic experiment on the place of the murder.

The marking on the slide can be seen.

Maj. Zinchuk holds his PM during the attempt on Larisa Muravyova.

A flashback scene shows Raisa Yakovleva stealing the pistol from the locker.

She fires. The marking on the slide can be seen.

She drops the pistol on the place of the murder.

Luger P08 (ME Luger P08)

In wartime scenes Antonina Malyshkina (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) uses a Luger P08 for killing those of her victims who were only wounded by the machine gun. The screen gun partially lacks the typical Luger jointed arm. Such feature can be seen on some blank-firing versions of P08.

ME Luger P08, a blank firing gun - 9mm PAK

For comparison: Luger P08 - 9x19mm

Malyshkina, hiding his face under a children carnival mask, fires a Luger.

Another view of the same scene.

Malyshkina draws the pistol from the holster. Note the rear part of the pistol that is different from the original Luger.

Walther P38

In wartime scenes a German Lieutenant (Andreas Helgi Schmid) carries a Walther P38. Antonina Malyshkina (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) uses the Lieutenant's pistol to kill her first victim; later her P08 switches to a P38 due to a continuity error. A P38 is also seen in hands of Raisa Safonova (Yuliya Peresild).

Walther P38 WWII dated with black grips - 9x19mm

Antonina holds the P38.

Raisa Safonova holds the P38 during the conflict with Antonina.

Antonina uses a P38, instead of a P08, when killing her wounded victim (then the pistol switches back to the P08).

The German Lieutenant gives his P38 to Antonina.

He takes the pistol back after Antonina kills Fyodor.

Walther PP (Enser-Sportwaffen Walther Super PP)

Malyshkina-Yakovleva (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) uses a Walther PP, an award gun of her husband Sergey Borisovich Yakovlev, to commit several murders. The screen gun turns out to be a gas-firing Enser-Sportwaffen Walther Super PP (don't mix it with Walther PP Super, a live gun chambered in 9x18mm Ultra).

Enser-Sportwaffen Walther Super PP, gas-firing version of Walther PP - 9mm PA

For comparison: War Time Walther PP - .32 ACP

Malyshkina fires the Walther, killing Petya's girlfriend Vika Lopatina.

Malyshkina fires at Matvey Semyonovich Loshkar. The marking on the slide allows to identify the exact model. In this scene the Walther PP briefly switches to a Makarov PM and then back to Walther.

The spent brass is seen in the midair.

Militsiya Jr.Lt. Vasiliy Ivantsov (Filipp Gurevich) holds the Walther PP during the forensic experiment.

The Walther in the dead hand of Yegor Afanasyevich Krivovyaz (Vitaliy Kishchenko).

Sonya Timofeeva (Marina Aleksandrova) takes the pistol.

A good view of the pistol when Malyshkina kills Nina Krivovyaz.

A view from the muzzle.

Submachine Guns

PPSh-41

In wartime scenes Capt. Sergey Yakovlev (Anatoliy Zhuravlyov) and several Soviet soldiers are armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns. In the scene, set in 1965, two PPSh-41s are seen in the gun locker in the class of basic military training.

PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Two PPSh-41 and a Single Barreled Shotgun are seen in the locker.

Capt. Yakovlev holds a PPSh.

Soviet soldiers in attack.

Soldiers with PPSh-41s detain Raisa Safonova instead of Antonina who took Raisa's identity.

MP38

A German Lieutenant (Andreas Helgi Schmid) carries an MP38 in the scene of mock execution of Antonina Malyshkina.

MP38 - 9x19mm

The Lieutenant holds his MP38 (at the right).

A closer view of the submachine gun.

MP40

In several wartime scenes, German soldiers carry MP40s.

MP40 - 9x19mm

German soldiers with MP40s.

A guard in the POW camp with MP40.

A female Hilfspolizei at the left carries an MP40.

German soldiers with MP40s.

Rifles

Mosin Nagant M1891/30

Many Soviet soldiers, notably Fyodor (Ruslan Yagudin), carry Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles. M91/30 rifles are also used by some Hilfspolizei.

Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R

A soldier with M91/30 rifle.

The soldier is gunned down.

Fyodor with an M91/30 rifle.

A Hilfspolizei at the foreground and a female Hilfspolizei at the background carry M91/30 rifles.

A close-up of the rifle.

Karabiner 98k

Some German soldiers and most Hilfspolizei, notably Grigoriy Palvovich Dybenko (Anatoliy Kalmykov), are armed with Karabiner 98k rifles.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser. Manufactured in Germany, 1937.

Karabiner 98k "Kriegsmodell" - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A close-up of the bolt of 98k in hands of a German soldier.

Two soldiers with 98k rifles during the mock execution of Antonina Malyshkina.

A close-up of Dybenko's rifle.

A Hilfspolizei with a 98k rifle.

Three female Hilfspolizei carry 98k rifles. One of these rifles (of the woman in center) is definitly a Kriegsmodell that doesn't fit for 1942-1943.

A good view of Dybenko's rifle.

Unknown Rifle (Shotgun?)

On the wartime photo of Grigoriy Dybenko, he carries a long gun that seems to be a hunting rifle rather than a single barreled shotgun due to the hooded front sight.

Shotguns

Single Barreled Shotgun

A Single Barreled Shotgun is briefly seen in the gun locker in the class of basic military training (a small caliber rifle would be a more correct weapon for such case).

The shotgun together with two PPSh-41s in the locker.

The barrel is seen.

Machine Guns

MG34

MG34 machine guns are seen mounted on German motorcycles in several wartime scenes.

MG34 with front and rear sights folded down - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Maxim M1910/30

For the using of the Maxim M1910/30 machine gun for mass executions, Antonina Malyshkina (Viktoriya Tolstoganova) gets the nickname "Ton'ka-Pulemyotchitsa" ("Ton'ka the Machine Gunner"; Ton'ka is a diminutive for Antonina, and the nickname is a reference to Anka the Machine Gunner, a character from cult Soviet film Chapaev).

Maxim M1910/30, post 1941 manufacture with top hatch on cooling jacke - 7.62x54mmR

A Soviet Maxim on positions.

A close-up of the barrel. Note the blank-firing adapter.

Another close-up of the barrel. In this scene the Maxim lacks the blank-firing adapter.

Malyshkina readies to fire.

The Maxim. Now it is again fitted with the blank-firing adapter.

Malyshkina fires the Maxim during the execution.

The Maxim on the cart.

Other Weapons

45mm 53-K AT Gun

A 45mm 53-K AT gun is briefly seen in a wartime episode.

M1937 (53-K) Soviet anti-tank gun - 45 mm (1.77 in)

Soviet soldiers repel the enemy attack. A 45-mm AT gun is seen at the right.

Trivia

Mockup German tank

A Pz.IV/Tiger-style tank, not fitting for 1941, is seen in one scene. This is a mockup, based on T-44 or T-54 chassis. Such vehicles are widely seen in Russian war films.

A German tank in attack.

Gun Posters

Posters with the drawings of TT-33 (at the left), RPD-44 and RPK are seen on the walls of the class of basic military training.