Ukrasia

The film is set in 1920 in Odesa occupied by Denikin’s troops. The White counterintelligence searches for a Bolshevik agent “7+2” known to be hiding in Odesa, but in vain.

Officer Enger who enjoys Denikinites’ confidence, is in charge of the search. Head spinning races, catastrophes, murders cover the agent’s tracks. And only when Bolsheviks come, it is found out who was hiding under the nickname “7+2.”

It is the first Ukrainian adventure and detective film. The film consisting of two episodes and 20 parts and running 209 minutes was very popular in Ukraine.

The script was written by Mykola Borysov and Heorhii Stabovyi, a future remarkable film director, based on the materials of Odesa Istpat (Commission for the History of the October Revolution and the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks).

Initially, the film consisted of 13 novellas:

First episode

1.         The fugitive.

2.         Mr. Barlet’s surprise.

3.         In the country of the White.

4.         The future colony.

5.         Van-Rob’s smoking room.

6.         Halaida’s greetings

7.         Events are unfolding.

Second episode

1.         General’s third pipe.

2.         Human hunting.

3.         When the whistle blows…

4.         Captain Enger.

5.         At full tilt.

6.         The end.

In 1925, the film was presented at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Art Deco), where gold medals were won by the future famous cameraman Danylo Demutskyi for the series of photos and designer Vadym Meller for the stage design of the Berezil theatre production.

The film was released on 23 March 1925 in Kyiv, on 8 February 1926 in Moscow.

In 1937, the film was re-edited from 5,750m to 2,223m and shortened to 74 minutes (7 parts). But it was not screened. On 11 September 1937, it was forbidden by the decision of the Main Repertoire Committee under the Council of People’s Commissars “as the scriptwriter Borysov turned out to be an enemy of the people.”