Oleko Dundich

Yugoslavian Theatrical Release Poster

Country	USSR Yugoslavia
Directed by	Leonid Lukov
Release Date	1958
Language	Russian
Studio	Gorky Film Studio Avala Film

Main Cast
Character	Actor
Oleko Dundich	Branko Pleša
Galya	Tatyana Piletskaya
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov	Vladimir Troshin
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny	Lev Sverdlin
Pavle Hodzich	Milan Puzic
Gen. Konstantin Konstantinovich Mamontov	Boris Livanov
Gen. Andrei Grigoriyevich Shkuro	Sergei Lukyanov
Rasovich	Stole Arandjelovic
Dragich	Ljuba Tadic
Palich	Dragomir Felba

Oleko Dundich (Yugoslavian title Aleksa Dundic) is a 1958 Soviet-Yugoslavian historical adventure movie directed by Leonid Lukov. It depicts the life of Oleko (also called Aleksa) Dundich, a prominent Red Army cavalry commander during the Russian Civil war. The biography of Dundich is highly controversial; the movie follows the version that Dundich was born in Austro-Hungary and became a Hussar NCO during the World War 1. In 1916 he was taken prisoner by Russian troops and later volunteered to join the Serbian Volunteer Corps in Russia. In 1917 Dundich joined Red Guards and then became a cavalry commander in 1st Cavalry Army until his death in battle in July 1920.

The following weapons were used in the film Oleko Dundich:

Revolvers

Nagant M1895

Nagant M1895 revolvers are widely used by numerous characters, both Reds, including Oleko Dundich (Branko Pleša), and Whites.

Note: see additional images on talk page.

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

A Red commander (Konstantin Sorokin holds a Nagant.

Dundich holds a Nagant. Note the angular post-1930 front sight.

White Army Shtabs-Rotmistr (a "sub-Captain" rank in Russian cavalry) of Caucasian troops (Barasbi Mulayev) holds a Nagant.

An officer (Yuri Leonidov (II)) shoots himself.

A Praporshchik (Ensign rank) with a Nagant.

Dundich in civilian dress holds a Nagant.

Dundich fires at White soldiers in same scene.

Vanya (Yury Solovyov), a Red Army man of Dundich's unit, fires a Nagant in same scene. In previous moment he is seen with a Mauser C96 (see below); it may be a continuity error, or the character could carry two handguns.

Dragich (Ljuba Tadic) dual-wields Nagants in same scene.

Dragich, disguised as a Cossack, surprises a French officer with a Nagant. Palich (Dragomir Felba), also in Cossack dress, holds a barely seen Nagant at the left.

Pistols

Mauser C96

Mauser C96 pistols are seen in hands of several Reds, notably Dragich (Ljuba Tadic) and Palich (Dragomir Felba), Serb cavalrymen of Dundich's international unit. High commanders of 1st Cavalry Army, Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov (Vladimir Troshin) and Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (Lev Sverdlin), carry Mauser C96 pistols in holsters.

Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser

Kliment Voroshilov carries a Mauser C96.

Dragich, disguised as White Cossack, holds a Mauser C96.

Another view of Dragich with Mauser.

Vanya (Yury Solovyov) fires a Mauser. In next moment he is seen with a Nagant revolver (it may be a continuity error, or the character could carry two handguns).

Palich (Dragomir Felba) in disguise of White Army NCO holds a Mauser 96 when Dundich's men surprise sleeping Col. Hodzich. The pistol is probably pulled from below Hodzich's pillow.

Palich points the barrel of the pistol to the phone.

Dragich's Mauser on the table in the same scene.

Semyon Budyonny carries a Mauser.

Unidentified pistols

In one scene Oleko Dundich (Branko Pleša) holds a pistol that resembles an FN Model 1900.

For comparison: FN Model 1900 - .32 ACP

Dundich, wounded in leg in a battle, holds a pistol that seems to be a bright nickel plated FN 1900.

Another view of the scene.

In the scene when Dundich (Branko Pleša) poses as French Army Capt. Derville, he holds a pistol that resembles an FN Model 1910 but looks smaller and with slightly different appearance. Similar looking pistol is seen in hands of White Army Col. Bobrov (Evgeniy Samoylov).

For comparison: FN Model 1910 - .380 ACP

Dundich, posing as a French officer, secretly draws a pistol when he meets his archenemy Hodzich. The pisol resembles FN 1910 but seems to be smaller.

Dundich fires. The pistol looks slightly different from FN 1910.

Col. Bobrov holds a similar pistol.

In several scenes Lt. Col. (later Col.) Pavle Hodzich (Milan Puzic), the head of White Army counterintelligence service, and some other White Army officers carry pistols that resembles FN Model 1922.

For comparison: FN Model 1922 - .32 ACP

Lt. Col. Hodzich carries a holster that looks like FN Model 1922 pattern.

In another scene Hodzich, now Colonel, draws a pistol from same looking holster.

Hodzich (at the right) holds his pistol that seems to be elongated enough for FN 1922.

Col. Zhilitskiy (uncredited) holds a similar looking pistol.

Another view of Zhilitskiy's pistol.

Several White Army and French Army officers and generals carry pistols in holsters. Some of these pistols are possibly the ones, described above and reused in other scenes.

Officers of the Serbian Volunteer Corps Podporuchik (2nd Lt. rank) Dundich (Branko Pleša) and Hodzich (Milan Puzic) carry pistols in holsters.

Another view of the same scene. Judging by the holster, Hodzich's pistol could be the same supposed FN Model 1922 (see above) but it's very vague.

A French officer carries a pistol in holster.

French Gen. Jaubert (Evgeniy Velikhov) carries a pistol in holster. The holster is for a compact pistol, like FN Model 1910.

Col. Hodzich carries a pistol in holster.

Gen. Shkuro (Sergei Lukyanov) carries a pistol in holster.

A view on Gen. Shkuro's holster. It's a German style holster for compact pistol.

In the final scene Dundich leads his cavalrymen in attack, holding an unidentified pistol. The gun is seen very unclear due to fast motion.

Rifles

Mosin Nagant M91 Dragoon and M91/30

Mosin Nagant Rifles are used by numerous Reds and Whites. These rifles are a mix of M91 Dragoons and M91/30s. Only in some cases the model can be identified exactly.

Imperial Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Dragoon - 7.62x54mm R

Soviet Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R

Revolutionary soldiers in 1917 carry rifles, often with backwards attached bayonets.

A Red Army man at the left (Pyotr Lyubeshkin) holds a rifle. Next to him Vanya (Yury Solovyov) carries an M1907 Carbine.

A Yunker (cadet) of White Army holds a rifle.

A Red Army man, former French soldier (Valentin Gaft), disguised as a Gipsy, fires a rifle.

An aged Cossack NCO (Stepan Shkurat) holds a rifle.

Rasovich (Stole Arandjelovic), one of the Serbs of Dundich's international unit, carries a rifle.

Dragich (Ljuba Tadic), Palich (Dragomir Felba), Vanya (Yury Solovyov) and Rasovich (Stole Arandjelovic), disguised as White soldiers, hold rifles. Dragich (the one at the foreground) has an M91 rifle, according to the bayonet, while others are armed with M91/30 rifles.

Palich and Vanya aim their rifles at Col. Hodzich. The front sights match M91/30 model.

Mosin Nagant M1907 Carbine

Many Reds, notably Dragich (Ljuba Tadic), Palich (Dragomir Felba), Rasovich (Stole Arandjelovic), Kid Mirko (Zoran Benderic), Vanya (Yury Solovyov) and Dasha (Tatyana Konyukhova), are armed with Mosin Nagant M1907 Carbines. Carbines are also used by Whites in several scenes.

Note: see additional images on talk page.

Mosin Nagant Model 1907 Carbine - 7.62x54mm R

Vanya carries an M07 Carbine.

Kid Mirko carries an M07 Carbine.

Dragich carries an M07 Carbine.

Dasha, daughter of a Red commander, carries an M07 Carbine.

Dundich's cavalrymen, disguised as White Cossacks, surprise real Cossacks, escorting French Gen. Jaubert.

Kid Mirko and another cavalryman (Nikolai Aparin) with M07 Carbines.

Another view of Dundich's men (Nikolai Aparin and uncredited other) with M07 Carbines.

Rasovich with an M07 Carbine guards captured Gen. Jaubert.

A dead Cossack with M07 Carbine. Next moment he is seen with M38 Carbine (see below).

Dundich, wounded in leg, uses an M07 Carbine as a crutch.

Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbine

Anachronistic Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbines are also seen in several scenes.

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mm R

Oleko Dundich (Branko Pleša) and Dasha (Tatyana Konyukhova) fire at Whites. The carbines lack hoods over front sights that makes them looking more similar with WW1 era Mosin Nagant rifles.

A dead White Cossack with an M38 Carbine on sling. Earlier this character was seen with an M07 Carbine.

Mauser Gewehr 98

Soldiers of the Serbian Volunteer Corps are armed with Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Most soldiers carry Gewehr 98 rifles with bayonets. Some Mauser rifles of different models can also be seen (see below).

A mix of Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles, Mauser rifles of another models, and Mosin Nagant M91 rifles in barracks of Serbian Corps.

A Gewehr 98. Lange-Visier rear sight is seen.

Full length Gewehr 98s and short rifles in barracks.

A Red Army man carries a full length Mauser rifle that appears to be a Gewehr 98.

A Red Army man at the right carries a full length Mauser rifle, also most likely a Gewehr 98.

Mauser Rifles

Short Mauser rifles of unidentified model (or various models) can be seen in several scenes. Some of them are possibly anachronistic Karabiner 98k.

For comparison: Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A soldier of Serbian Corps in center holds a short Mauser rifle with turned down bolt handle, possibly but not nessessary Karabiner 98k. It is fitted with a long bayonet of Gewehr 98.

Another soldier holds same looking rifle.

A soldier, closing formation, holds a short rifle with straight bolt handle.

A mix of Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles, Mauser rifles of another models, and Mosin Nagant M91 rifles in barracks of Serbian Corps.

Full length Gewehr 98s and short rifles in barracks.

Firing squad takes aim. A rifle at the foreground is a full length model but not a Gewehr 98.

A White Cossack at the right carries a Mauser rifle with turned down bolt handle, possibly a Karabiner 98k.

Machine Guns

Maxim M1910

Maxim M1910 machine guns are seen mounted on Red Army tachanka horse carts (possibly it's a single prop, as all M1910s have very similary battered barrel jackets).

Maxim 1910, simplified version with smooth water jacket - 7.62x54mmR

Red soldier and sailor carry a Maxim.

Maxim M1910 on tachanka.

Maxim M1910/30

Maxim M1910/30 machine guns, standing for M1910s, are seen mounted on Red Army tachanka horse carts, on Red armoured train and on White armoured cars. Both pre- and post-1940 versions are seen.