[ Galina Chuvina ]I am only 65, and I throw knives
[ Galina ]That's my target, the most hip and beautiful in the world
[ Galina ]I believe in peace and kindness, but for Russia, I'd fight
[ Galina ]Health and love for all, God bless you, everyone!
GRANNY BLADE
[ GEO ]SASOVO, RUSSIA
[ Galina ]These are the stones...
that I use for sharpening
[ Galina ]This one's become dull, here
[ Galina ]I need to sharpen the tip
[ VO ]When Galina Chuvina was 56, she worked on the coat-check desk at a
swimming pool in the town of Sasovo. Once, she overheard some customers
talking about a knife-throwing school in their city. That’s how the
former coat-check lady started on the road to becoming a world champion.
[ Andrey ]Like this, right? - Sort of, then you check the tip
[ Andrey ]It's taken an hour and a half!
[ VO ]Galina is a living legend in the world of knife
throwing. She’s known to everyone simply as Granny Galya.
[ Andrey ]Knitting would be easier!
[ Galina ]Of course, it is. But knitting…
[ Galina ]I tried to knit, it didn't work, but this did
[ Andrey ]So, you did try to be a normal granny?
[ Galina ]So doing this makes me an abnormal one, does it? An odd one!
[ Galina ]Well, thanks a lot!
[ Galina ]Such a small hand! It should be bigger, like this. There, and here
[ Andrey ]But you'll need to hit around here
[ Galina ]You're setting quite a challenge, good!
[ Galina ]How will we stick it? I'll go and bring…
[ Andrey ]- You have a paper clip or pin? I have some, but how...
[ Galina ]Go on then OK
[ Andrey ]I think one will be enough
[ Andrey ]Stas, what do you think? Lose the palm, or keep the hand like this?
[ Stas ]Well, do it! Why the heck not?
[ Andrey ]A real hand is too much responsibility, a paper one is just an experiment
[ Galina ]Here! Two nails and a little hammer
[ Andrey ]I'll nail up the hand
[ Galina ] Torturers! [ Andrey ] Torturers? We're experimenters!
[ Andrey ]What's that for?
[ Galina ]So the target isn't destroyed To make it softer, so the knives
don't deflect, they're dull, hit a knot and they bounce. Simple as that!
[ Andrey ]I didn't sharpen it enough?
[ Galina ]You know what we'll do? I'll
climb up on this pile There! That's it
[ Andrey ] Let me... - I can manage, I'm used to it
[ Galina ]Hands dry? Yes, they are
[ Galina ]Now I'll warm up a little
[ Galina ]There, just like that
[ Galina ] Here, right here, or it won't stick - Just here?
[ Galina ]It'll get wet and…
[ Andrey ]Ow! My finger!
[ Andrey ] My hand! [ Stas ] I believe you!
[ Andrey ]Done!
[ Galina ]That's it, lie down there
[ Galina ]Good boy!
[ Galina ]Protected by the tree
[ Galina ]Clever!
[ Galina ]So, are we ready?
[ Andrey ]Yeah!
[ Galina ]Missed!
[ Galina ]It means my shoulder wasn't right
[ Galina ]Only missed by a little
[ Stas ]Do you feel phantom pain? Again?
[ Andrey ]Phantom pain! Two knives!
[ Andrey ]It's good we used cardboard
[ Andrey ]Try again? Let's do it again
[ Andrey ]Beautiful!
[ Galina ] Very beautiful! [ Andrey ]You hit the other knife?
[ Galina ]I hit a knife, it bounced
[ Galina ]Nothing you can do about it
[ Andrey ]Now, we'll see
[ Andrey ]Here it is
[ VO ]Galina has no husband and no children. She lives alone in this house.
[ VO ]The only company is her cats.
[ Galina ]We look out for each other
[ Andrey ]Why no family? You loved the wrong guys or something?
[ Galina ]That's hard to answer
[ Galina ]Very hard! Why?
[ Galina ]I just know for a fact, I'm not cut out for that
[ Galina ]But I did keep looking, I kept on looking and I was in love
[ Galina ]I was in love with the wrong guy
[ Galina ]The point is... not to be betrayed I might be
wise enough to turn a blind eye once or twice
[ Galina ]Then I'll look and… I'll say, 'No!' I mean, I
always give a second chance I'm monogamous
[ VO ]It rained on May 9, and so Galina didn’t participate in the Immortal Regiment
march although she very much wanted to. But let’s listen to her story, at least.
[ Galina ]This is...
my Immortal Regiment. My two fathers are here
[ Galina ]One is Vyacheslav Chuvin, he's my biological father
[ Galina ]And the second is Georgy Malishevsky, who raised me
[ Galina ]He didn't talk much, I hardly knew anything
[ GALINA CHUVINA, WORLD KNIFE THROWING CHAMPION ]I only know that he was awarded a medal of valour, he was a signaller...
[ Galina ]They were laying a cable for communication
[ Galina ]They were crawling, bumped into Nazis and fought
[ Galina ]That's how he received... his medal of valour
[ Galina ]When I took it out here, people stopped to look and said, 'It's like an iconostasis'
[ Andrey ]Did you keep in touch with your real father?
[ Galina ] No [ Andrey ]No?
[ Galina ]There was one time when I came home from college and saw a man who just stared at
me. He was wearing a khaki raincoat, he looked and just kept staring, and I... later,
[ Galina ]I realised; Mum had said something in passing, and I knew it had been my father
[ Galina ]That's... He's my father too, I didn't write 'stepfather', but 'father', it's who he was
[ Galina ]That's just how life is, and I'm not going to blame anyone They fought
on the same side, they fought for Russia A Ukrainian and a Russian
[ Galina ]I put it by the window? - Yes, the window
[ Andrey ]Look, this is interesting, here's an iconostasis,
more icons on the wall there
[ Andrey ]And here, the Immortal Regiment
[ Andrey ]An answer to the question of why Russia celebrates Victory Day
[ VO ]It represents the country’s resurrection after the war. A kind of second Easter, as the events occur close to each other.
[ Galina ]Sometimes I go through the medals but not often, they
just hang, gathering dust When I clean up, I dust them. I gave
a lot away Medals from Italy, France, the Czech Republic My
cats broke some of my awards, the ones Czech girls gave me.
[ Galina ]It's a pity, but I didn't slap them, I didn't even scold them I just
picked up the pieces and put them in a bag Just look at it... no head
[ Galina ]Seven metres, first place
[ Galina ]A hand is missing too…
[ Andrey ]Yes, we fixed it
[ Galina ]A shame
[ Andrey ]Cats against vanity!
[ Galina ]So… These are medals too, they hang in here These are my
medals too I should put them here with a sign: 'Medals from the Czech
Republic' I should get some glue to fix it, I should do that I need
to replace a fuse. Will you help get the old one out first, guys?
[ Galina ]Yes, we'll do it
now - Look, here
[ Galina ]Here...
[ Galina ]Who'll do it? - Stas, he's taller
[ Galina ]Gooseberry is sweet It will turn red
[ Galina ]I take half to the market and keep half for me, half goes to the market
[ Andrey ]Are you able to keep your budget in the black on your income?
[ Galina ]No, not at all - No?
[ Galina ]It's easier in the summer, you can make salads with radish, onions, and so on… Summer
is easier, but still hard work You have to gather, pack and get up early, find a vacant
spot, and sit there. It can take five hours to sell anything, it varies The take might
range from 50 to 1,000 roubles Last time, I sold my apples for 1,000 roubles, I was so happy
[ Andrey ]Why not open a school and earn by teaching kids?
[ Galina ]I don't have the means, nor the strength to do that these days
[ Andrey ] You enjoy working with people, right? [ Galina ]Yes
[ Andrey ]You don't want to organise it all [ Galina ] I'd have to go through it all again,
to beg for stuff… And people, they look at you as if… it's
such a pain And anyway, I never charge, I teach for free
[ Galina ]There's a sensation, but not strong, but yesterday, it felt like my entire back
was... Like someone put something heavy on me, it ached a little. That's all
[ Andrey ]We were preparing to go to the championship But Galina has back pain
[ Andrey ]On our way to the championship, we'd decided to stop off in Ryazan
[ Andrey ]A neurologist?
[ Galina ]No, first an MRI, then you take that to a neurologist, and they look at it
VITALY RODIONOV MOLNIYA KNIFE THROWING CLUB, ST. PETERSBURG
[ GEO ]ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
[ VO ]The Molniya Club is in St. Petersburg. Galina plans to
participate in their championship. Everybody’s been training hard.
[ Vitaly ]Galina Vyacheslavovna? Yeah, a legend! I heard of her the moment I started knife throwing
[ Vitaly ]In our circles, she's known fondly as
'Granny Galya' So… well, I don't think she objects
[ Galina ]Now, my little kitties All here? Okay, my darlings,
see you soon, OK? And when I'm back, you'll all be fine
[ VO ]Get ready, Saint Petersburg! Granny Galya is coming to claim victory!
[ Galina ]Hello - Hello
[ Galina ]That's the District Administration on the right
[ Andrey ]Galina, we just passed an honour board at the Administration building Are you on it?
[ Galina ]I never will be, that's for sure
[ VO ]The sad thing about Galina’s championship title is that knife throwing only became recognised officially
as a sport in Russia in 2019. So, technically, all
her achievements fall into the amateur category.
[ VO ]Legend has it that during the Soviet era, cadets from Cuba came to study at the Sasovo
Aviation Technical College. And whenever they got bored, they made sculptures of Hemingway.
[ Galina ]Hi! I've read a lot of your stuff
[ Andrey ]You're in a mask
[ Galina ]Unrecognisable! - Hemingway under a lilac tree, Sasovo
[ VO ]The monument graced the college’s premises for a while, before ending up in a ditch. But some good people pulled it out,
and now it stands — or rather sits — just outside town.
[ Galina ]The lilacs are rampant
[ Galina ]How beautiful!
[ Galina ]I loved May Bugs too, it was a passion, and still is
[ Galina ]Going to the shops, I saved about 20 from the rain That scraping sound. Their legs…
[ Galina ]There, my lovely, fly! The swines
are crawling, there! Come on! Done!
[ GEO ]RYAZAN, RUSSIA
[ Andrey ]We’ve reached Ryazan. Here, we need to visit a clinic for an MRI scan, to see what’s up with the Champion’s back.
[ Doctor ]Well, you know... I think you need treatment
[ Galina ]If I start taking the medication today, will I be able to compete in a few days?
[ Doctor ]Let's do it this way:
your muscle tone's fine, and your body's adapted to your current state So if we assume that they're...
in good condition for the competition, I advise that, for a few days, you take nothing at all
[ GEO ]ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
[ Vitaly ]Generally, a knife is supposedly the first tool a Stone Age
human used. They sharpened rock and made digging sticks
from it. Then made a bit of a knife, and eventually, the
knife itself. We've been interested in knives ever since.
[ Vitaly ]Some who come here see it as a sport, others want achievement,
good results and so on. Everyone finds their own thing,
whether young or old. 5 years old to... Basically,
there's no limit. There are quite old knife throwers, in fact.
[ GEO ]RYAZAN, RUSSIA
[ Andrey ]Cool! Just like in childhood!
[ Galina ]Oh my! - So, where are we going? - We're going...
[ Galina ]What a great moustache!
[ VO ]We’re now at the Peresvet Sports Club. Galina prefers playing for them.
[ VO ]We’ve dropped by to pick up her uniform.
[ Galina ]When I called Mikhail, I asked for a T-shirt with the
Peresvet emblem on it to show which club I was playing for
[ Galina ]He asked if it should be in English, I said, 'No, only Russian', I'm a nationalist
[ GALINA CHUVINA, WORLD KNIFE THROWING CHAMPION ]The good kind!
[ GEO ]ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
[ Andrey ]Well, we made it to St. Petersburg, and we're heading to the contest
[ Galina ] Yes - This is St. Petersburg
[ Galina ]Wending our way to the contest
[ Andrey ]What do you think your chances are?
[ Galina ]Chances? I don't have any
[ Andrey ] None at all? [ Galina ]Yup!
[ Galina ]Well, I'll try no-spin throwing, got to start some time. So, today's the day
[ Galina ]That was close, he almost got hit…
[ Andrey ] I'll cheer for you - Of course you will, I'd hurt you otherwise!
[ Galina ]Let's rattle our knives a bit
[ Galina ]I've got a bad back
[ Galina ]It's started
[ Galina ]I've got it, now time to rest
[ Vitaly ]Look, it's like this, you're spinning them - Yeah?
[ Galina ]Yup!
[ Vitaly ]You spin them. If you score hits with spinning
knives, after a few hits in a row, I'd have to disqualify you
[ Galina ]Wow! So what now?
[ Vitaly ]I just...
[ Vitaly ] I can't cut you any slack [ Galina ]I don't need it, I'm in God's hands
[ VITALY RODIONOV, MOLNIYA KNIFE THROWING CLUB ]There are three main knife throwing techniques
[ Vitaly ]The classic full spin: with either the handle or blade grip
[ Vitaly ]There's the half-spin technique, like you see in films: that's how Rambo threw!
[ Vitaly ]And there's the no-spin technique, when we... use our index finger or thumb, or another
finger, to compensate... for the spin, there should be, at most, a quarter-spin -
[ Galina ]No, when it flies, I don't think there's spin - There is!
[ Galina ]I must get used to it
[ Andrey ]So, we have a problem with the contest.
[ Andrey ]Galina can't get the hang of the no-spin knife throw
[ Andrey ]And if she does it in the contest, she's sure to be disqualified.
[ Andrey ]Now she's wondering if she should take part.
[ Andrey ]Can she master the technique or not?
[ Andrey ]We'll see what happens
[ Galina ]I got it with the 1st throw, but the 2nd seems to have spun
[ Galina ]Yes...
[ Vitaly ]She can't get her no-spin throws right, the knives keep rotating
[ Andrey ]It seems likely Galina will withdraw
[ Man ]Yes! Yes!
[ Andrey ]Are you upset?
[ Galina ]I am! But that's not the point I failed! I haven't been training and
throwing Of course, I'm upset because I didn't take part in the contest,
and my no-spin was bad I'm upset about that But I came, talked to
people, I saw some things, and met some acquaintances, and that's great
[ Galina ]Hello! - Hello, my dear! Welcome! Great to see you
[ VO ]This is Tamara, Galina’s friend, who came to support her at the contest, but it didn’t work out.
[ Tamara ] Did the throwing go well? - Not really!
[ Tamara ]How come? It can't be true. Everything will be fine, don't worry I'll do better next time
[ Tamara ]What are your plans for today? [ Galina ] We're going to Peter Hof
[ Tamara ]When I first saw it, I was surprised at a woman throwing knives - Do you throw grenades too? [ Galina ]I used to
[ Tamara ] How far? [ Galina ]49 metres
[ Tamara ] Was that your average? [ Galina ]No, it was my best result
[ GEO ]PETERHOF, ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
[ Tamara ] Galya, is that OK? [ Galina ]Yes!
[ Galina ]Is it big? How much further? - What?
[ Galina ] I mean the park - Of course, it's big!
[ Galina ]I've seen these stairs on TV shows
[ Galina ]How beautiful!
[ Galina ] To the right? - Straight on!
[ Galina ] Down to the end? - Yes, where else?
[ Galina ]Wherever you look, you're surrounded by beauty I want to touch everything, learn about it all.
[ Tamara ] OK, ready? We are!
[ Galina ] Let me have another go [ Tamara ]I'll give you another
[ Galina ]From a bit closer now...
[ Galina ]Hurray! I got it!
[ Galina ]I've got that feeling, one of excitement
[ Galina ]I mean, it's jaw-dropping Look at
all this! I'm trying to feel it all in
my soul. So far, it hasn't happened
[ GEO ]SASOVO, RUSSIA
[ VO ]So, we’re back. St. Petersburg’s lions have been replaced by the Sasovo’s cats.
[ VO ]That means Granny Galya is back home.
[ Galina ]Grisha, come on my darling, let's get inside!
[ Galina ]My dear cats! We've brought you some food and some milk
[ Galina ]I'm home, so I can take this mask off
[ Galina ]Right, that's it!
[ Galina ]Let me clean your eyes
[ Galina ]Wait a minute
[ Galina ]Now, where's the other one?
[ Galina ]Come here, my dear. Yes, that's right!
[ Galina ]There! See, that's better. Off you go!
[ Galina ]Come here!
[ Galina ]Up you come!
[ Galina ]This one's already getting better
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ANDREY MOLODYKH CAMERA OPERATORS STANISLAV GURYANOV VLADIMIR LIPATOV PRODUCER KONSTANTIN BELYAEV
VIDEO EDITORS GENNADY SPIRIN SERGEY MIKHAILOV LEONID MIKHAILOV SOUND EDITOR SERGEY EVSTIGNEEV MOTION DESIGN ROMAN KONDRATEV
STEPAN BURNATOV MUSIC KSENIA PRASOLOVA TRANSLATORS ALIK BERDUKOV ALEKSANDR PETROV STYLE EDITOR DAVID A. WATSON NARRATOR STEVE
ELLIOTT EDITOR ALEKSANDRA ERMOLAEVA DEPUTY HEAD OF RTDOC CHANNEL GALINA ARKHIPOVA HEAD OF RTDOC CHANNEL EKATERINA YAKOVLEVA