Skobelev Committee Films on the History of the Brusilov Offensive (1916): Study, Science and Technology behind the Reconstruction of the Сinefilm Done by the Russian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents
The article reviews the process of study and restoration of the original assembling of the documentaries “Great Battles of the Great War” (cameraman P.K. Novitskiy) and “Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the South-Western Front, Who Gained a Brilliant Victory in the Attack on Austria Launched on May 22 This Year” kept in the Russian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents. These documentaries address the consequences of the offensive operation of the armies of the South-Western front in 1916. In the course of work a part of the original negative was found and two (out of three) series of “Great Battles of the Great War” has been restored. The shootings include the following scenes: Buchach and Jazlovec towns captured by Russian troops; Austrian salvage items, trophies of war and combat positions; transportation of the wounded Russian soldiers on a velocipede trolley along a street of Buchach; the common grave of the Russian soldiers and the Austrian military cemetery; Commander of the 7-th Army, General Dmitry G. Shherbachev with his staff. The complete version of “Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the South-Western Front” has been restored. Its negative was found, the shooting place, Berdichev town, was established, Generals V. N. Klembovsky, N.N. Dukhonin, V.N. Dragomirov were identified on the film. The documentary features the officers near the South-Western front headquarters building and in the teletype exchange; A.A. Brusilov and V.M. Dragomirov in a car; A.A. Brusilov and V.N. Klembovsky examining the battle map; a group of Austrian prisoners of war in the road.