More Bank Imperial ads (you can find Part I here). These commercials feature the work of the Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, famous in the US for directing the film Night Watch. Personally, I think he’s one of the worst directors who ever lived, but that’s just my opinion. He is good at making ads, though.
Peter the Great
Translation:
Narrator: Russia, end of the 17th century. No industry, no commerce, no access to the sea. In the fall of the year 1692, Tsar Peter was traveling to the Lake Periaslavskoe. There, far away from the sea, a fleet was being built. A month later, the first ships were dragged overland to the White Sea. Surprising all of Europe, Russia became a sea power. Peter the First, World History, Bank Imperial
Comments:
There is no record, to my knowledge, that Peter got stuck in the mud on his trip to the lake. However, knowing the character of the Tsar (he traveled to Europe incognito, and worked at a shipyard as a common carpenter to learn shipbuilding, and was, in general, was not afraid of manual labor), him pushing the carriage out of the mud is quite true. On the other hand, the commercial implies that there were many ships built at the lake in 1692. There was only one warship built there at the time.
The Incas
Translation:
Narrator: Once, a long time ago, the Incas lived in America. They knew not of money, and made only the things they liked out of gold- butterflies, frogs, snails… And when the Spanish arrived, they came out to greet them, and were joyful. And the Great Inca gave the strangers his butterflies, frogs, snails…and the Spanish melted them down into bricks. On the day of his execution, the Great Inca forgave the Spanish. After all, they were born in a place where there is nothing more beautiful than a brick made of gold. The Great Inca, World History, Bank Imperial
Comments: A rather ironic commercial for a bank, I must say. Obviously, this isn’t really what happened- there was a war for succession among the Incas, for one. But still, this is an awesome ad.
Dmitry Donskoi
Translation:
Narrator: They have never defeated the Mongols. And their fathers have never defeated the Mongols. And their grandfathers have never defeated the Mongols. And they knew that no one can defeat the Mongols…Dmitry Donskoi, World History, Bank Imperial.
Comments: In the 1240s, the principalities of the Kievan Rus’ were conquered by the invading Mongol armies. For the only time in its history, Russia ceased to exist as an independent power. In 1380, Dmitry Donskoi (“of the Don”), prince of Muscovy, and Grand Prince of Vladimir united the various principalities against the Mongols. When the Mongol Khan Mamai led a punitive expedition into Russia, Dmitry met it at the Kulikovo field, near the Don river, and defeated him — the first major Russian victory against the Mongols. Although it did not affect the strategic situation of Russia in a major way (2 years later, another Mongol punitive raid burnt down Moscow to the ground, and Russia was to remain under Mongol domination for another century, until 1480), Dmitry Donskoi has entered the popular consciousness as a great hero, and was canonized as a Saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. This ad commemorates his great victory.
Alexander II
Translation:
Narrator (reading the report): Your Imperial Majesty, with your permission, I report that the serfs of the Kherson province are abandoning their places of residence without permission, and are fleeing to the Crimea. I therefore request permission to deploy troops…
Groundskeeper: We’re clipping, Your Majesty! So they won’t fly away.
Alexander: You should feed them better. Then they won’t fly away.
Groundskeeper: They flew away…
Narrator: In 1861, in London, the first line of the Underground was opened to the public. While in Russia, serfdom was abolished. Alexander II, World History, Bank Imperial.
Emperor Nero
Translation:
Nero (singing): A most terrible thing has happened! You spilled the blood of your mother…
Narrator: The Emperor Nero really loved to sing. And thousands of grateful citizens listened for hours to the singing of their beloved emperor. And only grave illness or death could prevent them from doing their civic duty…
Patrician: A most terrible thing…
Nero:…has happened
Narrator: The Emperor Nero, World History, Bank Imperial.
Jan Sobieski
Translation:
Narrator: On a summer morning of the year 1693, the Polish king Jan Sobieski, who once saved Europe from the Turks, played chess. His opponent was a miraculous contraption, that defeated all who challenged it in the markets of Krakow. Sobieski was losing. “Once more!” demanded the king, and set down a golden snuff box. “I need to oil it, Your Majesty!” protested the owner of the machine. “Oil it!” said the king, but he lost this game as well. Angry, he threw the snuffbox on to the table, and started to leave. And then, an incredible thing had happened- the contraption sneezed! Furious, the king ripped the lid off the machine, and found a man underneath it. “Have mercy, your majesty!” cried the device! “Have mercy upon a cripple who lost his legs on the fields of battle, fighting for our Fatherland.”
“Swear that you shall not say a word of what had happened here,” said the king. “Or else we shall take the last source of income from our defenders…” Jan Sobiesky, World History, Bank Imperial.
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