Purgatory

The 1997 Russian war drama directed by Alexander Nevzorov is based on the events of the January 1995 assault on Grozny during the First Chechen War. The film reconstructs the battles for a city hospital complex occupied by Russian forces under Colonel Vitaly Suvorov (Viktor Stepanov), who lost an eye due to sniper fire. Opposing them are Chechen militants led by field commander Dukuz Israpilov (Dmitry Nagiyev), whose ranks include Afghan mujahideen, Arab mercenaries, Ukrainian nationalists, and snipers from the Baltic states. The film portrays brutal combat scenes, including shelling, hand-to-hand combat, and acts of violence. It focuses on the moral dilemmas and psychological states of soldiers facing unprecedented cruelty. Notable scenes include the destruction of corpses by tank to prevent desecration and the final assault on the hospital by Russian troops. Filming took place in Saint Petersburg under conditions close to actual combat, involving soldiers who had served in Chechnya. The film received mixed reviews for its naturalistic style and explicit depiction of violence.