uba ▁div ing ▁under ▁the ▁guidance ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁Soviet ▁divers , ▁sp ending ▁ 2 6 0 ▁and ▁ 4 0 0 ▁hours ▁( res pect fully ) ▁under ▁the ▁water . ▁Both ▁leading ▁actors ▁— ▁Vladimir ▁Kor ene v ▁and ▁An ast asi ya ▁Vert in sk aya ▁— ▁also ▁went ▁through ▁hard ▁training ▁and ▁performed ▁without ▁st unt men . ▁While ▁G enn adi ▁Kaz ans ky ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁co - direct or , ▁Che bot ary ov ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁little ▁to ▁nothing ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁film ▁production , ▁he ▁couldn ' t ▁even ▁sw im ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁look ▁after ▁Vladimir ▁by ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁studio ▁after ▁a ▁sc andal ▁during ▁the ▁shooting ▁of ▁Don ▁Qu ix ote ▁( 1 9 5 7 ▁film ) ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁director . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁Mos film ▁studio ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁primarily ▁direct ing ▁sp y , ▁mystery ▁and ▁war ▁mov ies . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁he ▁co - direct ed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁war ▁ep ics ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁— ▁The ▁Batt al ions ▁Request ▁Fire ▁TV ▁mini - series ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁novel ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁by ▁Y uri ▁Bond are v . ▁It ▁was ▁dedicated ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁since ▁the ▁Soviet ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁Patri otic ▁War . ▁The ▁main ▁parts ▁were ▁performed ▁by ▁Aleks andr ▁Z bru ye v , ▁O