10 BLOOPERS in Russian history from Apple TV's series 'Star City'
‘Star City’ is an American science-fiction thriller and a spin-off of the TV show ‘For All Mankind’. Its plot presents an alternate history, in which the Soviet Union won the ‘Space Race’ and was the first to send a man to the moon.
The series transports viewers behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ of the 1960s and 1970s to a restricted space-research city, where cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers live and work under constant KGB surveillance. At the heart of the story are the lives of these individuals: from young typist Irina Morozova (played by Agnes O'Casey), who becomes the protégé of the local KGB chief (Anna Maxwell Martin), to the chief designer (Rhys Ifans), a character modeled on the legendary Sergei Korolev.
As ‘Star City’ is an alternate-history drama, one shouldn't expect documentary accuracy. However, it does aim for plausibility in its depiction of the Soviet space program and everyday life. Unfortunately, the creators sacrificed historical authenticity for the sake of drama and suspense.
1. Assembling a spacecraft from available parts
In the USSR, dozens of separate research institutes and design bureaus worked on the space program. Each was responsible for a specific niche: guidance systems, fuel systems, aerodynamics, spacesuits, and so on. Therefore, "assembling" a new spacecraft from available parts for a secret mission (such as a flight to Venus) – while making a quick side trip to submariners to fetch a bathyscaphe, as the Chief Designer does in the series – was technically and logistically impossible.
2. Secret rocket launch on an unauthorized trajectory
A rocket is not a private car that can be stolen and the Baikonur Cosmodrome is not a small parking lot. Every spacecraft launch in the USSR was an event of national importance, requiring multi-level approval and massive technical support. Decisions were ratified by a State Commission comprising high-ranking military officers, Party officials and ministry representatives. Even the Chief Designer could not have pulled this off in secret.
3. KGB oversight of the space industry
In the film, the Chief Designer has a tense relationship with KGB Colonel Lyudmila Raskova. In reality, this would have been impossible, as all cosmodromes, test ranges, and the cosmonaut training center fell under the jurisdiction of the USSR Ministry of Defense and were part of the Strategic Rocket Forces structure. While the KGB monitored secrecy and conducted inspections, operational management and control were handled by the military, not state security. Furthermore, a designer of Korolev’s stature would not have dealt with a mere colonel; he would have interacted with a general or a marshal.
4. Depressurization of a crewed spacecraft from the ground
In the 1970s, spacecraft life-support and pressurization systems were designed with safety in mind such that any command from Mission Control required confirmation or the physical flipping of toggle switches inside the spacecraft. It would have been impossible to execute such an action based on an order from a KGB colonel on the ground, as depicted in the series.
5. Elimination of a cosmonaut without trial or sentencing
Although the USSR maintained capital punishment during the 1960s and 1970s, it was impossible to execute – by firing squad or any other means – a valuable specialist or cosmonaut without a trial and a formal verdict. Furthermore, such a decision could not be made unilaterally. Any government official who took such a step would have faced trial themselves. Therefore, the execution of cosmonaut Akhmatova and the order to kill the ‘Venera’ crew are historically inaccurate.
6. Addressing the Chief Designer: "Chief Designer!"
In reality, colleagues and subordinates addressed Sergei Pavlovich Korolev by his first name and patronymic – ‘Sergei Pavlovich’. This was the standard, respectful form of address. In informal settings, he might be referred to as ‘SP’.
7. Prohibition on wearing an order for the sake of secrecy
In the first episode, the Chief Designer is awarded the title of ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’, but the award is taken away to maintain secrecy. In the actual USSR, awards were presented and worn publicly. They could be confiscated only if a person was convicted of a serious crime, but never for the sake of "preserving the secrecy" of their work. Secrecy was maintained not by confiscating awards, but through a system of security clearances and prohibitions against disclosing classified information.
8. Addressing someone simply as ‘Comrade’
While ‘Comrade’ was an official form of address, it was always used in conjunction with a surname, job title, or rank (e.g., ‘Comrade Colonel’ or ‘Comrade Korolev’). Using ‘Comrade’ on its own sounded unnatural and would have been perceived as disrespectful or mocking – or, in the context of the series, like a tired Hollywood cliché.
9. Women wearing sheer stockings and high heels in winter? Say what?
In reality, this was an impossible combination. Fur hats were worn strictly during freezing weather – meaning they were paired with warm coats or sheepskin coats and boots. Shoes were worn during the warm, snow-free season: no earlier than April and no later than October. The only person who would combine the two is Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Sex and the City’.
10. Black tea
In the series, one character suggests to another that they have some "black tea". To a Soviet person, this phrasing would have sounded odd, as black tea was the only type of tea available at the time.