The Star Wars films have a cult following all over the world. But the force seems to be especially strong in Russia. In Moscow, Jedi hopefuls are honing their skills at the world's first lightsaber fighting school.
Image: DW/Marina Ivanova
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Green and red beams of light shine out of the practice room into the autumn darkness. They make the circular pavilion in this park in Moscow look almost like a spaceship. Inside, around 10 students from the Moscow School of Saber Fighting are practicing their lightsaber skills ahead of an upcoming performance. As the teacher shouts out "Defense!" and "Attack!" they jump into position. Their glowing weapons paint bright loops in the air.
This is the first lightsaber fighting school in the world. It was founded in the year 2000 — just after the first of the Star Wars prequels were released. Around 50 people train here regularly, and lessons are free for children.
Vladimir and Daria have been learning to fence with lightsabers since early this yearImage: DW/Emily Sherwin
Dmitry Semenikhin is running today's practice session and also heads the school. He reassures DW that knowing "the whole story of Star Wars in detail or having an encyclopedic knowledge of the spaceships used in the films" isn't a prerequisite to learning how to wield a lightsaber. But most of the people who come to the school admit they are fans of the franchise. After all, the fight scenes they perform are usually exact copies of scenes in the films.
"By taking a lightsaber in your hands and carrying out the movements that the characters in the films perform, you can fulfill your dream of becoming the characters," Dmitry explains, his eyes lighting up.
A cosmic workout
Nineteen-year-old Daria Rusakova and her dueling partner Vladimir Demenshin, 28, are preparing for their first on-stage fight. They go over their moves, locking red sabers and moving around each other in a neon-lit dance.
"I have been a fan of the Star Wars universe since I was a kid," Daria says, explaining she "first watched them at the family dacha." Vladimir admits that he had been tempted to buy a lightsaber even before he joined the school. "I decided that just buying one would be too easy. So I decided to earn it," he laughs sheepishly.
But saber fighting is more than a Star Wars fantasy for those training here. It is a style of stage fencing, which has been considered an official sport in Russia since 2008. And here at the school, the novice Jedi say it is a real workout, particularly because the movie fight scenes they are emulating are very dynamic. "I came out of my first training session and my knees were shaking — I thought I was going to sit down now and never get up," Daria says, thinking back to when she started in January. "But it gets easier with every session." Now she says she loves the physical challenge. "And also — it's Star Wars!"
At the Russian comic convention, Star Wars costumes were popularImage: DW/Marina Ivanova
'Galactic Western'
The saga has a broad appeal in Russia and the films have been a box office success. In the Soviet Union, however, fandom had its hurdles. The first Star Wars film was released internationally in 1977. But the first Soviet release of a Star Wars film wasn't until 1990, though pirated VHS versions were reportedly already a hit at video stores before that.
At the time, the first film in the original trilogy, now called A New Hope, was billed at cinemas as a "Galactic Western." It was advertised with Soviet posters designed by artists who hadn't actually seen the films and had to come up with their own fantastical space creatures.
For today's Russian Star Wars fans, being true to the films is important. At the Russian comic convention IgroMir, Moscow's School of Saber Fighting students use clips from the films in their performance, fighting along with the scenes on screen and acting them out. Many of the students' costumes are copies of originals — specially sewn for the school.
The saber-fighting school performs detailed reenactments of scenes from Star Wars filmsImage: DW/Emily Sherwin
In a galaxy far, far away …
Some in the audience are just as dedicated. Robed Jedi and Stormtroopers, as well as favorite characters like Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi watch the lightsaber performance on stage. "The idea of space is very popular in Russia. Plus Star Wars has the atmosphere of a fairy tale — which we also love," says one of the Jedis in the audience to explain the saga's popularity.
A man eying a Darth Vader display at the Star Wars pavilion adds that the films have brought together generations in Russia. "I've loved Star Wars since childhood. My parents watched Star Wars, my uncle watched Star Wars — everyone went crazy for it!"
For many here, being a fan of the films is also a form of escapism. "I think I've always wanted to see other universes, be on other planets and see how it is there," a woman in black Stormtrooper body armor explains in a shy voice.
Saber fighting takes Daria to another world as well — and the school has clearly given her a new group of friends. She is pumped as she comes off stage at the comic convention — and relieved that her duel with Vladimir went smoothly. They have been working on it since summer. "It's a great feeling," she raves, hugging the other performers. "Saber fighting helps me relax. It helps to distract me from everyday problems in my studies, with my parents and so on. I just dive into this amazing world of fencing — and into the world of Star Wars."
Brief guide to the Star Wars universe
The Star Wars universe just keeps getting bigger with spin-offs focusing on different aspects of the space saga. Consult this guide to get the background story straight.
Image: 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
The new spin-off: Solo: A Star Wars Story
The latest film tells the story of a young Han Solo. Actor Alen Ehrenreich plays the renegade space pilot with humor and respect for the original character, portrayed by Harrison Ford. Taking place before Episode IV, the film explains how Solo got to know his Wookie pal Chewbacca.
Image: 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
The dream team from the original trilogy
In 1977, the smuggler Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker appeared for the first time on the silver screen. The trio was central to episodes IV-VI, (Star Wars, 1977; The Empire Strikes Back, 1980; Return of the Jedi, 1983), and met again decades later in Episode VII - The Force Awakens, from 2015.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Traveling in time
Since 1977, Star Wars enthusiasts have been regularly celebrating the release of a new episode. They don't mind the jumps in the timeline. A real Star Wars fan knows exactly "when" each episode is set. The events in Rogue One take place between Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV - A New Hope, the new title for the original Star Wars movie.
Image: Lucasfilm 2016/J. Olley
The Jedi Knights
In the Star Wars universe, members of the Jedi Order use their power to do good. The Force gives them superhuman abilities. For example, they can move objects using their mind. Their strongest weapon is the lightsaber. The most famous Jedi Knights are Luke and Anakin Skywalker (the latter is shown right in the picture), Obi-Wan Kenobi (left) and Master Yoda.
Image: imago/Unimedia Images
Grand master Yoda
Yoda is the most powerful Jedi Knight of all time; he knows how to use the Force like no other. For over 800 years, he has been training young disciples, known as Padawan learners, to become Jedi Knights. His language is strange; his words are wise. He is only 66 cm (26 inches) tall, but even his largest opponents know the Jedi Master should not be judged by his size.
In Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda trains the young Luke Skywalker. Luke is very insecure and does not believe in his powers. Yoda teaches him the Jedi philosophy and new mental skills. He also warns him not to let negative feelings take over: "Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."
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The Sith
The Sith are an Order on the dark side of the Force. Sith are mostly former Jedi Knights who have left the light side hoping to obtain more power. Famous Siths include Darth Vader, Darth Maul and Darth Sidious. Pictured here is Darth Tyranus, who was known as Count Dooku when he was a Jedi.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Tischler
'Luke, I am your father'
Darth Vader used to be Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Wanting to save the life of his wife and unborn children, he was pulled into the dark force by the Galactic Emperor himself. Anakin then became Darth Vader, while his children Luke and Leia were rescued and hidden. Twenty years later, Luke and Vader met again in a climatic confrontation, where the son discovered that the grim figure was his father.
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Emperor of the Galactic Empire
He is actually a charismatic member of the Senate governing a large planetary republic. But secretly, Sheev Palpatine is a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. He calls for an uprising against the Republic. He rises to the position of Supreme Chancellor and then Emperor, aiming to rule on the entire universe. He is responsible for the worst of all weapons...
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The Death Star
The Death Star is the Imperial super-weapon. It's the size of the moon and is devastatingly destructive. Princess Leia witnessed a cruel demonstration of its power, as a blast from its superlaser destroyed her home planet, Alderaan. The Death Star had a weak point, allowing the rebels to strike back and destroy it — but the next Death Star was already under construction.
Controlled by the dark side of the Force, hundreds of thousands of soldiers — the stormtroopers — are the main ground force of the Galactic Empire. They have always been loyal to the supreme commander, the Galactic Emperor, and follow their superiors — such as here, Kylo Ren — without questioning them. In Episode VII, stormtrooper Finn breaks with this tradition and joins the good guys.
Along with humanoids, the Star Wars universe features a few inhuman creatures, such as the powerful criminal Jabba the Hutt, a disgusting monster who has unfinished business with the ex-smuggler Han Solo. In order to reinforce his demands, he enslaves Princess Leia. The bikini worn by actress Carrie Fischer in that scene has become legendary.
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All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)
The Imperial weapons' massive size alone is already meant to frighten opponents. The four-legged AT-AT walkers are combat vehicles that can move quickly on any terrain while transporting troops. Their heads contain tons of the destructive projectiles. A similarly evil combat device is the two-legged All Terrain Scout Transport, or AT-ST.
While the Death Star was still being built, the ships of the Imperial fleet were holding the fort. Pictured here is a gigantic Star Destroyer, flanked by small and maneuverable starfighters that combat the Rebels in their own rapid ships, leading to fast-paced duels. In 1977, Star Wars creator George Lucas established new standards in special effects with these spectacular scenes.
Image: imago/AGD
The music
Composer John Williams wrote the soundtrack to all Star Wars films. The main theme and the dark march accompanying Darth Vader are world famous. The song "Cantina Song" from Episode IV also became instantly cult. It is played by the alien band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes in the original 1977 film.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/S. Bee
Han Solo's sidekick: Chewbacca
Smuggling belongs to Han Solo's past by Episode VII, and his relation with Princess Leia is also over — even though they are married. After many years, they meet again, and once again, their goal is to fight against the Empire. They're all older — except Han Solo's loyal friend, the Wookie Chewbacca, who accompanies Han until the end. His growl is legendary.
Image: Disney/Lucasfilm
The droids
Already present in the first films, the golden know-it-all droid C3PO and his small beeping counterpart, R2D2, make up one of the most iconic twosome of film history. In Episode VII, another cute robot joined them: BB-8 (left). These three droids are loyal to the main characters and have already saved them from perilous situations.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A.Poole
A new heroine
Introduced in Episode VII, Rey is a new heroine whose origin still hasn't been explained. Is she the daughter of Leia and Han Solo? Or Luke Skywalker's? No one knows what happened in the 30 years after Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Rogue One invited audiences to go back in time to find out.
Image: Disney/Lucasfilm
Rogue One
This stand-alone spin-off movie is set in the period between Episode III and IV. The Empire is building its first Death Star and wants to test its destructive power. As Star Wars fans know, it can destroy a whole planet with a single blast. The Rebels want to steal the design plans for the weapon. The whole story runs parallel to the original Star Wars narrative.
Rey's journey continues in Star Wars: The last Jedi
Just before Christmas 2017, the eighth part of the Star Wars saga was released. In Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Rey tries to win over Jedi recluse Luke Skywalker and bring him back into the Resistance. Meanwhile, the "First Order" wants to completely annihilate the rebel army led by Leia Organa. Poe and Finn do their best to prevent this.
