characterization of the heroes "the dawns here are quiet"

1. Fedot Vaskov

   Fedot Vaskov was already at the Finnish War, and now he is defending the rear of the Soviet troops. He is the commander of the patrol, to whom, after lengthy requests to send teetotal and not walking fighters, they sent very young girls who had barely crossed the school threshold.
   Vaskov is the only survivor of his entire squad, however, he lost an arm, contaminating the resulting wound.

   There is no direct indication in the book that Vaskov serves in the air defense. Anti-aircraft gunners were sent to the facility to protect against air attacks. During the Winter War, Vaskov was a scout.
   Zhenya Komelkova

   A very beautiful red-haired girl, the rest of the heroines were amazed at her beauty. Tall, slender, with fair skin. When the Germans captured the village of Zhenya, an Estonian woman managed to hide Zhenya herself. In front of the girl's eyes, the Nazis shot her mother, sister and brother.
   In Vaskov's platoon, Zhenya showed artistry; but heroism had enough space, and it was she who, calling fire on herself, took the Germans away from Rita and Vaskov. She also saves Vaskov when he is fighting the second German who killed Sonya Gurvich. The Germans first wounded and then shot her point-blank.

   In the film, the role of Komelkova was performed by the actress Olga Ostroumova.
   Rita Osyanina

   Rita Mushtakova was the first of the class to marry Lieutenant Osyanin, from whom she gave birth to a son, Albert. Rita's husband was killed during a counterattack on June 23, 1941.
   In Vaskov's platoon, Rita became friends with Zhenya Komelkova and Galya Chetvertak. She died last, having put a bullet in her temple and thereby saving Fedot Vaskov. Before she died, she asked him to take care of her son.
   Liza Brichkina

   Liza Brichkina is a simple country girl who is under pressure from her father. At the same time, a hunter-traveler comes to their house, with whom Lisa falls in love. But not experiencing mutual feelings for Lisa, and at the same time seeing the conditions in which the girl grows up, he invites her to come to the capital and enter a technical school. But the war did not start to become a student Lisa.
   Lisa drowned in a swamp while performing the assignment of foreman Vaskov, for which she had amorous feelings.
   Galya Chetvertak
   Galina Chetvertak introduces herself to Marion Dixon (still from Rostotsky's film)

   Galya grew up in an orphanage. There she got her nickname for her short stature.
   During the battle with the Germans, Vaskov took Galya with him, but she, unable to withstand the nervous tension from the expectation of the Germans, ran out of hiding and was shot by the Nazis. Despite such a ridiculous death, the foreman told the girls that she had died in a shootout.
   Sonya Gurvich

   Sonya Gurvich is a girl who grew up in a large Jewish family. She knew German and could be a good translator, but there were many translators, so she was sent to the anti-aircraft gunner (who, in turn, were few).
   Sonya is the second victim of the Germans in Vaskov's platoon. She runs away from the others to find and return Vaskov's pouch, and stumbles upon the patrol saboteurs who killed Sonya with two stabs in the chest.

2. Zhenya is a beautiful red-haired girl. She is distinguished by her artistry and extraordinary charm. She is admired by her friends. However, the important qualities of her character are strength and fearlessness. In war, she is also driven by a desire for revenge. The characteristics of the heroes of the work A Dawns here are quiet, connected with their destinies. Each of the characters is a person with their own sad story. Most of the girls' parents were taken away by the war. But Zhenya's fate is especially tragic, because the Germans shot her mother, sister and brother in front of her. She is the last of the girls to die. Taking the Germans away with her, she suddenly thinks about how stupid it is to die at the age of eighteen. The Germans shot her point-blank, and then peered at her beautiful, proud face for a long time.
   20:45:58
   Fedot Vaskov Petty officer went through the Finnish War. He was married and had a child. But by the beginning of the Patriotic War, he became an absolutely lonely man. The wife left. The young son died. And there was no person in the whole world who would yearn for Vaskov, would wait for him from the front and hope that he would survive in this war. But he survived.
   Rita Osyanina She seemed older than other girls. Rita was the only mother from a platoon of anti-aircraft gunners who died in those days in the Karelian forests. She gives the impression of a more serious and reasonable person compared to other girls. After being seriously wounded, Rita shot herself in the temple, thereby saving the life of the foreman. Characteristics of the heroes of the story A Dawns here are a quiet description of the characters and a brief prehistory of the pre-war years. Unlike her friends, Osyanina managed to get married and even give birth to a son. The husband died at the very beginning of the war. And the war did not give her a son to raise.
   Liza Brichkina is a girl from Siberia who was brought up without a mother and, like any young woman, dreamed of love. Therefore, when meeting with an elderly officer Vaskov, a feeling awakens in her. The foreman will never know about him. Carrying out his task, Lisa drowns in a swamp.
   Galina Chetvertak is a former pupil of the orphanage. She did not lose anyone during the war, because in the whole world she did not have a single soul mate. But she so wanted to be loved and have a family that she indulged in dreams with selflessness. Rita was the first to die. And when the bullet overtook her, Mom cried out a word that she did not call any woman during her lifetime. Once upon a time Sonya Gurvich had parents, brothers and sisters. During the war, all members of the large Jewish family perished. Sonya was left alone. This girl was distinguished from others by her sophistication and education. Gurvich died when she was returning for a pouch, forgotten by the foreman.
3. "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" is a work that describes interesting female characters. Sonya, Galya, Liza, Zhenya, Rita - five different, but in some ways very similar girls. Rita Osyanina is gentle and strong-willed, she is distinguished by her spiritual beauty. She is the most fearless, courageous, she is a mother. Zhenya Komelkova is white-skinned, red-haired, tall, with childish eyes, always funny, cheerful, mischievous to the point of adventurism, tired of pain, war and painful and long love for a married and distant person. Sonya Gurvich is an excellent student, a refined poetic nature, as if it came out of a book of poems by Alexander Blok. Liza Brichkina always knew how to wait, she knew that she was destined for life, and it was impossible to pass her by. The latter, Galya, always lived more actively in an imaginary world than in a real one, therefore she was very afraid of this merciless terrible phenomenon, which is a war. "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" portrays this heroine as a funny, never matured, clumsy, childish orphanage girl. Escape from the orphanage, notes and dreams ... about long dresses, solo parts and universal worship. She wanted to become the new Lyubov Orlova.
4. In general, nothing special

Death is a constant companion of war. Soldiers die in battle, and this brings lasting pain to their loved ones. But their lot is to defend the Motherland, to perform heroic deeds. The deaths of young women in war is a tragedy for which there is no justification. The story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" is dedicated to this topic. The characterization of the heroes, which were invented by Boris Vasiliev, gives the work a special tragedy.

Five female images, so different and so alive, were created by a talented writer in the story, which was subsequently filmed by an equally gifted director. The system of images in the work plays an important role. The story of five lives, which ended tragically early, is the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet." The characterization of the heroes plays a central role in the plot.

Fedot Vaskov

The sergeant major went through the Finnish war. He was married and had a child. But by the beginning of the Patriotic War, he became an absolutely lonely man. The young son died. And there was no person in the whole world who would yearn for Vaskov, would wait for him from the front and hope that he would survive in this war. But he survived.

There are no main characters in the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet". The characterization of the heroes is nevertheless given by Vasiliev in some detail. Thus, the author portrays not just people, but the fate of five girls who barely managed to finish school, and an elderly front-line soldier. They have nothing in common. But the war tied them forever. And even after many years, Vaskov returns to the place where five lives of young anti-aircraft gunners were cut short.

Zhenya Komelkova

Why does the story “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” has not lost interest among readers for many years? The characterization of the heroes in this book is presented in such a volumetric manner that you begin to perceive the death that overtakes each of the girls as the death of a familiar person.

Zhenya is a beautiful red-haired girl. She is distinguished by her artistry and extraordinary charm. She is admired by her friends. However, the important qualities of her character are strength and fearlessness. In war, she is also driven by a desire for revenge. The characteristics of the heroes of the work "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" are connected with their fates. Each of the characters is a person with their own sad story.

Most of the girls' parents were taken away by the war. But Zhenya's fate is especially tragic, because the Germans shot her mother, sister and brother in front of her. She is the last of the girls to die. Taking the Germans away with her, she suddenly thinks about how stupid it is to die at the age of eighteen ... The Germans shot her point-blank, and then peered at her beautiful, proud face for a long time.

Rita Osyanina

She seemed older than the other girls. Rita was the only mother from a platoon of anti-aircraft gunners who died in those days in the Karelian forests. She gives the impression of a more serious and reasonable person compared to other girls. After being seriously wounded, Rita shot herself in the temple, thereby saving the life of the foreman. Characteristics of the heroes of the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" - a description of the characters and a brief background of the pre-war years. Unlike her friends, Osyanina managed to get married and even give birth to a son. The husband died at the very beginning of the war. And the war did not give her a son to raise.

Other heroines

The above characters are the most striking in the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet". The main characters, whose characteristics are presented in the article, are still not only Vaskov, Komelkova and Osyanina. Vasiliev portrayed three more female images in his work.

Liza Brichkina is a girl from Siberia who was brought up without a mother and, like any young woman, dreamed of love. Therefore, when meeting with an elderly officer Vaskov, a feeling awakens in her. The foreman will never know about him. Carrying out his task, Lisa drowns in a swamp.

Galina Chetvertak is a former pupil of the orphanage. She did not lose anyone during the war, because in the whole world she did not have a single soul mate. But she so wanted to be loved and have a family that she indulged in dreams with selflessness. Rita was the first to die. And when the bullet overtook her, she cried out "Mom" - a word that she did not call any woman during her lifetime.

Once upon a time Sonya Gurvich had parents, brothers and sisters. During the war, all members of the large Jewish family perished. Sonya was left alone. This girl was distinguished from others by her sophistication and education. Gurvich died when she was returning for a pouch, forgotten by the foreman.

Boris L. Vasiliev

"And the dawns here are quiet ..."

May 1942 Countryside in Russia. There is a war with Nazi Germany. The 171st railway siding is commanded by foreman Fedot Evgrafych Vaskov. He is thirty-two years old. He has only four classes of education. Vaskov was married, but his wife ran away with the regimental veterinarian, and his son soon died.

It's calm at the junction. The soldiers arrive here, look around, and then start "drinking and walking." Vaskov persistently writes reports, and, in the end, he is sent a platoon of "non-drinking" fighters - girls-anti-aircraft gunners. At first, the girls laugh at Vaskov, but he doesn't know how to deal with them. Rita Osyanina is in command of the first squad of the platoon. Rita's husband died on the second day of the war. She sent her son Albert to his parents. Soon Rita got into the regimental anti-aircraft school. With the death of her husband, she learned to hate the Germans "quietly and mercilessly" and was harsh with the girls from her department.

The Germans kill the tray, instead they send Zhenya Komelkova, a slender red-haired beauty. In front of Zhenya's eyes, a year ago, the Germans shot her relatives. After their death, Zhenya crossed the front. She picked her up, defended "and not that he took advantage of the helplessness - Colonel Luzhin stuck to himself." He was a family man, and the military commanders, having found out about this, “took the colonel into circulation”, and sent Zhenya “into a good team”. Despite everything, Zhenya is "sociable and mischievous." Her fate immediately "crosses out Ritin's exclusivity." Zhenya and Rita converge, and the latter "thaws".

When it comes to transferring from the front line to the patrol, Rita is encouraged and asks to send her squad. The exit is located not far from the city where her mother and son live. At night, Rita secretly runs into the city, carries her groceries. One day, returning at dawn, Rita sees two Germans in the forest. She wakes up Vaskov. He receives an order from his superiors to "catch" the Germans. Vaskov calculates that the route of the Germans lies on the Kirov railway. The sergeant major decides to take a shortcut through the swamps to the Sinyukhina ridge, stretching between two lakes, along which only one can get to the railway, and wait for the Germans there - they will probably go by the roundabout route. Vaskov takes Rita, Zhenya, Liza Brichkina, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak with him.

Liza is from the Bryansk region, she is the daughter of a forester. She had been caring for her terminally ill mother for five years and was unable to finish school because of this. A visiting hunter, who awakened her first love in Liza, promised to help her enter the technical school. But the war began, Liza got into the anti-aircraft unit. Lisa likes the Vaskov Chief.

Sonya Gurvich is from Minsk. Her father was a district doctor, they had a large and friendly family. She herself studied for a year at Moscow University, she knows German. Neighbor on lectures, Sonya's first love, with whom they spent only one unforgettable evening in the park of culture, volunteered for the front.

Galya Chetvertak grew up in an orphanage. There her first love "overtook" her. After the orphanage, Galya got into the library technical school. The war found her in her third year.

The path to Lake Vop lies through the swamps. Vaskov leads the girls along a path well known to him, on both sides of which there is a quagmire. The soldiers safely reach the lake and, hiding on the Sinyukhina ridge, await the Germans. Those do not appear on the shore of the lake until the next morning. There are not two of them, but sixteen. While the Germans have about three hours to go to Vaskov and the girls, the foreman sends Lisa Brichkina back to the crossing to report on the change in the situation. But Liza, crossing the swamp, stumbles and drowns. Nobody knows about this, and everyone is waiting for help. Until then, the girls decide to mislead the Germans. They portray lumberjacks, shout loudly, Vaskov knocks down trees.

The Germans are retreating to Lake Legontovo, not daring to walk along the Sinyukhina ridge, on which, as they think, someone is cutting down a forest. Vaskov with the girls moves to a new place. In the same place he left his pouch, and Sonya Gurvich volunteers to bring it. In a hurry, she stumbles upon two Germans who kill her. Vaskov and Zhenya kill these Germans. Sonya is buried.

Soon, the soldiers see the rest of the Germans approaching them. Hiding behind bushes and boulders, they shoot first, the Germans retreat, fearing an invisible enemy. Zhenya and Rita accuse Galya of cowardice, but Vaskov defends her and takes her with him into reconnaissance for "educational purposes." But Vaskov does not suspect what mark Sonina's death left in Gali's soul. She is terrified and gives herself away at the most crucial moment, and the Germans kill her.

Fedot Evgrafych takes the Germans upon himself in order to take them away from Zhenya and Rita. He is wounded in the arm. But he manages to leave and reach the island in the swamp. In the water, he notices Lisa's skirt and realizes that help will not come. Vaskov finds the place where the Germans are staying for rest, kills one of them and goes to look for the girls. They are preparing to take the final battle. The Germans appear. In an unequal battle, Vaskov and the girls kill several Germans. Rita is mortally wounded, and while Vaskov drags her to safety, the Germans kill Zhenya. Rita asks Vaskov to take care of her son and shoots herself in the temple. Vaskov buries Zhenya and Rita. After that, he goes to the forest hut, where the surviving five Germans are sleeping. Vaskov kills one of them on the spot, and takes four prisoners. They themselves tie each other with belts, because they do not believe that Vaskov is "one and the same for many miles." He loses consciousness from pain only when his own Russians are already coming towards him.

Many years later, a gray-haired stocky old man without an arm and a rocket captain, whose name is Albert Fedotych, will bring a marble slab to Rita's grave.

In May 1942, the 171st railway patrol was commanded by foreman Fedot Evgrafych Vaskov. He had a wife and a son, but his wife preferred the regimental veterinarian, and the son died. The departure was quiet, so all the soldiers sent, after a while began to drink tirelessly. Vaskov wrote an unthinkable number of reports when the girls from the anti-aircraft regiment were finally sent to him. It was difficult for him to manage them. The platoon commander was Rita Osyanina. On the second day, she lost her husband and decided to go to an anti-aircraft school. Son Albert went to be raised by Rita's parents. The commander turned out to be very stern with her. After the death of the tray, a new one got into the platoon.

Zhenya Komelkova was a beauty with red curls. The whole family died before her eyes. Due to the relationship with the married Colonel Luzhin, the command sent Zhenya to Rita in order to isolate them from each other. Having met, the girls became friends. Upon learning about the transfer to the siding, Rita was delighted. It was close to the city where her family lived. Every night, secretly, she ran to her son and mother, bringing them food. But, returning one morning, she noticed two Germans and told Vaskov about it. The military command orders to catch them. Vaskov decides to shorten the path, going through the swamps to the Sinyukhina ridge. They will pass along the ridge, between two lakes and will wait for the enemy, who, most likely, will go around. Zhenya, Rita, Liza Brichkina, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak set off with him. Lisa was the daughter of a forester, she had to leave school because of her sick mother, whom she looked after for five years. She fell in love with a guest who accidentally stopped by, and he promised to help in admission to the technical school. The plans were interrupted by the war. A Belarusian girl Sonia Gurvich was born into a large friendly family of a local doctor. Galya Chetvertak grew up in an orphanage, where she found her first love.

The girls with the commander walked along the path, on both sides of which was surrounded by a quagmire. When they reached the lake, they quieted down, waiting for the enemy. Instead of two, sixteen people showed up the next morning. Vaskov sends Lisa with a report to the command. But Liza, passing the path, stumbled and drowned. Vaskov does not know about this and expects help to come. Pretending to be lumberjacks, the girls forced the enemy to retreat, thinking that they were cutting wood. Vaskov sent Sonya for his pouch, which he forgot in the old place. Sonya betrays herself and is killed. The death of Sonya greatly wounded Galya, and at a crucial moment, she gave herself away, for which she paid with her life. Fedot takes the Germans upon himself to save Zhenya and Rita. He is injured, but reaches the swamp and notices Lisa's skirt.

He understands that they will not wait for help. Arriving at the place where the Germans were standing, he kills one and goes in search of the girls. In another unequal battle, Zhenya is killed. Rita asked Fedot to take care of her son, and shot herself. Having buried the girls, he goes to the hut where the Germans are holy. One was killed, four were taken prisoner by Vaskov. Seeing the Russians walking, he lost consciousness. Many years later, the captain of the missile forces Albert Fedotych and the armless old man will put a marble monument on Rita's grave.

The story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet", a summary of which is given later in the article, tells about the events that took place during the Great Patriotic War.

The work is dedicated to the heroic feat of anti-aircraft gunners who unexpectedly found themselves surrounded by the Germans.

About the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"

The story was first published in 1969, it was approved by the editor of the magazine "Youth".

The reason for writing the work was a real episode of wartime.

A small group of 7 soldiers recovering from wounds prevented the Germans from blowing up the Kirov railway.

As a result of the operation, only one commander survived, who later, at the end of the war, received a medal "For Military Merit".

The episode is tragic, however, in the realities of wartime, this event is lost among the horrors of a terrible war. Then the author remembered about 300 thousand women who bore the front-line hardships along with male soldiers.

And the plot of the story is based on the tragic fate of the girls-anti-aircraft gunners who die during the reconnaissance operation.

Who is the author of the book "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"

The work was written by Boris Vasiliev in a narrative genre.

When the Great Patriotic War began, he barely finished 9th grade.

Boris Lvovich fought near Smolensk, received a concussion, and therefore knew about frontline life firsthand.

He became interested in literary work in the 50s, was engaged in writing plays and scripts. The writer took up prose stories only 10 years later.

The main characters of the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"

Vaskov Fedot Evgrafych

The sergeant major, in whose command the anti-aircraft gunners entered, occupied a commandant position at the 171st railway sidings.

He is 32 years old, but the girls gave him the nickname "old man" for his intractable character.

Before the war, he was an ordinary peasant from the village, had 4 classes of education, at the age of 14 he was forced to become the only breadwinner in the family.

The son of Vaskov, whom he sued from his ex-wife after the divorce, died before the start of the war.

Gurvich Sonya

A simple shy girl from a large family, she was born and raised in Minsk. Her father worked as a local doctor.

Before the war, she managed to study for a year at Moscow State University as an interpreter, she spoke German fluently. Sonya's first love was a bespectacled student, who was studying in the library at the next table, with whom they timidly talked.

When the war began, due to the surplus of translators at the front, Sonya ended up in a school for anti-aircraft gunners, and then in the detachment of Fedot Vaskov.

The girl was very fond of poetry, her cherished dream was to see her many household members again. During the reconnaissance operation, Sonya was killed by a German with two stabs in the chest.

Brichkina Elizaveta

Country girl, the daughter of a forester. At the age of 14, she was forced to leave school and take care of her terminally ill mother.

She dreamed of entering a technical school, so after the death of her mother, following the advice of one of her father's friends, she was going to move to the capital. But her plans were not destined to come true, they were corrected by the war - Liza went to the front.

The gloomy sergeant Vaskov immediately aroused great sympathy in the girl. During a scouting expedition, Liza was sent through the swamp for help, but she was in too much of a hurry and drowned. After some time, Vaskov will find her skirt in the swamp, then he will understand that he was left without help.

Komelkova Evgeniya

Cheerful and beautiful red-haired girl. The Germans shot all members of her family, the merciless massacre took place right in front of Zhenya's eyes.

The girl was saved from death by her neighbor. Eager to avenge the death of her family, Zhenya turned to the anti-aircraft gunner.

The girl's attractive appearance and perky character made her the object of the courtship of Colonel Luzhin, so the authorities, in order to interrupt the romance, redirected Zhenya to a female detachment, so she came under the command of Vaskov.

In intelligence, Zhenya twice showed fearlessness and heroism. She saved her commander when he was fighting the German. And then, exposing herself to the bullets, she took the Germans away from the place where the foreman and her wounded friend Rita were hiding.

Chetvertak Galina

A very young and receptive girl, she was distinguished by her short stature and a habit of composing stories and fables.

She grew up in an orphanage and did not even have her last name. Because of her small stature, the elderly caretaker, who treated Galya in a friendly way, invented her surname Chetvertak.

Before being drafted, the girl almost managed to finish 3 courses of the library technical school. During the reconnaissance operation, Galya could not cope with fear and jumped out of cover, falling under German bullets.

Osyanina Margarita

The senior person in the platoon, Rita was serious, was very restrained and rarely smiled. As a girl, she bore the surname Mushtakova.

At the very beginning of the war, her husband, Lieutenant Osyanin, died. Wanting to avenge the death of a loved one, Rita went to the front.

She gave her only son Albert to be raised by her mother. Rita's death was the last of the five girls in intelligence. She shot herself, realizing that she was mortally wounded and was an unbearable burden for her commander Vaskov.

Before she died, she asked the foreman to take care of Albert. And he kept his promise.

Other characters "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"

Kiryanova

She was Rita's senior comrade-in-arms, the industrial platoon commissar. Before serving at the border, she participated in the Finnish War. Kiryanova, along with Rita, Zhenya Komelkova and Galya Chetvertak, were redirected to the 171st crossing.

Knowing about Rita's secret forays to her son and mother during the service with Vaskov, she did not betray her old colleague, interceding for her that morning when the girl met the Germans in the forest.

A short retelling of the story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"

Narrative events are heavily abbreviated. Dialogue and descriptive points are omitted.

Chapter 1

The action took place in the rear. At the inoperative railway sidings at number 171, there are only a few surviving houses. There were no more bombings, but for a precaution, the command left anti-aircraft installations here.

Compared to other parts of the front, there was a resort at the junction, the soldiers abused alcohol and flirted with local residents.

The weekly reports of the commandant of the patrol, foreman Vaskov Fedot Evgrafych, against the anti-aircraft gunners led to a regular change in the composition, but the picture repeated itself over and over again. Finally, after analyzing the situation, the command sent a team of female anti-aircraft gunners under the leadership of the foreman.

The new squad had no problems with drinking and revelry, however, for Fedot Evgrafych it was unusual to command a female cocky and trained squad, since he himself had only 4 classes of education.

Chapter 2

The death of her husband made Margarita Osyanina a stern and self-contained person. From the moment of the loss of her beloved, a desire for revenge burned in her heart, therefore she remained to serve on the border near the places where Osyanin died.

To replace the deceased tray, they sent Yevgeny Komelkov - a mischievous red-haired beauty. She also suffered from the Nazis - she had to witness the execution of all family members by the Germans with her own eyes. Two dissimilar girls became friends and Rita's heart began to thaw from the grief she had experienced, thanks to Zhenya's cheerful and open disposition.

Two girls took the shy Galya Chetvertak into their circle. When Rita finds out that it is possible to transfer to the 171st patrol, she immediately agrees, since her son and mother live very close.

All three anti-aircraft gunners come under the command of Vaskov and Rita, with the help of her friends, makes regular night sorties to her relatives.

Chapter 3

Returning in the morning after one of her secret sorties, Rita ran into two German soldiers in the forest. They were armed and carrying something heavy in sacks.

Rita immediately reported this to Vaskov, who guessed that they were saboteurs, whose purpose was to undermine a strategically important railway junction.

The foreman gave important information to the command over the phone and was ordered to comb the forest. He decided to go to Lake Vop by a short path, crossing the Germans.

On reconnaissance Fedot Evgrafych took with him five girls, led by Rita. They were Elizaveta Brichkina, Evgeniya Komelkova, Galina Chetvertak and Sonya Gurvich as translators.

Before sending the soldiers, they had to teach them how to put on proper shoes so as not to erase their feet, as well as force them to clean their rifles. The conditional signal of danger was the quack of a drake.

Chapter 4

The shortest way to the forest lake was through a swampy swamp. For almost half a day, the team had to walk up to their waist in the cold swamp slurry. Galya Chetvertak lost her boot and footcloth, and part of the way through the swamp she had to walk with bare feet.

After reaching the shore, the whole team was able to rest, wash dirty clothes and have a snack. To continue the campaign, Vaskov made chunyu from birch bark for Gali. We reached the desired point only in the evening, here it was necessary to arrange an ambush.

Chapter 5

When planning a meeting with two fascist soldiers, Vaskov was not very worried and hoped that he would be able to capture them from the forward position, which he placed among the stones. However, in case of an unforeseen event, the foreman foresaw the possibility of retreat.

The night passed calmly, only the fighter Quartertak fell seriously ill, walking barefoot through the swamp. In the morning, the Germans reached for the Sinyukhina ridge between the lakes, the enemy detachment consisted of sixteen people.

Chapter 6

Realizing that he had miscalculated, and that he could not stop a large German detachment, Vaskov sent Elizaveta Brichkina for help. He chose Lisa because she grew up in nature and was very good at navigating the forest.

To stop the Nazis, the team decided to portray the noisy activity of lumberjacks. They lit fires, Vaskov chopped down trees, the girls echoed and cheerfully called each other. When the German detachment was 10 meters away from them, Zhenya ran straight to the river in order, while swimming, to divert the attention of the enemy scouts.

Their plan worked, the Germans went around, and the team managed to gain a whole day of time.

Chapter 7

Liza was in a great hurry for help. Not having followed the orders of the foreman about the pass on the island in the middle of the swamp, she, tired and frozen, continued on her way.

Almost reaching the end of the swamp, Liza fell into thought and was greatly frightened by the large bubble that swelled right in front of her in the dead silence of the swamp.

Instinctively, the girl rushed to the side and lost support under her feet. The pole that Lisa was trying to lean on broke. The last thing she saw before her death was the rays of the rising sun.

Chapter 8

The foreman did not know exactly about the trajectory of the movement of the Germans, so he decided to go on reconnaissance with Rita. They found a halt, 12 fascists were resting near the fire and drying their clothes. It was not possible to establish where the other four were.

Vaskov decides to change the place of deployment, and therefore directs Rita for the girls and at the same time asks to bring his personalized pouch. But in the confusion, the pouch was forgotten in its old place, and Sonya Gurvich, without waiting for the commander's permission, ran to fetch an expensive item.

After a short time, the foreman heard a barely audible cry. As a seasoned fighter, he guessed what the cry meant. Together with Zhenya, they set off in the direction of the sound and found the body of Sonya, who had been killed with two stabs in the chest.

Chapter 9

Leaving Sonya, the foreman and Zhenya recovered in pursuit of the Nazis so that they would not have time to report the incident to their own. Rage helps the foreman to clearly think over a plan of action.

Vaskov killed one of the Germans quickly, Zhenya helped him to cope with the second, stunning Fritz on the head with a rifle butt. This was the first hand-to-hand combat for the girl, which she endured very hard.

In the pocket of one of the Fritzes, Vaskov found his pouch. The entire team of anti-aircraft gunners, led by the foreman, gathered near Sonya. The body of a colleague was buried with dignity.

Chapter 10

Making their way through the forest, Vaskov's team unexpectedly ran into the Germans. In a split second, the foreman threw a grenade forward, machine-gun bursts crackled. Not knowing the forces of the enemy, the Nazis decided to retreat.

During a short fight, Galya Chetvertak could not overcome her fear and did not participate in the shooting. For such behavior, the girls wanted to condemn her at the Komsomol meeting, however, the commander stood up for the confused anti-aircraft gunner.

Despite severe fatigue, wondering about the reasons for the delay in help, the foreman goes on reconnaissance, taking Galina with him for educational purposes.

Chapter 11

Galya was very much frightened by the real events taking place. A dreamer and a writer, she often plunged into a fictional world, and therefore the picture of a real war knocked her out of a rut.

Vaskov and Chetvertak soon found two bodies of German soldiers. By all indications, the soldiers wounded in the shootout were finished off by their own comrades. Not far from this place, the remaining 12 Fritzes continued reconnaissance, two of whom came very close to Fedot and Gala.

The foreman reliably hid Galina behind the bushes and hid himself in the stones, but the girl could not cope with her feelings and jumped out of the shelter with a cry right under the gunfire of the Germans. Vaskov began to lead the Germans away from his remaining soldiers and ran to the swamp, in which he took refuge.

During the chase, he was wounded in the arm. When dawn broke, the foreman made out Liza's skirt in the distance, then he realized that now he could not count on help.

Chapter 12

Under the yoke of heavy thoughts, the foreman went in search of the Germans. Trying to understand the enemy's train of thought and examining the traces, he came across the Legontov skete. From hiding, he watched as a group of 12 fascists hid explosives in an old hut.

The saboteurs left two soldiers to guard, one of whom was wounded. Vaskov managed to neutralize a healthy guard and take possession of his weapon.

The foreman with Rita and Zhenya met on the bank of the river, in the place where they portrayed lumberjacks. After going through terrible trials, they began to treat each other like brothers. After a halt, they began to prepare for the last battle.

Chapter 13

Vaskov's team held the coast defense as if the whole Motherland was behind them. But the forces were unequal, and the Germans still managed to cross to their shore. Rita was severely wounded when a grenade exploded.

To save the foreman and the wounded friend, Zhenya, firing back, ran farther into the forest, leading the saboteurs with her. The girl was wounded in the side by a blind shot from the enemy, but she did not even think to hide and wait out.

Already lying in the grass, Zhenya fired until the Germans shot her point-blank.

Chapter 14

Fedot Evgrafych, bandaging Rita and filling her with spruce paws, wanted to go in search of Zhenya and things. For peace of mind, he decided to leave her a revolver with two cartridges.

Rita understood that she was mortally wounded, she was only afraid that her son would be left an orphan. Therefore, she asked the foreman to take care of Albert, telling that it was from him and from her mother that she returned that morning when she encountered German soldiers.

Vaskov made such a promise, but did not have time to move away from Rita a few steps, as the girl shot herself in the temple.

The foreman buried Rita, and then found and buried Zhenya. The wounded hand ached badly, the whole body burned with pain and tension, but Vaskov decided to go to the skete to kill at least one more German. He managed to neutralize the sentry, five Fritzes were sleeping in the skete, one of whom he shot at once.

Having forced them to tie each other, barely alive, he led them into captivity. Only when Vaskov saw the Russian soldiers did he allow himself to lose consciousness.

Epilogue

Some time after the war, in a letter to his friend, a tourist describes amazing quiet places in the region of two lakes. In the text, he also mentions one old man without an arm, who came here with his son Albert Fedotych, a rocket captain.

Subsequently, this tourist, together with his new comrades, installed a marble slab with the names on the grave of the anti-aircraft gunners.

Conclusion

The piercing story of female heroism during the Great Patriotic War leaves an indelible mark on the hearts. The author repeatedly emphasizes in his narrative about the unnaturalness of the participation of women in hostilities by their nature, and the blame for this lies with the one who unleashed the war.

In 1972, director Stanislav Rostotsky made a film based on the story. He dedicated it to the nurse who carried him off the battlefield, saving him from certain death.