The history of the armed conflict in Chechnya, which claimed many innocent lives, was reflected in their works by talented authors who transferred all the bitterness of this event to paper. Writers have reflected this historical event in different ways; each has their own view, their own attitude, their own story that they want to convey to the reader. Books about the war in Chechnya are written in different genres, which reflect autobiographical works, real stories of people, facts and key events of military operations. You can go back to those moments and imagine everything that happened there by reading books in this category.

1. I - “Caliber-10”: Assault on Grozny. January, 95. - Pavel Milyukov, Konstantin Yauk
A poignant book in the style of a “documentary chronicle” is dedicated to the brave actions of the 131st motorized rifle brigade during the Chechen War of 1994-1995. Survivors in the “meat grinder” do not like to remember the past, drenched in enemy blood...

2.
The major, with a tempting intonation, asked the “yellow-mouthed” youths - do they want to serve in the Caucasus? After all, there is expanse and apple trees bloom, intoxicating them with the scent of love. But in the eyes of the brave warrior one could read fear and expectation of death...

3.
Since 1999, A. Politkovskaya has been covering the terrible events that took place in the Chechen Republic and subsequently paid for it with her life. But the bitter truth about the “second Chechen war” deserves to be known to ordinary Russians...

4.
Astafiev is a lieutenant colonel who led military operations in the Chechen campaign. He is again ready to fight for a peaceful life, but first the man needs to free the captive from the dirty “clutches” of the militants and settle scores with his “former friends”...

5. Someone else's war, or Life behind the barrier. Chechnya - Anna Politkovskaya
Defenseless women have nothing to do in a cruel and bloody war! But A. Politkovskaya had no other choice - her superiors sent her to write about terrible massacres and highlight a deadly nightmare for the civilian population of the country...

6.
E. Tashevsky didn’t want to fight, didn’t want to at all! But due to a cruel accident, the hero found himself in the “hottest” spot of the Caucasus and is now looking for ways to survive and forget about the nightmare. And a beloved and devoted woman is waiting at home...

7.
V. Mironov was a direct participant in the military events in Grozny. It's 1995 and the Chechens don't want to give up without a bloody fight. Now the man writes about what he saw and felt when his comrades were dying nearby...

8.
“The Trench Truth of the Chechen War” is an unembellished story about the lives of people who found themselves accidentally or “intentionally” at the epicenter of hot events. They are heroes and enemies, victims and torturers, soldiers and freed prisoners...

9. Chechen stories - Alexander Karasev
“Chechen Stories” is a simple story about the terrible and bloody everyday life of “ours against others” in a deadly battle. A fascinating story tells the truth “uncut” about a war forgotten by the Russian state...

10.
December 1994, Nizhny Novgorod region. There are only 170 people in the 245th motorized rifle brigade, but within a few days the leadership filled them up and sent them to the “hot” spot. Many returned home... in zinc coffins.

11.
Sunny April in the Chechen Republic became the bloody starting point for the 245th motorized rifle brigade of “ours.” Once - and the first one fell, two - the second was knocked down, three - and the soldiers were suddenly surrounded by enemies lurking in the gorge...12. .
O. Alenova managed to highlight a woman’s view of the Chechen war in her journalistic chronicles. She does not write in protocol language in a dry presentation about battles and soldiers, but is filled with genuine compassion for living people...

13.
How is the current situation in Chechnya perceived by Russian politicians, generals, soldiers and residents of the “rebellious” republic? N. Astashkin interviewed many people when writing the book and received a very unexpected answer...

14.
Bright changes have long come on the western front, but the southern one is suffering from the actions of politicians and a bloody war. Soldiers of a mortar battery are storming a Caucasian village occupied by militants and do not know whether they will return home alive...

15.
How much is a human life worth? “What a cynical question!” - many readers will exclaim, but the tired soldiers who participated in the bloody Chechen war know the terrible answer too well. And they are ready to tell everyone their truth...

16.
N. Medvedeva is a photojournalist who was sent by management to a “hot” spot to get sensations. The year 1995 came, and the brave woman met many people in Chechnya, including Shamil Basayev and Dzhokhar Dudayev...

17.
Gennady Troshev is a general in the Chechen war who wrote a sensational diary “uncut” about dirty politics and ordinary soldiers who died in terrible battles for incomprehensible ideals. A combat officer knows the truth of the trenches very well...

18. Chechen break - Gennady Troshev
“The Chechen Break” is another diary of General G. Troshin about the trench truth of the Caucasian war. Through all the pages of the terrible book, a sad story about absurdly destroyed human lives flashes with lightning speed...

19.
The official end of the Chechen war does not yet mean victory over the enemy. Too many bloody events happened and too many ordinary soldiers died for everything to just be forgotten. And relapses “reveal” again and again...

20.
D. Dudayev is the brightest leader of the Chechen Republic (1991-1995), but his rule brought only suffering and sharply aggravated the crisis situation that developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is the world of crime bosses...

21.
Chechen militants, “tired” of fighting Russian soldiers, decided to stealthily attack a military town where officers and their families live. But they didn’t take into account that our people would fight to the end for women and children...

In the old days, churches were erected on battlefields in memory of heroes and martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland. On Kulikovo, on Borodino, on Prokhorovsky, Russian military churches turn white. This book is a temple erected to the glory of the Russian troops who went through the Afghan campaign and fought the war in Chechnya. I wrote pages and chapters, like frescoes are written, where instead of saints and angels there are officers and soldiers of Russia, and instead of horses and halos there are armored personnel carriers, and tanks, and the bloody glow of burning Kabul and Grozny.

The trench truth of the Chechen war Alexey Volynets

The majority of the authors of this book are terribly far from professional journalism. These are privates and lieutenants, adventurers and militants, random fellow travelers and prisoners - witnesses, participants, accomplices, heroes and victims of the war in Chechnya. Fights in the mountains and conversations in compartments, conversations on bunks and in zindans, skirmishes on roads and markets, in forests and cities. Unprofessional, unvarnished, trench truth... The book covers the entire period and entire geography of the Chechen war - from the New Year's assault on Grozny in 1995 to the battles with the Wahhabi underground in Dagestan in the summer of 2007.

Soulguard Vasily Shakhov

Here is a mystical action movie with elements of cryptohistory about the mysterious country of Oritan. The action begins in our days, approximately in the mid-90s of the twentieth century, when “brothers” began to drive freely around the collapsed Soviet Union in cool foreign cars, when the war was raging in Chechnya, and Russia was still hesitantly stepping onto the path of capitalism. The Chinese say: “Do not wish your enemy to live in an era of change!” The fate of the novel's heroes is such that they live in precisely such an era. Just like you and me. The daughter of Novosibirsk businessman Alexander...

Kandahar outpost Alexander Prokhanov

Rodnenky Alexander Prokhanov

In the old days, churches were erected on battlefields in memory of heroes and martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland. On Kulikovo, on Borodino, on Prokhorovsky, Russian military churches turn white. This book is a temple erected to the glory of the Russian troops who went through the Afghan campaign and fought the war in Chechnya. I wrote pages and chapters, like frescoes are written, where instead of saints and angels there are officers and soldiers of Russia, and instead of horses and halos there are armored personnel carriers, and tanks, and the bloody glow of burning Kabul and Grozny. Included in the collection “War from the East. Book about the Afghan campaign"

Dream about Kabul Alexander Prokhanov

In the old days, churches were erected on battlefields in memory of heroes and martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland. On Kulikovo, on Borodino, on Prokhorovsky, Russian military churches turn white. This book is a temple erected to the glory of the Russian troops who went through the Afghan campaign and fought the war in Chechnya. I wrote pages and chapters, like frescoes are written, where instead of saints and angels there are officers and soldiers of Russia, and instead of horses and halos there are armored personnel carriers, and tanks, and the bloody glow of burning Kabul and Grozny. Included in the collection “War from the East. Book about the Afghan campaign"

Virgo sign Alexander Prokhanov

In the old days, churches were erected on battlefields in memory of heroes and martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland. On Kulikovo, on Borodino, on Prokhorovsky, Russian military churches turn white. This book is a temple erected to the glory of the Russian troops who went through the Afghan campaign and fought the war in Chechnya. I wrote pages and chapters, like frescoes are written, where instead of saints and angels there are officers and soldiers of Russia, and instead of horses and halos there are armored personnel carriers, and tanks, and the bloody glow of burning Kabul and Grozny. Included in the collection “War from the East. Book about the Afghan campaign"

Yod Andrey RUBANOV

In the new novel, Andrei Rubanov returns to the autobiographical manner that made him famous, to the hero of his early books “Plant and It Will Grow” and “The Great Dream.” Yod is a brutal story of love for your friends and your country. The story of the 2000s, which began for the hero with the war in Chechnya and ended with painful experiences in prosperous Moscow. A classic "black book", shocking and direct, knowing no mercy. The bloody confession of a man who has been observing reality from the inside out for too long. The hero of the novel “Yod” has a past and a future...

Bride of Allah Sergey Baksheev

A poignant story of hatred, compassion and love between a Muscovite who went through the war in Chechnya and a suicide bomber. He saves her from the wrath of an angry crowd, but she does not want to live. They are enemies in the eyes of the intelligence services and targets for the organizers of the terrorist attack. Insidious traps, betrayal of friends and brutal chases bring them closer together. But the forces are not equal. He is destined to be killed, and she is destined to explode in a crowded place in a bride's dress. At what cost can a tragedy be prevented?

Towers made of stone Wojciech Jagielski

Wojciech Jagielski was awarded the title of honorary member and Golden Award of the Polish Press Agency PAP, where he worked from 1986 to 1991. He has collaborated with Gazeta Wyborcza since its foundation. Wojciech is the author of A Good Place to Die, about the Caucasus, and A Prayer for Rain, about the war in Afghanistan. The book “Stone Towers” ​​tells about the war in Chechnya.

The garrison is not for rent Evgeniy Kostyuchenko

Russian officer Vadim Grantsov went through three wars. He fought in Africa, and his homeland paid him in foreign currency. In Afghanistan, he paid for his country's international debt with blood. For the war in Chechnya, the state paid him with shame and humiliation. And Grantsov decided - stop fighting. He chose a peaceful life on an abandoned “point”, where a tiny garrison is trying to maintain combat readiness despite all the efforts of the new masters of life. Here he found true friends and met the woman he loved. But in order to defend his home and his love, he again has to take...

Russian captain Vladislav Shurygin

War consists of moments, of a short burst of machine gun fire, of a cry of rage or pain, of deafening silence after a battle. The war in Chechnya, seen through the eyes of a soldier, is not at all a pretentious heroic battle. This is a second-by-second test of everything that is in a person. Interrogating a prisoner, shooting a traitor, burying a friend is hard, exhausting work. And tomorrow you will go into battle again, and you must be prepared for the most difficult moral tests.

Letter from the future Aslan Shataev

The action develops against the backdrop of the war in Chechnya. The hero falls in love with his classmate, but does not confess his feelings to her. Time passes, a war begins, in a moment of danger he discovers the ability to travel through time and decides to change his future.

Bullet as a gift Maxim Shakhov

War in Chechnya. The commander of the reconnaissance company, Captain Artem Tarasov, has his own long-standing scores to settle with the terrorist Umar. They have clashed in bloody battles more than once. This time, fate did not smile on the captain: as a result of a heated battle, the special forces soldier was captured by Umar. The officer manages to escape, killing several more militants along the way. Umar is furious. In retaliation, the Chechen gives the order to kill the captain's friend Marina. Artyom declares the terrorist his bloodline and vows to destroy the bandit. And not keeping your promises is not in the captain’s rules...

One year in the life of a director, or How we got out... Alexander Malinovsky

The reader, having familiarized himself with these notes, may find them too unsystematic and chaotic. But, nevertheless, one year in the life of the director of a large Volga chemical enterprise, a difficult year, in many ways a turning point for the fate of Russia - 1994, which began with a deep systemic crisis caused by Gaidar’s ill-conceived economic reforms, and ended with the war in Chechnya, which was a consequence of the adventuristic policy of the Yeltsin administration - this year is reflected here quite clearly. The author of the notes sincerely experiences all the consequences...

This collection contains all the best books about the war in Chechnya. Some of the books tell not about the military actions themselves, but about life in the region during the conflict.

Zakhar Prilepin. Pathologies

During the war in Chechnya, blood is shed. The main character found himself a participant in these events in the midst of the conflict. He doesn't understand the meaning of what is happening. The author is trying to convey to the readers his empathy, since he himself was a representative of law enforcement agencies and knows what it is. He avoids politics, and murders, in his opinion, are a necessary measure to protect his own life and his state. Further

Andrey Zagortsev. City. The assault on Grozny through the eyes of a special forces lieutenant (1994–1995)

A real description of the conduct of operations by a special forces detachment during the Chechen War. In the mid-twentieth century, the author was sent to Chechnya to restore order that would correspond to the order of the Constitution. Zagortsev wanted to become a detachment commander in Vladikavkaz. He was overcome by dreams of beautiful exploits. As a result, he had to lead ordinary conscripts, and the capture of the city lasted more than two months. Further

For the heroes of this book, war was a destiny; they did not perceive it as a profession. Duty to the Motherland, orders from senior commanders lost weight for them. After the death of his comrades, the mind was clouded by a thirst for revenge and justice. They started their war, the result of which can only be victory. In the center is the problem of a young captain who sincerely believes in the truth and honor of military brotherhood. His views differ from those of his comrades around him. Can he become one of them? Further

A “spirit” named Arbi is captured by the Russians. He was arrogant when he took the lives of young soldiers at a checkpoint. No one knows how many souls he destroyed with his dagger. Before the guys died, sarcastic jokes flew from his lips. But now his hands were tied, and his powerlessness made him look pitiful and humiliated. Further

The action takes place in the early nineties. The police captain is about to go on a business trip to Chechnya. After another shootout, a wounded woman is discovered. It turns out to be the captain's ex-wife. They ended their relationship several years ago. Her next husband turns out to be a Chechen. She is embroiled in a war. The feelings of former spouses are revived at the peak of the conflict. Further

Everyone knows that the past cannot be turned back. There is no road to the past. You live your life under someone else's name and surname, but you still continue to fight. Nobody cares about your fate. The secret services are not hunting you. You're just living out your retirement. They left you no choice. You are looking for freedom that doesn't exist. Everything is calm around, but there is no joy in your soul. Further

Russian army soldiers are captured by militants. They begin to demand ransom for them. The children's parents want to solve the problem without the participation of government agencies. The mother of one of the captured goes to negotiations, but is captured herself. The state allocates a special forces unit to free the hostages. This unit is headed by a seasoned warrior nicknamed Writer. Further

An expensive jewelry store is being robbed. Two guards die. One of the guards recognized the robber. His brother wants to take revenge for Evgeniy’s death. He manages to find the attackers. He reveals their true goals. As a result, he learns that his dead brother was also involved in the scam. Further

The theme of the work will be great love and a terrible war. The main character will be a participant in the events of the Chechen War. The novel describes his experiences in detail. He will be able to survive and return home. But he is no longer the same, and he faces new challenges in peaceful life. Further

Vyacheslav Nemyshev. Bucha. Korsakoff's syndrome (collection)

The first and second books by the famous journalist about the Chechen war. This story tells us about a soldier who was carried away after taking the oath to the Caucasian war. He manages to survive. But this doesn’t make it any easier for him. All the characters in the books are real people. Survivors' names have been changed. Once under the gun, it is difficult for a person to maintain his mind and remain the same as before. Further

Alexander Bushkovsky. Feast of Extra Eagles (collection)

The main characters of the book are four friends. They are united by service in the Chechen War. After the end of the war, they cannot find their place in peaceful life. One of them becomes a servant in the monastery. He wants to learn to enjoy the world around him and restore his relationship with his daughter. Further

The author of the work is himself a participant in the Chechen campaign. It evokes mixed emotions in those around him. The qualities of a professional and pragmatist do not leave others indifferent. They admire him. He is a war hero, but he does not forget about all its hardships. Further

When people were kidnapped in the second half of the nineties, it was common and frequent. There were a lot of hostages. The author had the opportunity to become a hostage of Chechen militants. He tries to convey all his experience in this book. Here is a tough psychological thriller that will capture your attention the entire time you read it. Further

This story will tell us about the events of the war in the mid and late nineties. The main character graduates from university, becomes a successful businessman and enters the army for contract service. He is assigned to the combat zone in the Caucasus. He learns to shoot, but does not become a murderer. After the end of the contract, the answer is still not clear: what was the purpose of the Russian soldiers staying in Chechnya? Further

The book will tell about the capture of Grozny, living in it, about the special operations that were carried out in parallel. We will see how the fates of field commanders and slaves, federals and ordinary soldiers will develop. Because the author of the book is a woman, the novel is filled with deep emotions. The author managed to vividly convey the events of the past days. Further

German Sadulaev. Wolf jump. Essays on the political history of Chechnya from the Khazar Kaganate to the present day

This work tells us about the origins of Chechen settlements from the Khazar Khaganate, which existed in the seventh century. Their life path is traced until the moment of their deportation. In 1944, Stalin managed to deport most of the Chechen settlements. The work makes it possible to trace the mysterious history of the Chechen peoples. Further

Monographic collection, which includes scientific articles. The author wrote them over several decades. The main topic is the problems that have arisen in the Chechen Republic and ways to solve them. Further

These were the best books about the war in Chechnya. If you have already read something from this, share your feedback in the comments.

In Chechnya there are some of the most piercing, truthful and modern stories about valor, courage and honor. Nowadays, the exploits of soldiers and officers of the Great Patriotic War are becoming a thing of the past. While the events in Chechnya are close and familiar to everyone. Even young people still remember how every evening alarming reports were broadcast on the evening news. That is why these works are so popular today.

Black book

Books about the war in Chechnya are often not works of fiction, such as are just a minority, but testimonies of people who were personally present at the events described. This is also the case with the book A documentary narrative about the events in the south of Russia called “The Black Book of the Chechen War.”

It was prepared in 2000 as a report intended for members of the European Parliament. Its main goal was to convince European politicians, who often based their opinions about this war on biased sources.

The author tries to prove with dry facts that the war against the separatists restores peace in the republic, and in no way violates human rights. This contains specific descriptions of the crimes committed by Chechen gangs, violations of the rights of the Russian population, and also provides a detailed and impartial analysis of the actions of the Russian authorities at different stages of the confrontation.

However, the book was never published in Europe; it was published only in Russia, where it remains relevant today.

In a trap

Prokopenko is looking for answers to questions that still plague many Russians. Why did this terrible tragedy happen? Why did the state and government make so many unforgivable mistakes? Why is this war unprecedented in terms of stupidity, cynicism and betrayal?

The main characters of the story are ordinary soldiers and officers. According to the author, who himself has visited the hot spot more than once, the main culprits of this tragedy are representatives of the Kremlin, who have repeatedly betrayed their own army and people. And sometimes they acted simply cowardly and ignorantly.

General's stories

Books about the war in Chechnya were written not only by military journalists, but also by direct participants in the events.

Thus, the memoirs of General Gennady Troshev “My War. The Chechen Diary of a Trench General,” published in 2001, gained great popularity. In it, one of the leaders of the Russian army describes in detail the events of both the First and Second Chechen campaigns.

According to the author, he was prompted to sit down at the writing table by the large number of lies and untruths published about this war. The general talks about events that he knows for certain, and also expresses his opinion and attitude towards many popular politicians and military leaders on both sides.

True story

One of the most sincere works is “The Diary published in 2011. Stories about the Chechen war are presented here from the perspective of the writer herself, who was born in Grozny in 1985.

The diaries describe the events of 1999-2002, when the author was 14-17 years old. The book has been translated into many languages ​​in Europe and beyond. It was published without cuts, everything was published as it was in the original, that is, in the diaries themselves.

Of great interest was the story about the war from the perspective of a teenager, a sincere narrative about interethnic relations between Russians and Chechens, and the fate of civilians during the Second Chechen Campaign. At first, many considered it a work of fiction, but witnesses appeared, including the chairman of the Civic Assistance Committee, Svetlana Gannushkina, who confirmed that they had personally seen these diaries.

We delved into the past and chose 5 books about the war in Chechnya - fiction and documentary. They are worth studying if only to understand what imprint the war left on public consciousness.

Second Chechen / Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya's task as a special correspondent for Novaya Gazeta was to talk about the life of the residents of Chechnya during the second military campaign. They say about this book: “It’s painful and scary to read.” It is about something that has never been talked about in the Russian media - Politkovskaya was not afraid to write in detail about what she saw. And she was shot dead in her own entrance in 2006. The print run is sold out, but the book can be found online.

Summer eve 2002, 33rd month of the second Chechen war. Hopelessness and darkness - in everything that concerns its ending. The “cleansing operations” do not stop and are similar to mass auto-da-fe. Torture is the norm. Extrajudicial executions are routine. Looting is commonplace. Kidnappings of people by federal military personnel for the purpose of subsequent labor (alive) and corpse (dead) trade is a trivial Chechen way of life.

Ritual a 1a “Year 37” – the nightly disappearances of “human material” without a trace.

In the mornings - shredded, mutilated bodies on the outskirts, thrown up at curfew.

And for the hundredth, thousandth damned time - I hear children habitually discussing on rural streets which of their fellow villagers was found and in what form... Today... Yesterday... With cut off ears, with scalps removed, with severed fingers...

– Are there no fingers on your hands? – one teenager asks casually.

“No, Alaudin has them on his feet,” the other answers apathetically.

Forgotten Chechnya: pages from military notebooks / Yuri Shchekochikhin

Another book from a Novaya correspondent and part-time State Duma deputy. The author is trying to figure out why everything was started and to attract public attention to what was actually happening in the conflict zone. Yuri Shchekochikhin was poisoned in 2003. “He left us feeling happy. And - things that I didn’t manage to bring to victory.” - colleagues from Novaya say about him.

They shouted at me as if I was the only journalist in all of Russia: “Stop spitting on us! What, are we the most guilty?.. Chechens are people, but who are we? Where were you before with your human rights, when there was complete genocide of the Russian population in Chechnya? Why weren’t they indignant when Russians were forced to sell their houses for next to nothing?!..”

I told them about the devastated city, and they told me: “Why don’t you write how they hanged eleven soldiers upside down on the building of the Council of Ministers?” I’m talking about how an army captain killed four civilians with a machine gun, who had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that only six soldiers from his battalion were left alive, and they told me about how much they found in Chechen houses from robbed trains.

And I understood their personal rightness - each individual, who experienced something here during these days that would not have been dreamed of even in a nightmare. But I knew that somewhere in another basement of another house one of my colleagues, sitting with Chechen fighters, was listening to stories about the torture that Russian soldiers subjected Chechens to, about young guys who, despite being wounded, remained in the ranks, about courage and meanness, which always coexist in any war, and, of course, about destroyed houses, about humiliation. And about everything, about everything that they experienced during these days of war.

War | T1om / Arkady Babchenko

Semi-autobiographical work of fiction.Arkady Babchenkowent through two Chechen campaigns and subsequently became a war correspondent. He says: "HIt is impossible to explain war to a person who has not fought - he simply does not have the necessary senses. You can only survive the war.” But still, the author explains the war to us quite clearly.

The hatred for each other is mutual. There is a lot to hate. “Counter” officers - because they steal stew without hesitation; they sell diesel fuel in tanks; for lack of professionalism and inability to save soldiers' lives; for careerism on blood; for robbing left and right, driving around in captured Pajero cars, and filling tents with leather furniture and carpets; for the fact that drunken “contractors” are beaten with boots, while they themselves allow themselves to get drunk in the mud; for lynching and bullying; for dismissals without money; because the humanitarian aid never reached the platoons; for cowardice in battle. The officers hate the “double basses” for the same thing that they hate them for - because they get drunk and sell to diesel fuel; for shooting officers in the back; for being caught with ammunition at the market; for the fact that the looters are all one and all alcoholics and trash under the fence; because they don’t know how to fight and don’t want to, but only know how to rummage through the ruins and fill the sidor with junk; for throwing machine guns in the middle of a battle; because everyone, as one, wants to quit this damn army from which they need nothing but money. They also hate them for their poverty, eternal hopelessness and unfed children. Conscripts - also because they die like flies, and they have to write funerals to their mothers.

Ant in a glass jar / Polina Zherebtsova

War and life in an occupied city through the eyes of a child. “Ant in a Glass Jar” is a collection of extremely sincere diaries kept by Polina Zherebtsova from 1994 to 2004. First love, everyday life, domestic conflicts. An ordinary diary of an ordinary girl, only the setting is a brutal war. Book ntranslated into many European languages. After the publication, Polina was unable to remain on the territory of the Russian Federation due to incoming threats.

The Russian military destroyed the market. No tables. No income. And there is no food at all. People are crying and saying that their lockers were robbed. They took the men. Yesterday we walked to the market to see if there were any boards or had they all been burned? We traded a little on nobody's boxes. We bought two loaves of bread and canned fish.

In the evening, someone blew up an armored personnel carrier near the mosque. Shooting began “randomly.” Bullets are whistling through the market! There was a loud bang somewhere nearby! The people started running! Naturally, we do too.

Pathologies / Zakhar Prilepin

The author took part in hostilities in Chechnya in 1996 and 1999. Based on his impressions, he writes a novel about a philosophizing special forces soldier sent to Chechnya. Both critics and readers respond positively to the novel. “At first it was a novel about love, but gradually (I worked for three or four years) it turned into a novel about Chechnya as about my most powerful life experience - as they say, no matter what you do, a Kalashnikov assault rifle comes out.”

They stood waist-deep in the water, looking at the school, their mouths twisted, making hoarse sounds. And at the school they have already killed almost everyone who came here to die. We, those who remained, stood with burnt faces, with ice-cold eyelashes, with a sick brain, with drunken eyesight, with mutilated lungs, having experienced a long shock...

We went out to the road and they picked us up.

The burnt black asphalt cracked when we stepped on it, like dry bread. A swallow flew by and touched my face with its wing.

"There will be peace."