Page 7 - Excerpts from the diary

them to do it. Mortars threw under the leadership of the second lieutenant nearby from here, kilometers in twenty,
in the settlement not Kukhtachevo, not Vikhlyantsevo. That is told in Stalin's order on need of the most
strict saving of a military property under any circumstances, the lieutenant responded to my remark: 'You do not
understand a situation, companion Gelfand, you do not know in what we situation now' and ordered me to bring a
shovel to dig weapon. I asked to leave at least one company mortar (it weighs only 10 kilograms), what the
lieutenant answered me 'carry him then on shoulders'. It is clear, what his I could not bear, being in the territory of
covered with enemy landings.
Now I graze horses. A damnation, they far come and it is necessary to be interrupted and drive endlessly them
back. It already bothered me. I will drive them in a garden where we settled down now.

07.20.1942

Farm of Belensky. So this settlement is called. Today we already here the second day. Troops all go and go.
Singles, small groups and large divisions. All have the exhausted and exhausted appearance. Many changed
clothes in civilian, the majority abandoned weapon, some commanders broke from themselves distinctions. What
shame! What unexpected and sad discrepancy with newspaper data. A grief to me the fighter, the commander,
the Komsomol member, the patriot of the country. Heart clenches with shame and powerlessness to help
elimination of this shameful flight. Every day I am more and more convinced that we are strong that we will win
steadily against, but, with chagrin is forced to confess to myself that we are unorganized that we have no due
discipline and that from it war drags on therefore we temporarily fail.
The high command ran up by cars, betrayed masses Red Army, despite remoteness of the front from here.
Business reached that the German planes dare to fly over the earth as at home, without giving us the head it is free
to lift on all way of withdrawal.
All crossings and bridges are destroyed, the property and the cattle broken and spoiled lie on the road. Around
marauding prospers, the cowardice dominates. The military oath and Stalin's order are trampled continually.
Today I stood on a post at night. At dawn the neighbour's woman came and secretly reported that in the village
Germans that she saw them. Came, say, they at night and one of them, probably the senior, demanded, according
to the woman, documents from the fighters who were spending the night at her. He strictly talked to them, asked
what they are parts why not with the divisions where go and so forth. Her, the woman, he asked whether she
serves in a red army and when she told that she is not present, he ordered to lay him to sleep. She laid them and
came running here to tell. All of them badly speak Russian.

09.03.1942

Diary, friend expensive! And I had tea from roots today! Sweet, as with sugar! It is a pity, did not leave to you!
But it does not matter it is enough to you to smell a smell of roots here they, in hands at me that you were
convinced of truthfulness of my words. And why to you other sweets except mine, you endure everything on an
equal basis with me, and the same ups and downs.
Already darkens. Roots sit deeply in the earth, and they long had to be dug out. Treated and is fighting how it was
possible to treat from 1.5 mugs I got that and I warmed tea with Gorshkov.
Today did not send the letter was not riding.
Germans ours, it appears, drove away far from the burneddown shed; I found out about it from the observations
and according to the lieutenant.
Read articles about Tchedushe, Pavlenko, about Stalsky Suleyman, about Lermontov today, from those that else
remained with me.
Days became short and do not notice as they come to an end now. And for the rest [...] obviously to this meat [...]
thank God, the fourth calf captivated, but who was not in time to be killed got away. Today I feel not very well,
though not all meat as I others, ate.