Page 23 - Excerpts from the diary

Decided to go to a way road in the morning. Outside the unimaginable blizzard rose. Snow pours incessantly,
trying to trample again, risen from a multiday dream and turned green on the sun, the earth. Wind knocks down.
Wind noisy also behaves violently. He becomes angry and is terribly shown in a face, from him it becomes
terrible and sad at heart.
7 kilometers think to make today. Earlier we expected to promote on 1820 kilometers.
Learned that our troops forced Bug. Kherson is occupied long ago. Anywhere and everywhere our troops make
success in fight against the enemy.

Fraydorf. 8 kilometers made additional. Now to Kalinindorf there were no more than 12 kilometers. Slightly the
sun from under the light gray heavenly arch looked out during our way, but now when we reached already the
place, it came and is not shown because of clouds. And wind... It both rushes about, and seeks somewhere, and
jumps and plays. Wild wind. It wants return of winter. But it is vain: the spring already is in full swing.
After bandaging it became easier for me. The doctor imposed Vishnevsky's ointment on a wound that blood and
together to a finger did not stick to bandage. The joke to tell: all cotton wool and a part of a bandage was painted
by blood. And all this stuck to a finger. It was impossible to unbandage. Kept more than an hour in a bath, but up
to the end did not to wet a bandage and when it was torn off, after a gauze also skin, my body stretched. Then the
doctor, holding tweezers for the bloodstained gauze, cut off a part of skin and thus exempted my finger from
foreign things. He tied up easily and accurately. And now I feel though pain, but in incomparably smaller sizes.
On radio good news: our front forced Bug; on one of sites the German military group is surrounded. Affairs and
on other fronts are good. Hard, however, with transportation of arms, ammunition, food. So, all heavy and
average artillery is still here. Some types only ahead, but are and behind even. Food too so. And ammunition. It
creates great difficulties for successful approach and in general for a conduct of combat.
The front it is very far from here. A cannon rumble it is not heard already. Tell, ours already in 13 kilometers
from Nikolaev. Generally the front at Bug stopped. For now.
Stopped in one apartment at the village edge. Very young girl born in 28, almost girl, but already big. Pretty,
however yet not tempted in love. Looks, looks and is silent as though wants to know that I for the person. Looks
infinitely the fine blue eyes. Small pretty creation! It is a pity that I not your years, and I would show that to you
what is love.

05.01.1944

All yesterday, all night long, and even a part of morning went a pouring cold rain. It was covered with an
overcoat and sitting slept. All blotted an overcoat, became heavy, under me too water came to be. By the
morning, water reached the top underwear and the body. Got wet, as they say, 'to a thread'. Only around a
stomach and a breast there was a dry place. Here the overcoat did not adjoin densely and here, 'in the bosom', I
kept party and other documents.
Now generally dried. In a trench on depth two bayonets are full waters, only sitting rather dry and plus to that I
under myself enclose a bag. Legs wet and it is cold in them, hands and cheeks burn with fire.
In the evening the horizon and the sun which is hardly heating cleared up and windy, slightly caressed a look. But
and an overcoat completely did not manage to dry up foot cloths.
Village nearby, meters 300 from here. From a front line meters 50.
Today was at Parkhomenko. He says that he will do nothing yet in order that I got to a mortar company again. I
told him that if he wishes to check my courage let will give me an individual task. In the evening he wrote me to
a stupor the silly order: to be transported to one on other side to flooded with water PTR's and, having entered the
village, to throw grenades or some other way to destroy the PILLBOX with an embrasure of an easel machine
gun. I undersigned that read, but I will hardly carry out if it is impossible to make safely. I am a commander, the
average commander, and he gives such tasks to me.
In the village, roosters shout and dogs bark. There are floodplains, and there, behind them, the dry place. The
village on a round skyscraper is located, similar to a barrow, but rather it is more. Houses and streets are clearly