Page 31 - Excerpts from the diary

Round day does not cease to pour a rain. I got far into the forest, into its depth. Here many dugouts are dug. In
one of them I settled down. This I break, of course, the order of the commander of army of the lieutenant
general Berzarin not to go into the woods to one as here to themselves the Ukrainian national socialists who were
on sale to Germans built nests. The other day they killed two officers and one fighter. But what I can make me
have no place to be in battalion. I on position of the excess person. To ask to let in me somewhere a dugout
inconveniently and it is a shame, and I have no own haven. Besides, here for me a full privacy. Probability of
attack of percent fifty, is no more. And though I have no weapon at all, nevertheless I feel here much more
quietly, than in battalion. Tops of battalion unauthorized absence can call my absence to me and cook up charges
against me. But also this option is more favorable than those ordeals which I should carry daily. Here fighters of
my or other battalion and regiments can come, can consider me as the spy, arrest before examination and create
around me the whole hype. This nastiest.
I hear, nearby someone goes. Group of people. Our or others? Quietly talk. Here they passed in groundsheets
absolutely close. Voices are removed, people too.
At night today there was a rain too. After a picture I found an empty, huge dugout tent and fell asleep in it. At
dawn, however, I was woken by the fighters sorting it and rushed in the formed openings, a rain. So, as the
homeless tramp, I cannot find to myself the place in the division anywhere.
The chief of staff Bondarenko threatened to exclude me from an allowance. Demanded that again I went to the
chief of front department. When I to him came, began to swear, called me undisciplined and told that I did not
come to him anymore until he demands. Bondarenko told that he will talk to Antyufeev. It was very undesirable
to me because that can give bad characteristic (which was requested by the battalion commander), but,
nevertheless, now for me already everything became indifferent. I am ready for anything if only to escape from
this trap and not to get again to Semyonov where I absolutely will fall into a stalemate. He wanted on Dniester
aimlessly me to ruin when allocated with three fighters and a mortar under fire of enemy artillery, forbidding at
the same time, in view of fear of the enemy, most to fire.

It is time to have dinner to go, and I did not write letters to the aunt Ania and some other yet.
A few days ago rejoiced that I am not ill. Almost all people around me people were captured by general malaria
and other diseases. The dampness, however, influenced also me. Flu and cold already a row of days do not
abandon me, but I carry everything on the run because weaned to lie. In the afternoon never I like to lie in and I
seek to fill up free time work literary trash. A lot of time occupies me, however, love for shifting and a revising
written by me and other contents of bags, but the disorder and narrowness spoil paper and are one
of greatest difficulties for me.

10.22.1944

Poland. Village of Ganna.
Yesterday left Nikolay and the captain Romanov. They went, and I remained by mail. There wrote several letters.
Sold post cards, and money at me did not appear I went bankrupt on the way. It was necessary to find a way out.
Then came into the first got lodge and offered the owner the small brush and soap. Asked 20 rubles, but that
bargained and I conceded to him for 15. Returned all money for cards, but still some majorsphysicians came and
began to demand that they to them let off cards too. It was forced to buy only 50 cards for 10 rubles. 5 rubles
remained in a pocket.
Through border moved with these majors they had a traveling instruction, three cars, people and
property. However, at a boundary post the people with whom I went pointed to me that I sat down on the way to
them. Fortunately bags were not checked but only documents, but as on this way all division went, at once passed
me.
In Vladov there were ours everywhere. Encountered the Five. There I had acquaintances from officers
and fighters, and they specified to me where a division headquarters. In operations section found Shchinov, the
topographer and others. Shchinov already major.