Here the dawn is quiet

Author: Boris Vasiliev
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: "The Silent Dawn" is the masterpiece of the renowned contemporary Soviet writer Vasiliev. The story takes place in May 1942. The warrant officer Vaskov reluctantly accepts an assignment to command two platoons—"troops" that are all young female soldiers who don’t drink alcohol, but they are all short-skirted. He must lead them to guard the 171 transit facility. For a time, the female soldiers are stationed there, just as they are still not accustomed to field life, they unexpectedly encounter a group of German fascist reconnaissance soldiers. They could have let these "Japs" go and simply hold the. However, justice and sensitivity compel them to not only hold the but also, with the strength of five girls—both soldiers and commanders—to engage in a desperate battle with the enemy.
The author portrays the scene with realistic and vivid imagery, employing a blend of solemn and humorous prose, and a lively, witty artistic language. He recreates the innocent and cheerful young people who had just emerged from peaceful times, showing their romanticism and high sense of heroism when forced to face the cruelty of war—to defend their homeland, they are willing to sacrifice love, abandon families, and even lay down their lives.
In the village of the 171 transit facility, only one young man, Vaskov, remains. The story unfolds in May 1942, as the German fascists escalate their invasion into Soviet territory. War has taken the village men, and Vaskov’s landlady Maria and female neighbor Polina endure this war in their own ways. The arrival of the female soldiers brings a youthful vitality to the small village. The silent and reserved Lida, the poetic university student Sonya, the kind rural girl Risa, and the timid and eccentric Galka. War does not strip the women of their youthful energy, especially with the fiery Genya’s arrival, which breathes fresh air into the girls’ hearts, stirring their desire for beauty.
However, danger is approaching. One by one, the girls fall under the German soldiers’ gunfire, and the grieving V charges toward the enemy.