THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR IN THE STORY BY B. L. VASILIEV “AND THE DAWNINGS HERE ARE QUIET...”
1.Introduction.
Reflection of the events of the war years in literature.
2. Main part.
2.1 Depiction of war in the story.
2.2 Gallery of female images.
2.3 Sergeant Major Vaskov - main character stories.
2.4 The image of the enemy in the story.
3. Conclusion.
True patriotism.
I've only seen hand-to-hand combat once.
Once - in reality. And a thousand - in a dream.
Who says that war is not scary?
He knows nothing about the war.
Yu.V. Drunina
The Great Patriotic War is one of the defining events in the history of our country. There is practically no family that is not affected by this tragedy. The theme of the Great Patriotic War has become one of the main topics not only in literature, but also in cinematography, fine arts XX century. In the very first days of the war, essays by war correspondents and works by writers and poets who found themselves on the battlefield appeared. A huge amount was written
number of stories, novels and novels about the war. The story of Boris Lvovich Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet ...” is one of the most lyrical works about the war. The events of the story take place in 1942 in the north of Russia, in a battalion where fate, after being wounded, threw the main character, Sergeant Major Vaskov. The Hero is appointed to command a “female” platoon of female anti-aircraft gunners. The author depicts different women, different from each other, but united by one goal - the fight against the enemy of the Motherland. As fate would have it, the heroines found themselves in a war where a woman had no place. Each of the girls has already faced death, the pain of loss. Hatred for their enemies is what motivates them, what gives them strength to fight.
Rita Osyanina - commander of the first squad of the platoon. Her husband, a border guard, died on the second day of the war “in a morning counterattack,” and her son lives with his parents. Rita hates her enemies “quietly and mercilessly.” She is stern, reserved, strict with herself and other fighters.
Zhenya Komelnova is a bright beauty, tall, red-haired. Zhenya, like Rita, also has a “personal score” with the Nazis. The whole family was shot before her eyes. After this tragedy, Zhenya found herself at the front. Despite this, the heroine retained her natural cheerfulness. She is sociable and mischievous, funny and flirtatious.
Lisa Brichkina is the daughter of a forester. She grew up early, cared for her sick mother for five years, ran a household, and managed to work on a collective farm. The war prevented the heroine from entering a technical school. Liza is thorough, like a peasant, knows and loves the forest, is not afraid of any work, and is always ready to help her friends.
Sonya Gurvich is a girl from a “very large and very friendly” family. Her father was a doctor in Minsk. The girl studied at the university for a year, but the war began, her lover went to the front, and Sonya also could not stay at home.
Sonya knows nothing about the fate of the family who found themselves in Nazi-occupied Minsk. She lives in hope that they managed to survive, although she understands that this hope is illusory. Sonya is smart and educated, “an excellent student at school and university,” speaks perfect German, and loves poetry.
Galya Chetvertak was brought up in orphanage, she is a foundling. Maybe that’s why she lives in an imaginary world, invents a “health worker” for herself, and maybe lies. In fact, this is not a lie, says the author, but “desires presented as reality.” Dreamy by nature
the girl entered the library technical school. And when she was in her third year, the war began. Gala was rejected by the military registration and enlistment office because she did not fit in either height or age, but she showed remarkable perseverance and “I’m fine.”
exceptions” she was sent to the anti-aircraft unit.
The heroines are not alike. It is these girls that Sergeant Major Vaskov takes with him to follow the Germans. But it turns out there are not two enemies, but much more. As a result, all the girls die, leaving only
sergeant major Death overtakes the heroines in different situations: through negligence in a swamp, and in an unequal battle with enemies. Vasiliev admires their heroism. It cannot be said that girls are unfamiliar with the feeling of fear. Impressive Galya Chetvertak is very scared of death Sonya Gurvich. But the girl manages to overcome fear, and this is her strength and courage. At the moment of death, none of the girls complains about fate, does not blame anyone. They understand that their lives were sacrificed in the name of saving the Motherland. The author emphasizes the unnaturalness of what is happening when a woman, whose purpose is to love, give birth and raise children, is forced to kill. War is an abnormal state for a person.
The main character of the story is Sergeant Major Fedot Vaskov. He comes from a simple family, studied up to the fourth grade and was forced to leave school because his father died. Nevertheless, he later graduated from the regimental school. Personal life
Vaskova was unsuccessful: his wife ran away with the regimental veterinarian, and his little son died. Vaskov has already fought in war, was wounded, and has awards. The girl fighters at first laughed at their simple-minded commander, but soon appreciated his courage, directness, and warmth. He tries in every possible way to help the girls who are coming face to face with the enemy for the first time. Rita Osyanina asks Vaskov to take care of her son. Many years later, an elderly foreman and Rita’s adult son will install a marble slab at the site of her death. The images of enemies are drawn by the author schematically and laconically. These are not specific people; their characters and feelings are not described by the author. These are fascists, invaders who have encroached on the freedom of another country. They are cruel and merciless. This
the image of enemies was typical for early works about the war. The reader feels neither pity nor sympathy for them. In the story by B. L. Vasilyev “And the dawns here are quiet...” we will not find descriptions of battles, we will not get acquainted with the images of outstanding military leaders, we will not find a description of pathetic self-sacrifice in the name of the Motherland. This is a story about another feat that remained unknown to the general public and was not awarded high awards. This is a feat of beautiful young women who sacrificed themselves, fulfilled their duty to the Motherland to the end, in the struggle for the freedom of their country, for happy life future generations.
- Fedot Evgrafych Vaskov- commandant of a railway patrol with the rank of foreman, age 32 years. IN peacetime- a simple village man, a worker with four years of education. Five girls from the anti-aircraft crew were placed at his disposal when they were sent to serve to protect the railway from raids by fascist planes.
- Margarita Osyanina– senior anti-aircraft crew. The young woman went to beat the Nazis when her beloved husband, a border guard, died during the German advance on the second day of the war. Her love was taken away by the war, and the woman decided to join the ranks in place of her loved one, to avenge his death. Rita got married almost immediately after graduating from school, gave birth to a son a year later, life was full of bright hopes, but it was destroyed by the war. The woman left the child with her mother and went to the front. The character of the gentle woman changed, she became stern, withdrawn into herself.
- Evgenia Komelkova – sweet, smiling girl, cheerful and mischievous, survived terrible tragedy. The Nazis shot the whole family before her eyes. Zhenya steadfastly endured her grief, she gave love and warmth to the people who were next to her here at the front.
- Elizaveta Brichkina– was the daughter of a forester. She lived in the Bryansk region, far from the bustle of the city, on a forest cordon. The nineteen-year-old girl was full of the most wonderful expectations from life. She believed in the “dazzling happiness” that would certainly await her. Even here, in the war, she lived in anticipation of a bright miracle. Sonya Gurvich- an intelligent girl, a former student, studied at Moscow State University for a year, loved to read, especially poetry, and adored the theater. She is the daughter of a local doctor, her family is large and friendly, before the war she lived in Minsk. And now in her hometown The fascists are in charge.
- Galina Chetvertak- an orphanage pupil, an incorrigible dreamer and visionary. For her, the war is, first of all, a romantic adventure, which she decided never to miss in her life.
A unit of female anti-aircraft gunners arrives at the railway siding
It was May 1942, these were the heaviest battles and losses for Soviet army. At the railway siding, where after the bombing of German planes only a few houses remained, foreman Fedot Evgrafych Vaskov served as commandant. The front line lay to the side, and calm and silence reigned at the junction and in the surrounding area, since the shelling and bombing had stopped. The command, in order to protect an important railway junction from fascist aviation, ordered that two anti-aircraft installations and half a platoon serving them be left here.
However, the temptation is comparatively peaceful life Not all soldiers survived. The adoration of local women and moonshine, unfortunately, did not lead to good things. Sergeant Major Vaskov constantly sent reports to the command, some anti-aircraft gunners were exchanged for others, but this did not solve the problem. The commandant asked to send him non-drinkers.
A new one finally arrived to replace the old “cheerful” half-platoon. The surprise for Sergeant Major Vaskov was that the young soldiers turned out to be girls. It was not easy for the commandant to find new ones common language. He felt quite awkward in the presence of these fighters. Yesterday's schoolgirls and students were well educated, but Vaskov only had 4 grades under his belt. But the main concern for the foreman was that the young anti-aircraft gunners ignored the military regulations and tried to do everything their own way.
The commander of the anti-aircraft gunner squad, Rita Osyanina, was happy about this transfer to a patrol position from the front line. After all, her mother and little son remained very nearby, in the city. Secretly, at night, Rita went AWOL to visit her little son.
Fascist saboteurs appeared in the vicinity
One day, returning from the city, Rita encountered two suspicious strangers in the forest. They were armed and wearing camouflage robes, and also carried what appeared to be explosives. From the story of Rita Osyanina, Sergeant Major Vaskov understood that these were German saboteurs who intended to blow up railway. Therefore, he decided to intercept and destroy the saboteurs.
For this mission, Sergeant Major Vaskov took five girls with him - Rita Osyanina, Lisa Brichkina, Zhenya Komelkova, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak. They went to Lake Vop to meet the Nazis there.
The foreman chose a difficult path for his fighters, through the swamps, in order to take a shortcut and prepare an unpleasant surprise for the Nazis. The girl fighters safely passed the swamp, only Galya Chetvertak lost her boot in the swamp swamp and, having caught a cold, fell ill. The girls, together with Fedot Evgrafych, went out to the lake. The sleepy, peaceful silence of the place amazed them. The wild forest lake seemed to freeze.
The forces turned out to be unequal
The foreman believed that they would quickly complete the task, because only two saboteurs opposed their battle group. However, having secured himself, Fedot Evgrafych outlined a path to retreat. Having taken up positions, the girls waited for the saboteurs the whole night. The Nazis appeared only in the morning. There were not two of them at all, but sixteen.
The forces turned out to be unequal, the foreman realized that with five girls and a small supply of ammunition they could not cope with the Nazis. And he sent Lisa Brichkina, given that she had lived in the forest all her life, for reinforcements on the move. Most shortcut I was through a swamp, treacherous swamps.
It was necessary to gain time. And Vaskov and the girls decided to scare off the Nazis and force them to take a detour. Therefore, they tried to pretend that here in the forest a large group of lumberjacks was cutting down trees. The girls screamed loudly, lit fires, Fedot Evgrafych knocked down several trees. And brave Zhenya swam in the river right in front of the Nazis. The Germans believed the staging and took a detour.
Death of Lisa Brichkina
Lisa Brichkina was in such a hurry to complete her task that she lost the path, turned in the wrong place, and stumbled in a swamp. The quagmire sucked her in, and Lisa died.
The foreman understands that the Nazis can attack their small group at any moment. Therefore, he goes with Rita on reconnaissance. They found out that the Germans were camping, but then most likely they would go exactly in the direction where the girls were now. Therefore, we urgently need to change the location of the small detachment. And Vaskov sends Rita Osyanina to get the girls.
Death of Sonya Gurvich
After everyone was together, Fedot Evgrafych discovers that he forgot his pouch at their previous campsite. Sonya Gurvich, rushing out of her seat, ran to pick up the pouch, because having found it, the Germans could understand that a detachment of anti-aircraft gunners was very close.
The foreman does not have time to detain Sonya. And after some time, everyone hears a distant and quiet scream. Vaskov takes Zhenya with him and goes in search of Sonya. They find her murdered.
Vaskov, in a rage, trying to avenge Sonya's death, pursues the Nazis. He sees two people lagging behind his squad, kills one of the enemies, and Zhenya helps him deal with the second. This is the first murder she has survived. Fedot Evgrafych explains to Zhenya that the enemies are not people, not animals, but worse, fascists.
Having buried Sonya, the girls, led by the foreman, went further and came across the Germans. I had to take the fight. The small detachment fought off the enemies, forcing the Germans to retreat. However, frightened by Sonya's death, Galya Chetvertak dropped her weapon and fell to the ground instead of shooting. The girls decided to immediately organize a Komsomol meeting and condemn Galya for cowardice. However, Fedot Evgrafych stood up for Galya Chetvertak and explained that she was confused. Therefore, he takes her with him on reconnaissance for educational purposes.
Death of Gali Chetvertak
Vaskov and Galya Chetvertak saw the Nazis. There were 12 of them left, they finished off the wounded in the battle with the girls of their soldiers. Fedot Evgrafych and Galya organized an ambush, but the girl behaved completely wrong. She ran straight towards the Nazis, for which she paid with her life.
Sergeant Major Vaskov decides to take the Germans with him further into the forest, into the swamp, so that Rita and Zhenya remain alive. He screams, shoots at the fascist figures appearing here and there among the trees, moving closer and closer to the swamp. However, he was unlucky - the bullet hit his arm.
At dawn, getting out of the swamp, the foreman noticed a terrible sign - Lisa Brichkina’s skirt tied to a pole and realized that there would be no help, the girl died.
With a heavy heart and barely glimmering hope that Rita and Zhenya are still alive, Vaskov goes after the saboteurs and finds an abandoned hut where the Nazis stopped for a rest. He sees how some of them go on reconnaissance. The foreman kills the German remaining in the hut, taking away his weapon.
Death of Rita and Zhenya
Vaskov finds Rita and Zhenya by the river, where just yesterday they staged a performance for the Nazis. He tells them the terrible news that Galya and Lisa have died, and now the three of them have to fight an unequal battle. There will be no help and they have nowhere to retreat. The saboteurs cannot be given the opportunity to cross the river.
And the battle began. Rita was seriously wounded - a grenade fragment hit her in the stomach. Zhenya wanted to lead the Germans with her, firing back, being wounded, she carried them further and further. There just weren't enough cartridges. The Nazis finished off the girl point blank.
Zhenya, realizing that she was dying, asked Sergeant Major Vaskov to take care of her little son, Alberta. Fedot Evgrafych left her alone, heading straight towards the Nazis. Having walked just a few steps away, he heard a shot. Rita shot herself so as not to detain Vaskov, not to be a burden for him.
The foreman returned and buried Rita and Zhenya. He walked to the hut where the Nazis settled, filled with grief and anger. Having burst into the house, he immediately killed one of the saboteurs, took the other four prisoner, forcing them to tie each other’s hands with belts. Wounded, half-delirious, he led the prisoners on a patrol, and only when he realized that he had arrived, he fell exhausted and lost consciousness.
Epilogue
A letter from a random tourist, which was written much later, after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It tells how this man rested on a quiet lake, where silence and solitude reign. How I met an old armless man and a young military man, captain, rocket scientist named Albert Fedotich. The tourist, together with his new friends, found the old grave where the anti-aircraft gunner girls were buried and installed a marble slab there. At the end of the letter, its author notes what quiet dawns in these wild places...
Test on the story The Dawns Here Are Quiet
The Great Patriotic War is a great misfortune, a misfortune for the country, for the entire Russian people. Many years have passed since then, but the events of those years are still alive in the memory, alive largely thanks to the stories of veterans and writers who devoted themselves and all their work to the truth about the war, the echoes of which are alive to this day.
However, not everyone and not always managed to convey their “truth” about the war to a large readership. The barriers were primarily censorship and ideology, which allowed talking only about exploits, only about victories. But there were also unfortunate defeats, fatal mistakes, which, on the one hand, always resulted in numerous casualties, and on the other, paradoxically, pushed Russian soldiers to new victories.
One of the most truthful and vivid works about the war is Vasiliev’s story “And the dawns here are quiet...”. This is a story about the feat of not just the Russian people, but about the feat of women; about how fragile creatures, to whom a wide variety of weaknesses have long been attributed, fought the Germans, not worse than men reflecting enemy fire.
In the story, the author paints before us several difficult women's destinies, several life lines that, perhaps, would never intersect in ordinary life, if not for the war, which united them into one whole, forcing them to be participants and victims of a colossal tragedy.
The girl heroines have different characters and are completely different from each other: Rita Osyanina is a serious girl who has already faced all the difficulties of life, she is unsmiling, brave and determined. Zhenya Komelkova is a red-haired beauty who has enormous energy and is unusually artistic, which more than once helps her both in life and in battle. Liza Brichkina immediately attracts attention with her restraint, taciturnity and complaisance, while Valya Chetvertak is childishly spontaneous, she is subject to fear and emotions. Their characters are different, but these girls have the same fate - to die while performing a combat mission, completing it against everything, including common sense.
The war distorted the fates of many heroes: not only the girls died, but also the foreman. He was the last to die, having survived the death of all his soldiers, who died like real heroes, saving their homeland, Russia, and all living things. He grieves the death of the girls, feels guilty, seeing in each of them a bride, a future mother who could have children and grandchildren, but “now this thread will not be there! A small thread in the endless yarn of humanity.”
Not many books are devoted to the topic of women in war, but those that are in the library of Russian and world literature are striking in their seriousness and globality. Reading Boris Vasiliev’s story “The Dawns Here Are Quiet...”, you involuntarily put yourself in the place of those girls, you involuntarily think how I would behave if I found myself in such terrible circumstances. And you involuntarily understand that not very many people are capable of such heroism as the girls showed.
It is believed that fiction based on fiction. This is partly true, but Boris Vasiliev is a writer who went through the war, knew first-hand about its horrors and was convinced of own experience is that the topic of women in war deserves no less attention than the topic of male heroism.
Composition
The best and worst traits, the character properties of a person and a people as a whole are revealed in extreme situations. This is a well-known truth. Such situations primarily include wars.
The Great Patriotic War became a terrible test for our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. But she helped to understand, to realize once again how strong the Russians are, rich not only materially, physically, but also spiritually. Rich and beautiful force spirit and soul of his people.
Literature dedicated to the Great Patriotic War is proof of this. Thus, B. Vasiliev’s story “And the dawns here are quiet...” tells about the events of 1942. German saboteurs are thrown into the location of an anti-aircraft machine-gun battery, commanded by Sergeant Major Vaskov, and the commander has only six young, fragile girls under his command. The author tells us about their destinies.
Rita Osyanina immediately after graduating from school married a border guard lieutenant. A year later their son was born, and a year later the war began. Already on the second day of the war, Rita became a widow. The Great Patriotic War turned a weak housewife into a fearless soldier.
Quiet, afraid of everything, Galya Chetvertak, whose childhood was spent in an orphanage, was accustomed to living in dreams mixed with what she saw in the movies. Liza Brichkina lived in the forest before the war and also did not know life at all. The girl dreamed of love and city life. The life of student Sonya Gurvich was calm and purposeful. Regular student life: a session, a library, a familiar student boy caring for her... The war made its own terrible amendments to all these destinies, making soldiers out of women. But they fulfilled this role with honor, did everything they could to protect their homeland, their children, their people.
Sergeant Major Vaskov decides to destroy the German invaders. Bykov shows how the characters of all the characters are revealed in a dangerous situation. So, at first the girls have a very low opinion of their commander: “It’s a mossy stump, there are twenty words in stock, and even those are from the Charter.” But the danger brought all six together, changing their opinion about the foreman.
Vaskov absorbed best qualities a warrior ready to expose himself to bullets, but to save the girls and fulfill his duty: “Vaskov knew one thing in this battle: not to retreat. Don’t give up a single piece of land on this shore to the Germans... And there was no one else in the whole world: only him, the enemy and Russia. Only the girls were still listening with some third ear: whether the rifles were still firing or not. They beat you - that means they are alive. This means they are holding their front, their Russia. They're holding me!"
And they held on until their last breath. Their deaths were different: Liza Brichkina drowned in a swamp while she was in a hurry to bring help. Galya Chetvertak was cut down by a machine gun fire. Sonya Gurvich was killed by a paratrooper with one blow of a knife when she ran for the sergeant major’s pouch. Zhenya Komelkova died trying to lead the Germans away from the mortally wounded Rita Osyanina.
V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov” also reveals true Russian courage, true Russian character. He (the image of Sotnikov) is especially bright in comparison with the other hero of the story - Fisherman. Under normal circumstances, these heroes might not have shown their true nature. But during the war, Sotnikov goes through difficult trials with honor and accepts death without renouncing his convictions, and Rybak, in the face of death, changes his convictions, betrays his Motherland, saving his life. Using the example of these people, we are once again convinced that in the face of death a person remains as he really is. And it is here that the depth of his convictions and his civic fortitude are tested.
When going on a mission, heroes react differently to the upcoming danger. It seems that the strong and quick-witted Rybak is more prepared for the feat than the frail, sick Sotnikov. But if Rybak, who all his life “managed to find some way out,” is internally ready to commit betrayal, then Sotnikov remains faithful to the duty of a man and citizen until his last breath: “Well, it was necessary to gather within himself last strength to face death with dignity... Otherwise, what is life for? It is too difficult for a person to be careless about its end.”
In Bykov's story, everyone took their place among the victims. Everyone except Rybak went through their deadly path to the end. During the torture, Sotnikov lost consciousness several times, but did not say anything. This hero has come to terms with death. He would like to die in battle, but this has become impossible for him. The only thing left for him was to decide on his attitude towards the people who were nearby.
Before the execution, Sotnikov demanded an investigator and declared: “I am a partisan, the rest have nothing to do with it.” The investigator ordered Rybak to be brought in, and he agreed to join the police. The fisherman tried to convince himself that he was not a traitor, that he would run away.
In the last minutes of his life, Sotnikov unexpectedly lost his confidence in the right to demand from others the same as from himself. He did not look for sympathy in the crowd surrounding the execution site, did not want people to talk badly about him, and was only angry with the executioner Rybak, who was performing his duties. The fisherman apologizes: “Sorry, brother.” - “Go to hell!” - follows the answer.
What happened to Fisherman? He did not overcome the fate of a man entangled in war. He sincerely wanted to hang himself. But circumstances got in the way, and there was still a chance to survive. It’s unlikely that the police chief saw what was going on in this man’s soul. The writer left him the possibility of another path: continuing the fight against the enemy, atonement before the people. But Rybak chose the path of betrayal.
“Courage is a great quality of the soul; the people marked by it should be proud of themselves,” said one of the greats. Works dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, fully confirm that the Russian people have true courage. It was this that helped us survive this war, win and preserve ourselves as a nation.
“Not all soldiers will celebrate the victorious day, Not everyone will come to the festive parade. Soldiers are mortal. Feats are immortal. The courage of soldiers never dies." B. Serman “The Poetry of Feat and Heroism” is the basis of Boris Vasiliev’s entire story “And the dawns here are quiet...” Probably, it is precisely thanks to this poetry that reader interest in the story has not faded to this day. Until now, we are watching with unflagging attention the movements of Sergeant Major Vaskov’s small detachment, we almost physically feel the danger, we breathe a sigh of relief when we manage to avoid it, we rejoice at the courage of the girls and, together with Vaskov, we grieve their death. No one could have known that, having received the task of going and capturing two German intelligence officers, a small detachment of six people would stumble upon sixteen fascist soldiers. The forces are incomparable, but neither the foreman nor the five girls even think about retreating. They don’t choose. All five young anti-aircraft gunners are destined to die in this forest. And not everyone will suffer a heroic death. But in the story everything is measured with the same measure. As they said during the war, there is one life and one death. And all the girls can equally be called true heroines of war. The writer presented us with five absolutely different characters. Rita Osyanina, strong-willed and gentle, rich in spiritual beauty. She is the most courageous, fearless, she is a mother. Zhenya Komelkova is cheerful, funny, beautiful, mischievous to the point of adventurism, desperate and tired of the war, of pain and love, long and painful, for a married man. Sonya Gurevich is the embodiment of an excellent student and a poetic nature - a “beautiful stranger”, who came out of a volume of poems by A. Blok. Lisa Brichkina... “Oh, Lisa-Lizaveta, you should study!” I would like to study, I would like to see big city with its theaters and concert halls, its libraries and art galleries... The war got in the way. You won’t find your happiness, you won’t listen to lectures: Galya, who never grew up, a funny and childishly clumsy orphanage girl, didn’t have time to see everything she dreamed of. Notes, escape from orphanage and also dreams... to become new love Orlova. At first glance, what could the responsible, strict Rita Osyanina, the insecure dreamer Galya Chetvertak, the throwing Sonya Gurvich, the silent Liza Brichkina and the mischievous, daring beauty Zhenya Komelkova have in common? But, oddly enough, not even a shadow of misunderstanding arises between them. This is due in no small part to the fact that they were brought together by exceptional circumstances. It is not for nothing that Fedot Evgrafych will later call himself the girls’ brother, and it is not for nothing that he will take upon himself the care of the son of the deceased Rita Osyanina. There are also in these six, despite the difference in age, upbringing, education, a unity of attitude towards life, people, war, devotion to the Motherland and readiness to give their lives for it. The six of them need to hold their positions at all costs, as if “all of Russia came together” behind them. And they keep it. Galya Chetvertak dies stupidly, but we do not blame her. Maybe she was too weak and insecure, but a woman shouldn’t be at war at all. But Galya still tried to the best of her ability: she carried a heavy load of things, walked on the icy ground in only a birch bark jacket. Even though she did not accomplish a feat, she did not enter into direct combat with the enemy, but she did not retreat, stubbornly moving forward and following the orders of the sergeant major. The death of Sonya Gurvich seems to be an accident, but it is associated with self-sacrifice. After all, when she ran towards her death, she was led by a natural spiritual movement to please the kind and caring elder - to bring the left pouch. Liza Brichkina also sacrifices herself. Her death is terrible and painful. She may not have fallen on the battlefield, but at the same time she died in the performance of her duty, hurrying to quickly cross the swamp and bring help. In the end, the two bravest and most persistent girls remained with the foreman - Rita Osyanina and Zhenka Komelkova. Zhenya, saving the foreman, killed a German soldier by smashing his head with the butt of a rifle. She fearlessly bathes in front of her enemies, portraying a simple village girl. And she takes the enemies with her into the forest, away from the wounded Rita Osyanina. Rita was wounded by shrapnel while she was shooting back at her enemies. This was not the first shootout where the girls showed themselves. Alas, the forces were unequal, and Rita and Zhenya were destined to die a painful death: one was wounded in the stomach and put a bullet in her forehead, the other was finished off at point-blank range by the Germans. Sergeant Major Vaskov also faced severe trials. He was destined to bury all his fighters, overcome grief, wounds and inhuman fatigue, and in the last frenzied battle, cruelly take revenge on his enemies, and then, until the end of his days, carry the heaviness in his soul because he did not save the girls. Each of the girls paid her “personal bill” to the invaders. Rita Osyanina’s husband died on the second day of the war, Zhenya’s whole family was shot before her eyes, Sonya Gurvich’s parents died. This “personal account” of each is linked to the account of the entire country. After all, how many women and children remained widows and orphans. Therefore, while taking revenge on the Germans for themselves, the girls also took revenge for the entire country, for all its inhabitants. The heroines of the story, young girls, were born for love and motherhood, but instead they picked up rifles and took up an unwomanly task - war. Even this already constitutes considerable heroism, because they all voluntarily went to the front. The origins of their heroism are in love for the Motherland. This is where the path to achievement begins. True poetry of feat and heroism requires simplicity, naturalness, and realism. This is exactly the story of B. Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet...” This is a pure and bright work about how, in exceptional circumstances, a person devoted to the Motherland and ready to sacrifice himself becomes a hero.