"Bratan, do not go there"

What the Russian military is talking about on the train home

Why are Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine? What do they think about the essence of war, hostilities, about the Ukrainians they kill, about Putin?

On the eve of the New Year, our journalist spent three days in a reserved seat car with a general from Zaporozhye, two watchmen from Mariupol, a contractor from Donetsk and other vacationers. She listened to their conversations and tried to understand how they live and fight.

Less than two weeks before the New Year. The area of ​​three stations, people in crowds are scattered through the platforms. The train to Veliky Ustyug: a group of younger students in bright winter clothes goes to visit Santa Claus - this is how their class teacher told me. My composition is sent from the next platform: I have to spend three days on the way. Men in the form are already smoked near the car.

I find my lower shelf in the reserved seat. A man in a vest briskly commands me and my neighbors, how to lay out bags. Settled down.

- Fuh! Now let's get acquainted, ”he suggests. - I am Grigory Vasilievich.

A jacket with a strip of Airborne Forces, a head-hat with a star, a gray mustache and rough palms.

- I'm Sofia.

- What a name! My niece is called. Sofia ... Soon we will visit Baku, watch beauty. Have you seen the Caucasus?

- It was only in Armenia, and you are from Azerbaijan?

- It grew up there.

- And I'm Siberian.

- The Snow Queen! I see, I see. From study?

- Yes, to the parents home.

- Who are you studying for?

- Scriptwriter.

The second man is hanging from the upper shelf, he gets into the conversation.

- Well, if there is a talent, why not, dad?

- Yeah, and then the script will write about the train.

- Come on. Grigory Vasilievich, but if you wrote a book, what would it be about?

Grigory Vasilievich dreamily looks out the window, frowning eyebrows.

- About the injustice of our army. Darkness.

The first day. Acquaintance

Watchmen on the side shelves. They take out eggs, a strongly smelling chicken and a bottle of vodka.

- War war, and lunch on schedule! - says one.

A conductor comes, vodka is hiding cheerfully. The conductor explains that the boiler in our car does not work and we need to go to the neighboring one.

- Nastenka, how so? Why doesn't it work? How did you allow this?

- Do not worry, we will have a kettle and, if anything, you can pick up water in any of the neighboring wagons.

- And we have our own kettle!

- It cannot be used in the sockets of the car, the tension is not calculated.

- Nastenka, what are you, dear? Will we agree?

Touch hands, shoulders, elbows. Anastasia is not surprised and almost does not react: he repeats the ban, leaves.

“And they still ask why we drink?” Well, if there is no normal water in the train, how not to drink?

Everyone is arranged in their places. The train started, but we have not left Moscow yet. The day before, I slept for an hour, I need to sleep: I go to the unfinished bunk, I am covered with a blanket. I hear the indignant shout of Bati:

- Sofiiii, what are you doing, huh?! Sofia.

- What is it, Grigory Vasilievich? I really want to sleep.

- Get up, come on, you need to cover the bed.

- What else.

Dad raises her voice, stands at me.

- I'll shoot you, shoot you! Get up!

It was a joke about execution, out of habit. But for a second it even became scary: the voice was set, commander.

- Come here, I’ll tell you in your ear why you can’t do this.

He bends over me, takes her head.

“We must spread, otherwise you lie,” says in the ear, “just like a beggar.”

I get up and refuel the bed.

“I'll see how you refuel.” And you just do not be offended by me. I see you were offended.

- Do not worry, I can.

Surprisingly, my method is tested:

- Oh, beauty! Now go to rest, Korolevna.

I go to bed, think about it. Handword was installed quickly. Everyone listens to Batu: he is the oldest, also a general. Instead of the window, we have an emergency exit, do not even ventilate. I can’t fall asleep from the smell of vodka, there is a vague foreboding that all this will not end with good. Or I just have a mobile psyche and lack of sleep.

At this moment, the dad clicks with a metal knife at the level of my face, under the table.

- The soldier gave me a knife before vacation. Vacation! Fifteen days on the road, fifteen days to rest, then right back.

It will not come out to sleep.

Voice from the upper shelf:

- Sophia, you are lucky that you are traveling with us. We are suitable for your fathers and grandfathers, yes ... And so, when the younger wax are driving and watchmen go, then here in the carriage ... that mom do not grieve! Even the conductor screams "help"!

- Yeah, turned away, they dripped a cloofeline, and that's it, ready! - Enthusiastically adds one of the watchmen. - And then right here on the bed, in which the mother gave birth.

-That's it. You always need to know what you drink, with whom you drink and where.

- And for what you drink.

- Yes, and children are such a thing ... You won’t hand over to the pawnshop.

From the upper shelf, a contractor descends, whom everyone calls Sanya. A man of sports physique is 45 years old, bald, in a leather jacket and gloves, Hakie and Ghenodava pants-there is something in it from skinheads. He served in the 90s, where he did not admit, even though Dad was inquired.

“You listen to me, I am 25 years old,” I advise me. - You, young girls, are clogged with your head.

Explains that you need to give birth to three children so that the husband does not leave. Because "a man is like a cat: he walks on its own, but you need to accustom the cat to the tray to be guessed in one place."

“You know, my niece of your age, maybe a little older, is 25 years old,” says. - We sat with her parents, and the nails are such, the lips were made, the eyelashes are extended! Well, and she starts ... I won’t cook borscht, Tosi-Bosi. I took this belt, took off and tore it. On the ridge belt, so well.

And adds joyfully:

- Well, her parents are in shock, clap their eyes! And I straightened her brains.

Silence. I don't know what to say.

- Help?

- Of course, it helped! She has a husband and a child now.

Kirov soon.

“Maybe we’ll plant young guys there, and we will marry you,” Sanya promises me.

I repeat that I have a groom - once in the third.

-Let us give out! - Sanya insists. - Or right here, for the young eagles! - This is about the two young men in our carriage.

The first evening. Popaka

They get drunk. Dad is flirting at first - he says that age and status do not allow, but then agrees. Watchman know how to buy alcohol from under the floor at stations. Everyone gathers in our reserved seat. Dad is chatting with a man who returns after a contract under a contract in Donetsk.

“And I'm leaving on vacation now,” he tells him.

- You are just all ashamed, in full form. And no one goes on vacation with the stars, - the contractor objects.

- I'm a vacationer. I have citizens ( civilian clothes. - Approx. Aut. ) There is no nimer with me, I take the whole military with me.

- Understood. I just dumb, I sleep on my feet. Yes, I sleep. You don’t get enough sleep there, I want to sleep like that.

I still have nowhere to go, it remains only to join the conversation.

- How is it in your direction now?

“Well ... in Russian, speaking ... I would tell you obscenities.” As we say, women are worse in the army than men swear. Do you understand me? Simply put ... Cherovo. Ha-Ro!

- You think nothing will work out.

- You are still a child. Consider this candy - this is us, ”he clappers a palm on the table, crushes candy, metal spoons and cup holders ring, - and this is so, soft. They are only moving ...

The neighbor is worried.

- Do you want sweet, Sophia? Why don't you eat sweets?

- Will you return after vacation? Or will you be sent back?

- No, I'll go back myself. Girl, I have that is, for which I can demand a return. Okay, I'll show you!

He leans over, looking for something in a backpack. He takes out pocket icons and prayer books.

- I found some at the front. God loves me.

Nearby is a white napkin. The medal of the hero of the USSR is wrapped in it. Below is a tricolor. He is silent, holds the medal in his hands and looks at me expectantly.

- Your?

He nods and smiles. I ask questions about the medal: what is called, for which they gave. Silent and smiles. Not answering. He hides back into a white napkin.

The second day. Hangover

Five in the morning. Kirov. Sanya wakes me up.

- dear, can you hand it to Bat in the morning? On a hangover. I do not need it, but he will come in handy.

He gives me a bottle of cognac, put it on the table.

-Where-where! Hide, the conductor will take away.

I hide and fall asleep again.

- Good morning, Sofya.

Grigory Vasilievich covered me with his blanket at night while I was turning. I convey cognac, he is embarrassed and says that "he is not sick."

Sunlight floods the reserved seat from the window - in the window of snow and birch.

- And let me take a picture of you.

Positioning, clicking. The camera prints a frame, show and hand it over.

- Dyanka for the photo!

- Do you know Polish?

- So I served! I understand their Polish only like that. The Poles are generally ... especially women. You lead a soldier in Warsaw. And can you believe? They undress in the windows and in which my mother gave birth to shout: "Soldier, I want you!" The guys have our eyes and mouth open. They say: "Comrade ensign, what does she want?" And I say - you want you! Here we have soldiers ...

- And what about the soldiers?

-This, you see, goes ... goes ... How to tell you, to clarify ... the immoral behavior of a Russian soldier! Yes ... (repeats more slowly) the immoral behavior of a Russian soldier. And why should an immoral be added to the Russian soldier? Well, why? Then we had to hold the face. So I explained to you popularly. I, it turns out, is also a psychologist. Each general is to some extent a psychologist.

The watchmen again went to the restaurant car. Before that, they gave me sweets, bought slippers, at some point handed spirits bought from the old women on the platform.

“There is a beer in the restaurant’s car for 450 rubles per bottle,” Dad wonders.

“Wow, it’s expensive,” I am surprised at the figure.

- Yes, they paid well.

- Where?

- How where, dear? In Mariupol. At the construction site there.

The evening is second. Direct line

The day was walking for a long time, and in the evening there was a straight line with Putin. Not everyone has the Internet here, and I read out loud clippings from a four -hour broadcast.

- Here's further about Mariupol ... that there are now 1700 apartment buildings, already 300,000 Russians have arrived.

Dad looks carefully at one point, is not distracted.

- Good ... And about pension? What did he say about the pension?

-So, about pension ... negotiations with Kiev, mobilization, “hazel”, work, yutub ... No, there is no pension, apparently, he didn’t say anything ... There was something about raising prices. He said that this is not the prices of Russians, but the income of Russians rises faster than the production of goods.

Dad frowns:

- This is not interesting ... This is all bullshit.

-Come on, there was still about the “hazel”.

- And about the "hazel" I am not interested in it!

- Not interesting?

“You understand ...” Dad begins to be angry. - If this “hazel” would be used against the Kiev ... and if our “hazel” om hit and completely killed all the airport, roads and railway, then that's it! Kyiv would be blocked. Not a single American, not a single Frenchman, these presidents would have come there. Okay, sorry, they showed this "hazel". So what? One point was made. What about that? You show it completely now! Here is his surround !!!

He begins to quickly rearrange the sweets on the table, showing how to surround Kyiv.

- The children were in the basements! Now make the Kyiv in the basements, and their president himself was in the basement. So that he had water knee -deep and that he was sleeping standing.

- And the children are not sorry? Which are in Kyiv basements.

His eyes open in surprise, his eyebrows rise and he aggressively asks:

-Why regret something? Girl! For example, in the 14th year you were not enough, you know? And you live in the basement! With mom, grandfather, grandmother. Because of this, the moron of the president. Would you like it?

Now we must attack. Understand? Kyiv is completely blocked. So that without light, without nothing. So that they give up. And not how they ... I'm sorry ... bombs throw. Drones fly!

And if without light, without gas, without gas, without everything ... They would have surrendered for a long time ... And you say - it’s a pity!

He thought and fell silent. Adds:

- That's right that it’s a pity ... We still ... We freed Dnepropetrovsk, we will still build at home. We destroyed this, we will build it anyway.

- From whom was they released? - I'm clarifying.

He does not pay attention to my questions.

- The Kherson region was broken - we are still building there. You see, we are building everything everywhere! Right?

- Why destroy to build?

- I just tell you! We are building at home.

- But there were already at home.

“We defeated them all.”

- Why break them?

- The war was going on, war! I'm just telling you. Ukraine broke this, we are still restoring.

- She broke herself, or what?

-In general, you ... you need to go there ... It simply has flowed a lot of water ... A lot of water has flowed ... just so as not to stir up, you try to drink it yourself, the water that flows there. You try in that skin at least 5 minutes.

Silence again and thought.

- You know, it would be captured by this Zelensky and bring him to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. In his cage! And local people, to come from all these areas. And you will see what they will do with him. It is such a cage that he could neither lie nor sit. To weld this cage and still break it. Understand?

“Why have they not yet overthrew him yet?”

-This is a policy-policy-policy ... Big money, a lot of money ... That's the matter. Here you are a child, for example, US President. To dial all these children in a heap and send to Ukraine.

- And the children of the President of Russia too?

- Yes! They are also rich. Everyone there. Deputy children. All the children of the parents who make this war to gather and send there. You can believe, minutes will not pass - the war will end. There will not even be a minute! If we wanted, then by December 29 we would have finished.

The third day. Disputes

On the third day, the horde continued. By that time, I was appointed a company’s daughter, they were overwhelmed with gifts, attention and tips. The contractor from Donetsk asked me to take a picture of him on the Novosibirsk station as a keepsake: he left for the front from there. He showed his tokens, which even now wears on his chest.

Behind a bottle of vodka hidden under the table, a guest from a neighboring reserved seat tells about his journey.

- I went to Vologda from the Krasnoyarsk Territory to sign a contract. They pay more there. Well, they didn’t take me.

- What is it? - clarifies Dad.

- I am a hereditary alkash, they don’t take them.

“Yes, they only take them, brother.”

- I have hepatitis.

- There is a separate company for such. We still had a separate company with AIDS, - another soldier is getting in.

- And you go to Moscow! In this form, the police will pick you up at the station and send it right away, ”the dad advises.

- Yeah, now in Moscow, when signing, five with a penny are paid.

Dad outlessly objects:

- And I didn’t go for the money! Of the 900 fighters, only four did not return.

“You hold them well.” We have already disbanded three times.

- Naher is necessary. Contractors are meat. What are they doing there? Many of the machine in their hands do not know how to hold.

- And what? They are fighting the same way, on their whole meat.

Dad leaves to smoke in the vestibule.

A contractor from Donetsk turns to a hereditary drill:

- Bratan ... don't listen to the old one. There is no need to go there. From there, everyone is trying to fuss. Wolf! The feeding is continuous water. No humanitarian aid, nihuya. People are beast. But the old old one does not go. He has a title, he sits at the headquarters and receives money.

- And what about that? When the turtle arrives, she does not ask whether you are an elite or not an elite.

Early in the morning was my station. The general and watchmen specially woke up at five in the morning to conduct and transfer "from hand to hand." They wished in the end to find a good man. Dad said that if he did not serve my one -year -old, then he should definitely be thrown away: he could not protect me. From whom to protect - did not specify, said, they say, everything happens.