Other characters
Sergei Talberg is Elena’s husband. He leaves his wife in Kyiv, and he, along with the Germans, flees the country to Germany.
Lisovich (Vasilisa) is the owner of the house in which the Turbins live.
Nai-Tours - Colonel. Nikolka Turbin fights with the Petliurists in his detachment.
Viktor Myshlaevsky is an old friend of the Turbins.
Leonid Shervinsky and Fyodor Stepanov (Karas) are Alexei Turbin’s friends from the gymnasium.
Colonel Malyshev is the commander of the mortar division in which Karas serves, and in which Myshlaevsky and Alexey Turbin enlisted.
Kozyr-Leshko is a Petliura colonel.
Larion Surzhansky (Lariosik) is Talberg’s nephew from Zhitomir.
Summary
Part one
Chapter 1
The action takes place in Kyiv, in December 1918 during the revolution. The intelligent Turbin family - two brothers and a sister - live in house number 13 on Alekseevsky Spusk. Twenty-eight-year-old Alexei Turbin, a young doctor, had already survived the First World War. His younger brother Nikolka is only seventeen and a half years old, and his sister Elena is twenty-four years old. My sister is married to staff captain Sergei Talberg.
The Turbins’ mother died this year; before her death, she wished the children one thing: “Live!” But the revolution, like the snowstorm in this terrible year, is only growing and it seems that there will be no end to it. Apparently, the Turbins will have to die rather than live. The priest Father Alexander, who performed the funeral service for his late mother, advises Alexei Turbin not to fall into the sin of despondency, but warns that everything will only get worse.
Chapter 2
On a December evening, the entire Turbin family gathers around the hot stove, on the tiles of which they have left memorable drawings all their lives. Alexey and Nikolka sing cadet songs, but Elena does not share their enthusiasm: she is waiting for her husband to come home, she is worried about him. The doorbell rings. But it was not Talberg who came, but Viktor Myshlaevsky, an old friend of the Turbin family.
He tells a terrible story: 40 people from his detachment were left in a cordon and were promised to be replaced in six hours, but they were replaced within a day. For days his people could not even light a fire to keep warm, so two people froze to death. Myshlaevsky scolds Colonel Shchetkin from headquarters with the very last words. The turbines warm up Myshlaevsky.
The doorbell rang again. This time it was Elena Talberg’s husband, but he did not come for good, he came to collect his things, because the power of Hetman Skoropadsky, installed by the Germans, was shaking, the troops of Petlyura, a socialist and Ukrainian nationalist, were approaching Kiev from the White Church, so the Germans were leaving the city and he, Talberg, leaves with them. At one o'clock in the morning General von Bussow's train departs for Germany. Thalberg says that he cannot take Elena with him “to wander and into the unknown.” Elena cries, and Talberg promises his wife to return to Kyiv with Denikin’s troops.
Chapter 3
Engineer Vasily Lisovich, nicknamed Vasilisa for his cunning, almost feminine character, is the Turbins’ neighbor from below. He curtained the window with a white sheet so that no one on the street could see where he was hiding the money. But it was the white sheet on the window that attracted the attention of the passerby. He climbed a tree and through the gap between the window and the sheet spied that the engineer had hidden the money in a hiding place inside the wall. Lisovich falls asleep. He dreams of thieves. He wakes up from some noise.
Upstairs, at the Turbins, it’s noisy. Guests came to them: Alexei’s friends from the gymnasium - Lieutenant Leonid Shervinsky and Second Lieutenant Fyodor Stepanov, nicknamed Karas. The Turbins are having a feast, they drink vodka and wine that the guests brought with them. Everyone gets drunk, Myshlaevsky becomes especially ill, they put him on medication. Karas is encouraging everyone who wants to defend Kyiv from Petliura to join the mortar division being formed, where Colonel Malyshev is an excellent commander. Shervinsky, in love with Elena, is very happy about Thalberg’s departure. Everyone goes to bed close to dawn. Elena cries again, because she understands that her husband will never return for her.
Chapter 4
More and more wealthy people are arriving in Kyiv, fleeing the revolution from Russia, where the Bolsheviks now rule. Among the refugees were not only officers who went through the First World War, like Alexey Turbin, but also landowners, merchants, factory owners, and many officials. They huddled with their wives, children and lovers in tiny apartments and modest hotel rooms, but at the same time, they threw money at endless sprees.
Few officers enlist in the Hetman's convoy, but the rest hang around idle. Four cadet schools are being closed in Kyiv, and cadets are unable to complete the course. Nikolka Turbin was among them. In Kyiv, everything is calm, thanks to the Germans, but news comes from the villages that the peasants are continuing their robberies, that a period of chaos and lawlessness is coming.
Chapter 5
Things are getting more and more alarming in Kyiv. In the spring, they first blew up a warehouse with shells, and then the Socialist Revolutionaries killed the commander of the German army, Field Marshal Eichhorn. Simon Petlyura is released from the hetman's prison and seeks to lead the rebellious peasants. And the peasant revolt is dangerous because the men returned from the fronts of the First World War with weapons.
Alexey has a dream in which he meets Captain Zhilin at the gates of Paradise with a squadron of hussars who died in 1916 in the Vilna direction. Zhilin told Turbin that the Apostle Peter let the entire detachment into Paradise, even the women whom the hussars grabbed along the way. And Zhilin said that he saw mansions in Paradise that were painted with red stars. “And this,” says the Apostle Peter, “is for the Bolsheviks who are from Perekop.” Zhilin was surprised that atheists were allowed into Paradise. But I received the answer that the Almighty doesn’t care whether people are believers or not, that for God they are all the same, “killed in the battlefield.” Turbin himself wanted to get to Paradise, tried to go through the gate, but woke up.
Chapter 6
In the former store of Madame Anjou “Parisian Chic”, which was located in the very center of Kyiv on Teatralnaya Street, “Registration of volunteers for the Mortar Division” is now taking place. In the morning, Karas, still drunk from the night, who is already in the division, brings Alexei Turbin and Myshlaevsky there.
Colonel Malyshev, the division commander, is very glad to see like-minded people in his ranks who, like him, hate Kerensky. In addition, Myshlaevsky is an experienced artilleryman, and Turbin is a doctor, so they are immediately enrolled in the division. In an hour they should be on the parade ground of the Alexander Gymnasium. Alexey manages to run home and change clothes within an hour. He is very happy to put on his military uniform again, to which Elena has sewn new shoulder straps. On the way to the parade ground, Turbin sees a crowd of people carrying several coffins. It turned out that at night in the village of Popelyukhe the Petliurists killed the entire officer corps, gouged out their eyes and cut out shoulder straps on their shoulders.
Colonel Malyshev examines the volunteers and disbands his division until tomorrow.
Chapter 7
That night, Hetman Skoropadsky hastily left Kyiv. They dressed him in a German uniform and bandaged his head tightly so that no one could recognize the hetman. He is taken away from the capital according to the documents of Major Schratt, who, according to legend, accidentally wounded himself in the head when unloading a revolver.
In the morning, Colonel Malyshev informs the assembled volunteers about the dissolution of the mortar division. He orders “the entire division, with the exception of gentlemen officers and those cadets who were on guard tonight, to immediately go home!” After these words, the crowd became agitated. Myshlaevsky says that they must protect the hetman, but the colonel informs everyone that the hetman shamefully fled, leaving them all to the mercy of fate, that they have no one to protect. With that, the officers and cadets part ways.
Part 2
Chapter 8
In the morning, Petliura Colonel Kozyr-Leshko from the village of Popelyukhi sends his troops to Kyiv. Another Petlyura colonel, Toropets, came up with a plan to encircle Kyiv and launch an offensive from Kurenevka: with the help of artillery, distract the city’s defenders and launch a main attack from the south and center.
These colonels are led by Colonel Shchetkin, who secretly abandons his troops in a snowy field and goes to visit a certain plump blonde in a rich apartment, where he drinks coffee and goes to bed.
Another Petlyura colonel, distinguished by his impatient disposition, Bolbotun, violates Torobets’ plan and breaks into Kyiv with his cavalry. He is surprised that he did not meet any resistance. Only at the Nikolaevsky school, thirty cadets and four officers fired at him from a single machine gun. Bolbotun's centurion Galanba hacks at a random passerby with a saber, who turns out to be Yakov Feldman, the hetman's supplier of armored parts.
Chapter 9
An armored car arrives to help the cadets. Thanks to the cadets, Bolbotun has already lost seven Cossacks killed and nine wounded, but he manages to get significantly closer to the city center. At the corner of Moskovskaya Street, Bolbotun’s path is blocked by an armored car. It is mentioned that in total there are four vehicles in the Hetman's armored division. The well-known writer in the city, Mikhail Shpolyansky, was appointed to command the second armored car. Since he entered the service, something strange began to happen to the cars: armored cars break down, gunners and drivers suddenly disappear somewhere. But even one car is enough to stop the Petliurists.
Shpolyansky has an envious person - the son of a librarian - Rusakov, who suffers from syphilis. once Shpolyansky helped Rusakov publish an atheistic poem. Now Rusakov repents, he spits on his work and believes that syphilis is a punishment for atheism. He tearfully prays to God for forgiveness.
Shpolyansky and driver Shchur go on reconnaissance and do not return. Pleshko, the commander of the armored division, also disappears.
Chapter 10
Hussar Colonel Nai-Tours, a talented commander, is completing the formation of the second department of the squad. There is no supply. His cadets are undressed. Nai-Tours knocks out felt boots from Staff General Makushin for all the cadets.
On the morning of December 14, Petlyura attacks Kiev. An order came from headquarters: Nai must guard the Polytechnic Highway with his cadets. There he entered into battle with the Petliurists. The forces were unequal, so Nye sends three cadets to find out when help from other hetman units will arrive; transport is still needed to evacuate the wounded. After a while, the cadets report that there will be no help. Nye realizes that he and his cadets are trapped.
Meanwhile, in the barracks on Lvovskaya Street, the third section of the infantry squad of twenty-eight cadets is awaiting orders. Since all the officers have left for headquarters, Corporal Nikolai Turbin turns out to be the senior in the detachment. The phone rang and the order came to move into position. Nikolka leads her squad to the indicated place.
Alexey Turbin comes to the former Parisian fashion store at two o'clock in the afternoon, where he sees Malyshev burning papers. Malyshev advises Turbin to burn his shoulder straps and leave through the back door. Turbin followed his advice only at night.
Chapter 11
Petliura takes the city. Colonel Nai-Tours dies heroically, covering the retreat of the cadets, whom he orders to tear off their shoulder straps and cockades. Nikolka Turbin, who remained next to Nai-Tours, sees his death, and then runs away himself, hiding in the courtyards. He returns home through Podol and finds Elena crying there: Alexey has not returned yet. By nightfall, Nikolka manages to fall asleep, but he wakes up when he hears the voice of a stranger: “She was with her lover on the very sofa on which I read poetry to her. And after the bills for seventy-five thousand, I signed without hesitation, like a gentleman... And, imagine, a coincidence: I arrived here at the same time as your brother.” Hearing about her brother, Nikolka jumps out of bed and rushes to the living room. Alexei was wounded in the arm. Inflammation has begun, but he cannot be taken to the hospital, because the Petliurists might find him there. Fortunately, neither bones nor large vessels are affected.
Part three
Chapter 12
The stranger turned out to be Larion of Surzhansky, whom everyone calls Lariosik. He is Talberg's nephew from Zhitomir. He left the city to visit his relatives because his wife cheated on him. Lariosik is kind and clumsy, loves canaries. He feels comfortable and happy at the Turbins. He brought with him an impressive wad of money, so the Turbins willingly forgive him for the broken set.
Alexei begins to develop a fever. A doctor is called for him and an injection of morphine eases his suffering. All of Turbina's neighbors are told that Alexei has typhus and are hiding his injury. Nikolka rips off all the inscriptions from the stove, which indicate that officers live in the house.
Chapter 13
Alexey Turbin was wounded because he decided, after running out of a Parisian fashion store, not to go straight home, but to see what was going on in the center of Kyiv. On Vladimirskaya Street he came across Petliurists, who immediately recognized him as an officer, because Turbin, although he tore off his shoulder straps, forgot to take off his cockade. “Yes, he’s an officer! Fuck the officer!” - they shout. Petliurists wounded Turbin in the shoulder. Alexei took out a revolver and fired six bullets at the Petliurists, leaving the seventh for himself so as not to be captured and to avoid torture. Then he ran through the yards. In some courtyard he found himself at a dead end, exhausted from loss of blood. An unknown woman named Yulia, who lived in one of the houses, hid Turbin in her place, threw out his bloody clothes, washed and bandaged his wound, and a day later brought him home to Alekseevsky Spusk.
Chapter 14
Alexei actually develops typhus, which the Turbins talked about in order to hide his injury. Myshlaevsky, Shervinsky and Karas appear in turn in the apartment on Alekseevsky Spusk. They stay with the Turbins and play cards all night long. A sudden ringing of the doorbell makes everyone nervous, but it’s only the postman who brought a belated telegram about Lariosik’s arrival. Everyone had barely calmed down when there was a knock on the door. Opening the door, Myshlaevsky literally caught Lisovich, the Turbins’ neighbor from below, in his arms.
Chapter 15
It turns out that that evening Lisovich’s doorbell also rang. He didn’t want to open it, but they threatened him that they would start shooting. Then Lisovich let three men armed with revolvers into the apartment. They searched his apartment “on orders”, presenting Lisovich with some paper with a vague stamp, supposedly to confirm their words. The uninvited guests quickly find a hiding place in the wall in which Lisovich hid the money. They take everything from Vasilisa, even clothes and shoes, and then demand that he write a receipt stating that he gave all the things and money to the voluntary Kirpatom and Nemolyaka. Then the robbers left, and Vasilisa rushed to the Turbins.
Myshlaevsky advises Lisovich not to complain anywhere and to be glad that he is alive. Nikolka decided to check if the revolvers hanging outside the window were in place, but there was no box there. The robbers took him too and, perhaps, it was with this weapon that they threatened Vasilisa and his wife. The turbines tightly clog the gap between the houses through which the robbers climbed.
Chapter 16
The next day, after the prayer service in St. Sophia Cathedral, a parade began in Kyiv. There was a crush. In this crush, some Bolshevik speaker climbed onto the fountain and made a speech. The crowd of people did not immediately understand what the Bolshevik revolutionary was agitating for, but the Petliurists, on the contrary, understood everything and wanted to arrest the speaker. But instead of a Bolshevik, Shchur and Shpolyansky hand over to the Petliurists a Ukrainian nationalist, who is falsely accused of theft. The crowd begins to beat the “thief”, and the Bolshevik manages to escape. Karas and Shervinsky admire the courage of the Bolsheviks.
Chapter 17
Nikolka just can’t muster up the courage to inform Colonel Nai-Tours’ loved ones about his death. Finally, he makes a decision and goes to the right address. A woman in pince-nez opens the apartment door for him. In addition to her, there are two more ladies in the apartment: an elderly and a young one, very similar in appearance to Nai-Tours. Nikolka didn’t have to say anything, because the colonel’s mother understood everything from his face. Nikolka decides to help the colonel’s sister, Irina, take her brother’s body from the morgue of the anatomical theater. Nai-Turs is buried as expected. The colonel's family is very grateful to Nikolka.
Chapter 18
On December 22, Alexey Turbin becomes very ill. He no longer comes to his senses. Three doctors, having gathered a council, make a merciless verdict. Elena, in tears, begins to pray for Alexey to come to his senses. Their mother died, Elena’s husband abandoned her. How can she survive alone with Nikolka without Alexei? Her prayer was answered. Alexey came to his senses.
Chapter 19
In February 19919, Petliura's power came to an end. Alexey is recovering and can already move around the apartment, albeit with a cane. He resumes his medical practice and sees patients at home.
A patient with syphilis, Rusakov, comes to see him and scolds Shpolyansky for no reason and talks about religious topics. Turbin advises him not to get involved in religion, so as not to go crazy and be treated for syphilis.
Alexey has found Yulia, the woman who saved him, and gives her a bracelet that once belonged to his mother as a token of gratitude. On the way home from Yulia, Alexey met Nikolka, who was visiting Nai-Tours’ sister, Irina.
In the evening, Lisovich came to the Turbins’ apartment with a letter from Warsaw, in which the Turbins’ acquaintances expressed bewilderment about the divorce of Talberg and Elena, as well as in connection with his new marriage.
Chapter 20
On the night of February 3, the Petliurites, before leaving Kyiv completely, dragged a Jew across the ground, whom Kozyr-Leshko beat on the head with a ramrod until he died.
Alexei dreams that he is fleeing from the Petliurists, but dies.
Lisovich dreams that some pigs with fangs destroyed his wonderful garden, and then attacked him.
At the Darnitsa station there is an armored train, in which a Red Army soldier stubbornly fights against his dreams.
Rusakov is not sleeping, he is reading the Bible. Elena dreams of Shervinsky, who clings a star to his chest, and of Nikolka, who looks like a dead man.
But the best dream is seen by five-year-old Petya Shcheglov, who lives with his mother in the outbuilding. He dreams of a green meadow, and in the center of the meadow is a sparkling ball. Sprays burst out of the ball and Petya laughs in his sleep.
Part 1
- Chapter 1 . December 1918. The main characters are the Turbin family. Elena got married to Sergei Talberg a year ago. At the same time, her older brother, Alexey, returned from service, and their mother died. The youngest brother, Nikolka, took his death especially hard. Everything in their home was filled with memories of times of family happiness. And the dying mother asked the children to live together. But life became increasingly difficult during this difficult time. One day (shortly after the funeral) Alexey came to the priest - Father Alexander. He asks the clergyman when this unrest will end. He doesn’t know, but claims that despondency should not be allowed. He says he reads theological books. One of them says that a lot of blood is coming.
- Chapter 2 . At dusk, Alexey and Nikolka went to get firewood; there was less and less of it, because thieves were taking it out. Nikolka thinks about the shoemakers and offers to watch for them. The brother refuses. Soon the stove was heated. It is notable for the fact that it is covered with various phrases. Alexey and Nikolka are warming themselves by the stove. The older one asks the younger one to play the guitar. Then Elena appears. She is nervous that her husband is still missing. Suddenly everyone hears shooting, it is very close to the city. Nikolka would like to know the details. They bring in the samovar. Despite all the conflicts, the Turbins’ place is clean and tidy: white tablecloth, shiny floors, flowers. Elena is worried and can neither read nor drink tea. Nikolka starts talking about the shooting. The sister sadly asks if their allies abandoned them in the face of Petlyura. They convince her that this cannot happen. And that Thalberg was simply delayed. Then the doorbell rang. Everyone thinks that it is Sergei, but it turned out that it is Viktor Myshlaevsky. He is in terrible condition: completely frozen and frostbitten, mortally tired, his body is infested with lice. They undress him, see his frostbitten fingers, and help him change clothes. After he thaws out, he begins to scold everyone in the world who commands troops and participates in battles. Petlyura made his way close to the city, and his unit was left to the mercy of fate. The arriving replacement, led by Colonel Nai-Tours, was surprised at how they held out. Myshlaevsky also tells how one grandfather confused their detachment with Petlyura’s and frankly said that everyone had gone to the bandits. When they were finally replaced and the unit got to the station, there were many staff members there in excellent conditions. Only under the threat of force were they, the surviving officers, accommodated and fed. At this point, Myshlaevsky fell asleep from drinking vodka to warm himself up. The older brother sends the younger brother to wash the sufferer, and at this time Elena is crying in another room, thinking that her husband has died. Then they called again. Elena ran to the door joyfully. The brothers were also happy, although they did not like Talberg. He was calm and friendly, but something was wrong about him. Sergei says that it was not Petliura who shot, but some gangs. Then he calls his wife to talk. It turned out that he was leaving, running away (not taking his wife with him). It is not surprising that this happened; Talberg knew how to adapt to any power and get away with it. And he immediately forgot what he said before. The main thing for him is his career and his own position. He tells Elena that he cannot take her, if anything happens, the brothers will protect her (and he withdraws himself). Then he tells his brothers that the Germans betrayed the City.
- Chapter 3 . The owner of the entire house, engineer Vasily Lisovich, lived near the Turbins, who was called Vasilisa, because after the Revolution he began to sign himself “You. Fox." And Nikolka was the first to call him that when he found himself under fire, having received a sugar card from Lisovich. A stone hit him in the back and he spat blood. And during the events described, he carefully hid something in a bag in a cache of wallpaper. The engineer hides money in several hiding places. He continues to count the money with inspiration, putting aside counterfeit ones for the cab driver. A guitar can be heard from the Turbins' apartment. Vasilisa complains to himself that there is no peace with the tenants. More friends came to them - Karas and Shervinsky. Karas reports the news that he is going to join the militia and fight against Petliura. Shervinsky rejoices at Thalberg’s escape; on this day his voice is surprising. The guests are confident that the whites will come to the City and help stop the bandit raids. Nikolka, having run away from the guests, falls to the Damascus blade. He wants to fight. At this time, Alexey says that the hetman is to blame for everything, who prevented the formation of the army until the last. He wants to sign up as a volunteer, but not everyone is so patriotic, which is disastrous for the City. But this is because the formation of the army should have begun earlier. And come to an agreement with the Germans: food supplies in exchange for protection from the communist threat. Shervinsky claims that the plan of the allies and the hetman is to help get rid of all of Russia from the Bolsheviks and throw Russia at the feet of Nicholas II, who, in fact, did not die, but fled. Everyone drinks to this crazy idea. And they begin to sing the anthem, which horrifies Vasilisa. And at the Turbins’, everyone is drunk, Myshlaevsky is generally in a half-dead state, he is vomiting. They put him to bed, everyone also gets ready for bed. Everyone fell asleep, only Elena sat and thought about Sergei. Their brilliant marriage lacked love - that’s what the woman realized. Her brother at this time is executing himself for allowing Thalberg to behave like this.
- Chapter 4 . The city at that time lived a strange, unnatural life. It was filled with refugees from the Bolshevik regime, who were feared and hated in the city. The Hetman of the City was elected very quickly, because the residents only needed peace. However, outside the city there were many lands that suffered greatly from the alliance with the Germans (especially villages); the townspeople were merciless towards the people: the Germans robbed the peasants - that’s what they needed. After all, the Germans were confronting a second, more terrible force - the Bolsheviks.
- Chapter 5. And then a third force appeared. It was marked by several phenomena: an explosion in the suburbs, the assassination of the German commander-in-chief in Ukraine, as well as a significant increase in prices. The pretty milk saleswoman even ceases to be afraid of the Germans, which Vasilisa notes when talking to her. In September, the inconspicuous criminal was released from prison. But it was Petlyura. His appearance is natural, since the common people of the hetman and the Germans hated, because the peasants needed land that was not given to them. It seemed that the Bolsheviks could solve this problem, but they were not popular either, so banditry flourished. And so the Germans leave Ukraine. In a dream, Alexey sees Colonel Nai-Tours together with his subordinates in heaven. The Bolsheviks also ended up in heaven, because they were also killed in battle. The illegible dream ends, but in reality something unclear and incomprehensible happens. Everyone is afraid of Petliura, but they have little idea who he is. And he's getting closer.
- Chapter 6. In the morning, Alexey, Myshlaevsky and Karas got up at the same time and with rather clear heads. Nikolka has already left for the squad, and Shervinsky has already left for the service. Myshlaevsky washes himself, flirts with Anyuta (the au pair), Turbin drives him away from her, then the ladies' man goes to make peace with Elena for his behavior yesterday. Then Myshlaevsky gets hungover and feels reborn. Elena talks to him and Karas about where troops can be sent. The latter calms her down with his calmness and composure. After some time, Karas introduces Turbin and Myshlaevsky to the colonel. The first would like to be a doctor in his division, and the second would simply transfer. The colonel asks Alexei if he is a socialist (these ideas dominate the unit). Turbin admits that he is a monarchist. But the colonel still accepts both. An hour later, Turbin was already at home, where his sister sewed on his shoulder straps, and he himself changed his appointment hours for his private practice (he worked as a venereologist at home). After that, Alexey went back, reading the latest reports about Petliura in the newspaper along the way. He passes by the crowd surrounding the coffins of the officers stabbed to death in Popelyukha. Someone in the crowd says that this is what an officer should do. An angry Turbin grabs this man, but realizes that he was mistaken. So it goes to the newsboy. He approaches the gymnasium, where he himself previously studied. Alexey remembers that carefree time that was irretrievably gone somewhere. A distribution point has been set up at the gymnasium, where Turbin receives a team of paramedics. He gives instructions. Morale is not high, especially because of the coffins. Therefore, one cadet is ordered to sing for fun. Colonel Malyshev arrives and asks about the state of the unit and orders them to go home until the morning. The situation is difficult - the colonel admits this. Then he turns to the division and dismisses everyone. The turbine can arrive even later than the others. Malyshev and Turbin saw Myshlaevsky forcing some old man to turn on the lights in the entire gymnasium. He takes the key from the guard. The colonel praises the officer and asks him to fix the heating. Turbin asks Myshlaevsky if he saw Maxim and the changes in him. This man bullied the heroes during their school years. The downtrodden watchman was just Maxim. Later, Alexey, who had released the paramedics, found himself in one of the classes and indulged in sentimental memories. The colonel was busy almost all night. Soon heating was organized and people were heated with desks. Arriving for the night, Malyshev talked on the phone, then they brought him a bundle, which he immediately hid. And only then did he fall asleep.
- Chapter 7. The city is quiet. Commander Belorukov drives past the German convoy. Myshlaevsky walks past the gymnasium, his eyes red from lack of sleep, vodka and anxiety. Everything is prepared for the future battle. There are patrols throughout the city; it is difficult to get into its lower part. The Germans have a bustle in the palace, everyone is preparing for something. Colonel Malyshev was called somewhere at 4 am, and he returned an hour later, preoccupied. In the morning everyone is alarmed, there are not enough people in the ranks, they did not come after spending the night at home. Malyshev arrives and delivers unexpected news: the division is being disbanded. After this, the officers arrested the colonel. Malyshev says that such an act is patriotic, but stupid. There is no one else to protect - the hetman has fled, and the units are weak and scattered. The city will obviously be taken by Petliur, who has more strength. The division is disbanding, some cadets are crying. Malyshev refuses Myshlaevsky’s request to burn down the gymnasium so that Petliura does not get weapons, because the enemy will already get people’s lives, which is much worse. Soon the gymnasium was empty.
