At the end of September the first deputy chairman of the National union of writers of Ukraine Vladimir Shovkoshitny with two messages called. The first of them was pleasant and long-awaited (therefore he started from him) - about intention of publishing house to pay part of means for the realized copies of my latest book "destroys myths!" And here the second - that NSPU under its management sends group of writers to the anti-terrorist operation zone and I am its part - was absolutely unexpected as any preliminary talk on such intentions still it wasn't carried on. It is possible just because I was surprised with that unexpected message, at once I refused, motivating with that, except other couples, at me also three line lectures every week, and difficult to transfer them, after all it is necessary to coordinate with the schedule of many groups. The refusal "sweetened" with the offer to sponsor this trip, "having invested" in it the "fee" promised me.
After that "technical" refusal I suffered doubts not for long - conscience ate with train. Next day I call Shovkoshitnogo: I am going. "Better you wouldn't go, and gave money", - whether joked or reacted the head of group. "I don't refuse sponsorship", - I calmed.
Collecting was appointed to October 9, at half past six a.m. on Bank - at the house of NSPU. Prepared long. Shovkoshitny approached on the microbus loaded by tens packs of books. We put on them bags, backpacks and sleeping bags from karemata and get settled. To me Shovkoshitny suggested to take the navigator's place in a cabin. In close six-seater "interior" other participants of a trip accommodated: Anatoli Guy, the chairman of the NSPU Kiev regional organization, the former war correspondent, the lieutenant colonel in resignation, visited several "hot spots" of armed conflicts: in Afghanistan where it was wounded, in Nicaragua, Congo and Vietnam; Sergey Shevchenko, too the war correspondent in the past, for "combining jobs" - the colonel reserve officer of SBU (both is with professional modern "Watering can") Alexander Drandarite, the Bulgarian from the New Ukrainian (is from Abkhazia) writing verses in the Ukrainian and Russian languages; Nikolay Skripets, the poet, the long-term director of the Kiev school of Vyacheslav Chernovol; Alexander Homenko, poet, professional literary critic, employee of Institute of an ukrainovedeniye; and also the author of these lines, which Vladimir Shovkoshitny (the poet and the prose writer, the author more than 20 books, the liquidator Chernobyl veteran, the people's deputy of the first convocation, laid a hand to creation of the Act of declaration of independence and the Constitution of Ukraine etc., etc. - not to list everything!) I presented as "the famous poet, the prose writer and the publicist" - and it to you a serious thing!
Drove almost without stops that as the commander and noted - in combination - the mechanic-driver of our "tank", at least to slip Kharkov before dark. Slipped. And even to the first destination - Kramatorsk - reached.
In front of Slavyansk posts with more or less strict procedure of check began (even that we were accompanied constantly by the representative of headquarters of anti-terrorist operation colonel Yury Gvozdovsky and the VSP car - military service of a law and order sometimes didn't help - unperturbable security guards demanded obtaining permission directly from the commander). And the first evident watershed between the territory of the world and war blew up the bridge which remains an ugly stump hanged over still waters of the State Butt beyond Slavyansk (the message between opposite coast I provided the pontoon crossing is given near the bridge). Further on both sides of the road the buildings destroyed by shells and mines - both private started appearing, and high-rise buildings, are more rare - gray and gloomy constructions of the industrial enterprises.
The next morning trips to various military units began.
During the first trip stopped near bus station in Konstantinovka. I glanced inside: the station as the station - anything interesting. Having come to light, I saw opposite on the sidewalk patrol: three military armed with machine guns slowly passed in helmets and bullet-proof vests by. Suddenly from doors the woman promptly ran out and, having shouted "Children, wait, I want you to ask!", I Directed to patrolmen. "Children" stopped, having interrogatively directed on it amazed looks. "Tell, whether it is possible to hope for changes?" - the woman pressed hands to a breast, and only now I noticed, what wet, reddened from tears eyes at it. The senior of patrol, the thickset robust fellow, vaguely hemmed, two others continued to be silent.
I approach the woman: "What do you mean - military operations or a situation in the country in general?" The woman thought. Patrolmen probably having decided that to answer philosophical questions aren't their direct duty, moved further, and the woman, having almost in a whisper exhaled from themselves "in general", suddenly, without having waited for the answer, it was sharply developed and run I was behind a door of bus station - probably, she was interested in the answer patrol, and here interfered it isn't known who...
Further, as in a kaleidoscope, flashed, daily changing, on some military units in deployed (sometimes it is enough far apart, judging by long moving) airmobile and paraborne crews: paratroopers, gunners, scouts - meetings, meetings, meetings. The same and with settlements - Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, New economic... Sometimes meetings with soldiers "diluted" with meetings with civil the fierce - mainly youth students, lyceum students. Everywhere gave books - tens names - for already available libraries or for creation new where they weren't yet, told about these books and their authors. Here before (with a huge separation!) As well as it is necessary, Shovkoshitny who, appear, knew everyone and everything - both about authors, and about their works conducted. I granted also the - of course, with autographs ("not " as counted later, gave away - - on 26180 UAH). Read the verses - on one-two not to tire "public", however, at first some, having been fond, I dared to violate "regulations". After "mass meeting" passed to individual talk (the truth, sometimes potential "interviewers" refused: "there is no wish to remember those events..." - we, of course, didn't insist).
Of course, there were interesting interlocutors, sometimes - interesting episodes.
Conversation with the father Alexey, the chaplain of anti-terrorist operation placed in the territory of headquarters self-made (from a chipboard) chapels of the Ukrainian Greco-catholic church at which felt not only military more cozy was interesting, but also is red - a gray-black-and-white cat by the name of the Rocket (others local claimed that the Torpedo) who patiently posed for its photography in military "interior". And the father Alexey, perhaps, having felt my special attitude towards brothers smaller, suddenly I suggested to make a memorable inscription on the Banner of Ukraine, he keeps in a chapel.
And when arrived in deployed in Slavyansk one of divisions of the 95th separate airmobile crew to congratulate on the coming Defender of the Fatherland Day, there already there was a “vitalnikiv” group: opposite to constructed divisions there was a rank of students of Donetsk pedagogical State University headed by the vice rector. And not empty-handed: everyone kept a big pie in transparent plastic packing. We became a row, holding piles of ours "tortozaminnikiv", - books. When aeromobiles dismissed, Shovkoshitny invited students to ours "Bucephalus" and allocated not smaller number of books for library of their higher education institution, having shortly advertized, as usual, everyone. I was kind of a "helper": I pulled out on the turned yellow grass of a bag and backpacks, releasing access to ours of book blockages. There also I heard that the short interesting story of the vice rector of DDPU.
"I live here nearby. The other day the wife asked to go to a market and to buy something from products. I went, I got in line, gradually I come nearer to the shop assistant. Turn big - already and behind me a nazaymala. And that stood ahead, and those who behind, ruthlessly abused the Kiev power, plentifully flavoring monologues to tags: both that is bad, and that is bad - "ours here will return..." At last I reach a counter and in Ukrainian I ask to give that, to cut so much that. The shop assistant fixedly me considers time, and then asks: "And you from where?" I decided to joke on kind of "we’re not from here": "From Ivano-Frankovsk. I sold the apartment, I took away my family and came here. And why exactly here?" - the shop assistant asks." I like it in here - I answer, - both the city, and people"." You think these are people?! - Suddenly loudly she declares, leading round turn a fleer. – Those redheads!" "And that most of all struck me, - finishes the story, - anybody didn't object it about anything.
It was remembered also conversation with the contract employee Alexander Zakharov, signal "Crimea", the commander of paraborne compartment in the 4th paraborne company of the 2nd battallion and tactical group of the 25th separate Dnepropetrovsk airborne brigade. He is from Feodosiya. Above the average height, a strong constitution, it is confident in words and actions. It and no wonder: in 2009-2010. I served urgent in a battalion of marines of the 36th crew of the coast guard of the Black Sea fleet deployed in. Perevaln of ARC. From the 2012th serves under the contract in the mentioned 4th paraborne company. I participated in fights in Slavyansk, Dzerzhinsk, Lysychansk, Uglegorsk, Shakhtersk, under Avdeevk. Under Debaltseve i was contused. I visited "under tank attack". "And under" the Hail "and was it necessary to visit?" - I Ask. "There was on 3-4 packages" Gradov "in day on us. Thank God, - he smiles - not that precisely".
I have met a girl in Crimea named Ksenia. She lives and works in Pavlograd. "After service you will return to the Crimea, to relatives?" " we don't communicate now". "Why?" - I am surprised of what I just heard "There is nothing, - answers quietly (in general in it is mute the confidence of the professional who already saw in life including on this strange war which the top management persistently calls the anti-terrorist - means, in fact, the police officer - operation much is felt), - they don't understand me". And, having kept silent, sadly adds: "vata"... "Means, you will go to Pavlograd?" - I asked logically, apparently, assumptions. I will go with Ksenia to the Western Ukraine, to Ivano-Frankovsk". "Why to Ivano-Frankovsk?" - my eyebrows from surprise involuntarily creep out on a forehead." I went there to holiday, - answers, - to friends who already got demobilize. It was pleasant and with work promised to help". Professionally sees himself in the future military - in special forces. "In which?" Smiles: "I won't tell..." "Not to maleficiate?" - I smile in reply. "Just about!."
In the last day we visited the divisions of the 81st paraborne crew deployed in Druzhkovki's region where met group of scouts. After Shovkoshitny's performance review traditional already at once send to individual "interviews". For me they seemed not too successful: one of fighters simply refused ("there is no wish to remember"), and three following declared that they here recently and therefore to speak, actually, there is nothing..
One more meeting was remembered - it preceded this the last - in the 2nd battalion of the 25th Dnepropetrovsk airborne brigade deployed in region of Dmitrov. After a lunch we led long discussion "in private" with the commander of a battalion. I interrogated" its mainly Shovkoshitny, also the former professional journalists - they, certainly, "in a subject joined from time to time". Answered battalion commander quietly, deliberately, slowly. From its answers, in particular, we learned that for all the time of military operations the battalion lost 128 fighters, already passed those times when they actually were on the contents at volunteers and are now completely provided with the state - from arms and ammunition to food and warm clothes (the last - as well as a trifle but in view of the fact that as the famous fabulist about carefree wrote the grandma and the ‘ants?, "from winter already the ‘ vikhoreets’ " - can easily develop into a burning issue). And address to volunteers only when need "anything special".
Finally I decided to insert into the short question: "And as if you shortly characterized the general condition of yours to a battalion after everything, what you had to wait?" After short considering, the battalion commander gave short, but settling, in my opinion, the answer: "I am quite confident in fighters of the battalion".
This laconic the answer was wholly coordinated and with my feelings from a trip. I daily monitor the Internet, I read analytics, including print media, about events in the southeast (about the Crimea too I don't forget). Unfortunately, first there were many bases for alarm - and in actions of divisions and especially the high command. However that I saw and I heard "on places", confidence really increased.