The Soviet writer Yuri Bondarev belongs to the glorious galaxy of war veterans who, having survived the war, reflected its essence in vivid and integral novels. Authors took images of their heroes from real life. And the events that we perceive in peacetime from book pages calmly, for them happened firsthand. The summary of “Hot Snow,” for example, is the horror of bombing, the whistle of crazy bullets, and frontal tank and infantry attacks. Even now, reading about this, an ordinary peaceful person plunges into the abyss of gloomy and formidable events of that time.
Front-line writer
Bondarev is one of the recognized masters of this genre. When you read the works of such authors, you are inevitably struck by the realism of the lines depicting various aspects of the difficult military life. After all, he himself went through a difficult front line, starting at Stalingrad and ending in Czechoslovakia. Therefore, the novels make such a strong impression. They are striking in the brightness and truthfulness of the plot.
One of the bright, emotional works that Bondarev created, “Hot Snow”, is precisely the story of such simple but indisputable truths. The very name of the story says a lot. There is no hot snow in nature; it melts under the sun's rays. However, in the work he is hot from spilled blood in fierce battles, from the number of bullets and splinters that fly into brave fighters, from the intolerable hatred of Soviet soldiers of any rank (from privates to marshals) to German invaders. Here is such an amazing image created by Bondarev.
War is not only a battle
The story “Hot Snow” (the summary, of course, does not convey all the liveliness of the style and tragedy of the plot) gives some answers to the moral and psychological literary lines begun in the author’s earlier works, such as “Battalions ask for fire” and “Last volleys”.
Like no one else, telling the cruel truth about that war, does not forget about the manifestation of ordinary human feelings and emotions Bondarev. “Hot snow” (the analysis of its images surprises with the lack of categorization) is just an example of such a combination of black and white. Despite the tragedy of military events, Bondarev makes it clear to the reader that even in war there are quite peaceful feelings of love, friendship, elementary human hostility, stupidity and betrayal.
Fierce battles near Stalingrad
Retelling the summary of “Hot Snow” is quite difficult. The story takes place near Stalingrad, a city where the Red Army finally broke the ridge of the German Wehrmacht in fierce battles. A little south of the blocked 6th Army of Paulus, the Soviet command creates a powerful defense line. The artillery barrier and the infantry attached to it should stop the tank divisions of yet another “strategist,” Manstein, rushing to Paulus’s rescue.
As is known from the history of the Great Patriotic War, it was Paulus who was the creator and inspirer of the notorious plan of Barbarossa. And for obvious reasons, Hitler could not allow the whole army, and even led by one of the best theorists of the German General Staff, to be surrounded. Therefore, the enemy spared no effort and means in order to break through the operational passage for the 6th Army from the encirclement created by the Soviet troops.
About these events and wrote Bondarev. "Hot snow" tells of the battles on a tiny patch of land, which, according to Soviet intelligence, has become "tank dangerous." Here a battle should take place, which may decide the outcome of the battle on the Volga.
Lieutenants Drozdovsky and Kuznetsov
The task of blocking the tank columns of the enemy gets the army under the command of Lieutenant General Bessonov. It is its composition that includes the artillery unit described in the story, commanded by Lieutenant Drozdovsky. Even a brief summary of “Hot Snow” cannot be left without a description of the image of a young commander who has just received an officer rank. It should be mentioned that even in school Drozdovsky was in good standing. Disciplines were easy, and his becoming and the natural military bearing amused the eyes of any combatant commander.
The school was located in Aktyubinsk, from where Drozdovsky went directly to the front. Together with him, another graduate of the Aktobe Artillery School - Lieutenant Kuznetsov - was appointed in one part. By coincidence, Kuznetsov received a platoon of the very battery commanded by Lieutenant Drozdovsky. Surprised by the vicissitudes of military fate, Lieutenant Kuznetsov reasoned philosophically - his career was just beginning, and this was not his last appointment. It would seem, what career, when there is war around? But even such thoughts were visited by people who became prototypes of the heroes of the story “Hot Snow”.
The summary should be supplemented by the fact that Drozdovsky immediately dotted the “and”: he was not going to recall the cadet time, where both lieutenants were equal. Here he is the battery commander, and Kuznetsov is his subordinate. At first, calmly reacted to such vital metamorphoses, Kuznetsov begins to murmur softly. He does not like some of Drozdovsky’s orders, but, as you know, it is forbidden to discuss orders in the army, and therefore the young officer has to come to terms with the current state of things. Partly, this irritation was facilitated by the obvious attention to the commander of the medical instructor Zoe, who deep down liked Kuznetsov himself.
Motley team
Focusing on the problems of his platoon, the young officer completely dissolves in them, studying the people whom he was to command. The people in the platoon at Kuznetsov stole ambiguous. What images did Bondarev describe? "Hot snow", a brief summary of which will not convey all the subtleties, describes in detail the stories of the fighters.
For example, Sergeant Ukhanov also studied at the Aktobe artillery school, but due to a stupid misunderstanding, he did not receive an officer rank. Upon arrival in the unit, Drozdovsky began to relate to him, considering him unworthy of the rank of Soviet commander. And lieutenant Kuznetsov, on the contrary, perceived Ukhanov as an equal, perhaps because of petty revenge on Drozdovsky, or maybe because Ukhanov was really a good gunner.
Another subordinate of Kuznetsov, Private Chibisov, already had a rather sad combat experience. The part where he served was surrounded, and the private soldier was captured. And with his irrepressible optimism, the gunner Nechaev, a former sailor from Vladivostok, amused everyone.
Tank strike
While the battery was advancing to the designated line, and its fighters got acquainted and ground against each other, strategically, the situation at the front changed dramatically. This is how events develop in the story “Hot Snow”. A brief summary of Manstein’s operation to free the 6th Army sandwiched in the encirclement can be conveyed as follows: concentrated tank strike butt of two Soviet armies. The fascist command entrusted this task to Colonel General Goth, the master of tank breakthroughs. The operation bore a loud name - "Winter Thunderstorm."
The blow was unexpected and therefore quite successful. The tanks entered the butt of two armies and delved into the Soviet defensive order for 15 km. General Bessonov receives a direct order to localize the breakthrough in order to prevent the tanks from entering the operational space. To do this, Bessonov’s army is reinforced by the tank corps, making it clear to the commander that this is the last reserve of the Headquarters.
The Last Frontier
The frontier on which the Drozdovsky battery was advanced was the last. It is here that the main events will take place, about which the work "Hot Snow" is written. Upon arrival, the lieutenant is ordered to dig in and prepare to repel a possible tank attack.
The commander understands that the reinforced battery of Drozdovsky is doomed. The more optimistic division commissar Vesnin does not agree with the general. He believes that due to the high morale, the Soviet soldiers will survive. A dispute arises between the officers, as a result of which Vesnin goes to the front line to cheer up the soldiers preparing for the battle. The old general does not really trust Vesnin, considering in his heart the presence of that at the Communist Party is superfluous. But he has no time to conduct a psychological analysis.
"Hot snow" continues with the fact that the battle on the battery began with a massive raid of bombers. When first hit by bombs, most of the soldiers are afraid, including Lieutenant Kuznetsov. However, taking himself in hand, he realizes that this is only a prelude. Very soon, he and Lieutenant Drozdovsky will have to apply all the knowledge that they were given in school, in practice.
Heroic efforts
Soon, German tanks and self-propelled guns appeared. Kuznetsov, together with his platoon, bravely accepts the battle. He is afraid of death, but at the same time disgusts her. Even a brief summary of “Hot Snow” allows us to understand the tragedy of the situation. Tank-by-shell tank fighters sent shell to shell at their enemies. However, the forces were not equal. After some time, only one serviceable gun and a handful of fighters remained from the entire battery, among which were both officers and Wuhanov.
Shells became less and less, and fighters began to use bundles of anti-tank grenades. When trying to undermine a German self-propelled gun, young Sergunenkov dies, following the order of Drozdovsky. Kuznetsov, having thrown down the subordination in the heat of battle, accuses him of the senseless death of a fighter. Drozdovsky himself takes a grenade, trying to prove that he is not a coward. However, Kuznetsov restrains him.
And even in battle, conflicts
What further does Bondarev write about? "Hot snow", the brief content of which we present in the article, continues with the breakthrough of German tanks through the Drozdovsky battery. Bessonov, seeing the desperate situation of the entire division of Colonel Deyev, is in no hurry to bring his tank reserve into battle. He does not know whether the Germans used their reserves.
But the battery was still fighting. The medical instructor Zoya is dying senselessly. This makes a very strong impression on Lieutenant Kuznetsov, and he again accuses Drozdovsky of the stupidity of his orders. And the surviving fighters are trying to get hold of ammunition on the battlefield. The lieutenants, taking advantage of the relative lull, organize assistance to the wounded and prepare for new battles.
Tank reserve
Just at this moment, the long-awaited reconnaissance returns, which confirms that the Germans brought all reserves into battle. The soldier is sent to the observation post of General Bessonov. The commander, having received this information, orders to enter his last reserve - the tank corps. To speed up his exit, he sends Deyev towards the unit, but he, having run into the German infantry, dies with arms in his hands.
The tank corps was a complete surprise to Goth, as a result of which the breakthrough of German forces was localized. Moreover, Bessonov receives an order to develop success. The strategic plan was a success. The Germans pulled all the reserves to the site of the Winter Thunderstorm operation and lost them.
Hero Awards
Watching from his NP for a tank attack, Bessonov is surprised to notice a single gun, which also fires on German tanks. The general is shocked. Unbelieving, he takes out all the rewards from the safe and, together with the adjutant, goes to the position of the defeated Drozdovsky battery. “Hot Snow” is a novel about the unconditional masculinity and heroism of people. The fact that regardless of his regalia and ranks, a person must fulfill his duty without caring for awards, especially since they themselves find heroes.
Bessonov is struck by the resilience of a handful of people. Their faces were smoked and burned. No insignia are visible. The commander silently took the Order of the Red Banner and distributed it to all the survivors. Kuznetsov, Drozdovsky, Chibisov, Ukhanov and an unknown infantryman received high awards.