118 исторических миниатюр и 108 авторских текстов на 13 иностранных языках. Сборник
Шрифт:
– 'Fell because he lost balance.
Near were juggling with knives and a bat. Just strangers... Besides, without a circular saw. His body at the time of the fall appeared under the knives and the bat.'
– 'His body appeared! And what about observers?'
– 'They did not understand in the beginning. Will try better to remember.'
– '...M-m-m...'
27 December 2017 11:06
Translation from Russian into English. December 27, 2017 11:41
Владимир
LXIX. A Monologue about the French Tricolor and about the Stavka
He raised his glass. Symbols of anti-Christian paganism in a month will be thrown on the ground.
Army under banners with the French tricolor was the only one in the modern era, which was able after the battles to enter in Moscow.
The Committee of Public Safety! "The Fatherland is in danger" (Fr. La patrie est en danger)! The victories of Pan-European scale!
The State Defense Committee has led the country to the Victory!
"I have a spot, the stigma on a military uniform!" - he has remembered Napoleon's words.
Supreme Commanders... Nicholas Nikolaevich, Nicholas II... "The Stavka capitulating"... The killed Dukhonin... The peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk! It - not a one spot! These are several spots!
The Stavka - wasn't capitulated! Stavka have won the war!
Supreme commander raises his glass, intending to give a toast in honor of the Victory.
"No war, no peace"?!
"We have in a reserve no Hindenburgs" - he said in the hardest 1942.
"Bayonets to the earth?" - No! "Not one step backwards!"
Peace!.. he glanced at the smiling Marshal Rokossovsky, - it is possible to speak about the peace with honor.
Peace of victorious powers! Tehran, Yalta, Potsdam!
There are presented the young vigorous marshals, generals. Admirals - with naval dirks. All - in beautiful, ceremonial military uniforms!
We waited for forty years, we, the people of old generation, this day.
– When a spot - several spots!
– will be liquidated.
He raised his glass:
– I as the representative of our Soviet Government, I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people.
December 28, 2017 12:59
Translation from Russian into English: December 28, 2017 19:10.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Монолог о французском триколоре и о Ставке'.
LXX. The Short Story about the Navy of railways
The general has come to cafe-library by Gorky's invitation. Having entered into library, the general has expressed doubt: whether there is a sense at a short meeting?
– when it is supposed to put an immense subject for discussion. "Let's interest in a subject of readers", - Gorky has offered.
Listeners have seated around the general, questions have begun.
– You was the Chief of the Rear of the Red Army. Probably it was served boring for you? Sheets - towels?
– In vain you so think, - the general has answered.
– First, the Rear is a providing military units with arms, ammunition, fuel. Secondly, during war of a problem of supply of army become complicated by 1000 times.
– So and in 1000?
– the mistrustful remark from audience was heard.
– What army in 1941, till October - December, was the strongest in the world?
The audience was silent.
– I will risk to assume that - Hitlerite army, - the general has continued.
– But the Hitlerite army was very and very strong up to the Battle of Stalingrad. And after Stalingrad... And so, whether you know that in frosty days of the end of 1941 the German army was left without warm clothes in necessary quantity? That before invasion into Stalingrad the mechanized units of Hitlerite army in 1942 stood idle noticeable number of days without fuel. Precious summer days were lost . Many both victories, and defeats had the reasons in work of the Rear. History are known cases when large army units starved, sustained losses, suffered a defeat from a lack of food.
The British military attache believed that shortage of food at defending was one of the reasons of unusable defense in October, 1917 of the Winter Palace (and in Palace there was a Provisional government).
– And what, you managed to adjust work of the Rear during war?
– the question was raised.
– You tell "Rear". But "Rear", - as a concept, - was created gradually. Before war I worked at a position of the Chief Quartermaster of the Red Army. The fighting, front situation has forced to create the enormous, but effective organizational structure which has received the name "Rear". According to the resolution of the State Committee of Defense and the order of the People's Commissar for Defence of August 1, 1941 the position of the Chief of the Rear of the Red Army was established and the Governmental Agency of the Rear has been formed.
Such centralized organization wasn't known before by any army of the world.
At the beginning of 1942 I was assigned the People's Commissar of Railways. I have been loaded completely. I tried to refuse additional duties. It hasn't turned out.
– In what there was a purpose of additional appointment?
– the audience has become interested.
– And how you think, than the locomotive differs from the steamship?
– the general has unexpectedly asked a question.