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A Letter from A.I.Fridkin to “Voenizdat” Publisher

A letter from A.I.Fridkin to “Voenizdat” Publisher, September, 30, 1943.

Military Mail 33097-B

Dear comrades.

I have just read a book by Mikhail Sholokhov “They Fought for Their Country”. You see, I was excited by it to the bottom of my heart. It reminded me of the hard times of retreat in the summer of 1941 and 1942. I’ve been at the front since the beginning of the war. I fought in Byelorussia, Ukraine, in the regions of the Don and the Caucasus. I’ve got through all the stages of the war to reach the most delighted one – an offensive. Together with my friends I liberated Kuban, what for I was awarded the medal “For Courage”; and now I am staying by the Dnieper, the widest Ukrainian river, which is dear for me as well as my life, because it symbolizes a near victory. Ukraine brought me the second award – the order of “Krasnaya Zvezda”. My Country has marked me and I won’t spare my life for it. Please, give comrade Sholokhov my gratitude for this easy and truthful book.

I was particularly impressed by the description of the battle for the hill. From August, 30, till September, 2, I had to be on such a hill and defend it. The Germans six times rushed attacking with tanks, but our soldiers and officers beat them off. They knew that the enemies rushed in the last agonies before their crappy death. The Germans fired out about 600 shells and mines within 40 minutes shooting at the hill from the six-barreled infantry mortars thinking to intimidate us with a nasty howl. But they failed, for when attacking again our soldiers threw them back by a strong discharge.

Now we are far away from those places. But we can’t be frightened by getting into even tenfold greater troubles, for we are advancing and the moment of victory is quite near.

Thank you, comrade Sholokhov, and you, comrades, for the book. We need more of them. They are of greater help in battles.

With my best regards.

Senior technician, lieutenant A.Fridkin.

30.09.1943. Military Mail 33097-B”