The book "Alive"

The war is between Russia and Ukraine and America. There should have been no other soldiers from other countries here.

Serving Features

• Documentary. The book is based on real events and the author's personal experience.
  - Absence of political rhetoric. The emphasis is on people and their fates, not on judgments of events.
  - A combination of the heavy and the funny. Dark episodes are juxtaposed with everyday and comical sketches—this helps convey the multifaceted nature of the frontline experience.

What is the book about?

The author, a Wagner PMC volunteer with the call sign "Papyrus," recounts his journey from a rookie in Molkino to an electronic warfare platoon commander near Soledar. The book lacks a classic dramatic narrative with a premise and climax; instead, it offers a mosaic of episodes linked by the overall narrative of his service and the routine of the front.

Key plot lines and episodes

• The Path to PMC and Preparation. The author describes how he came to the decision to participate in combat, the selection process, and basic training at the Molkino base. These chapters set the tone for the entire book: this is not a glorification, but an honest account of everyday life, anxieties, and adaptation to a new reality.
  - Everyday Life at the Front. A significant portion of the book is devoted not to battles, but to what life on the front lines consists of: daily routine, teamwork, everyday difficulties, and humor as a means of psychological defense.
  - Portraits of Comrades-in-Arms. An important part of the "plot" is a gallery of images of people with whom the author served: from former prisoners to adventurers and patriots. Many have only call signs, almost no names. Through these vignettes, the unit's atmosphere and how war changes people are revealed.
  - Combat Episodes and Losses. The book contains descriptions of specific situations in which the author and his unit found themselves under fire, in trouble, and lost comrades. These fragments are presented without pathos, with an emphasis on the human cost of each event.
  - The evolution of the author's role. The author's journey from a rookie learning on the fly to a decision-making commander is shown. This is the book's internal narrative: growing up and developing professionally in extreme conditions.
  - Reflections on life and death. The title "To the Living and the Dead" reflects the collection's core idea: it is a tribute to the fallen and simultaneously a story about those who continue to live and carry out their missions. The author balances tragedy and a love of life, often using irony and self-mockery.

The End: Exodus and Memory

*Contract Completion: Completion of the year-long combat marathon (May 2023) and the unit's exit from the active combat zone.

• Return to civilian life: A psychologically difficult adaptation process. The author describes survivor syndrome, when you are physically safe, but mentally still in the trenches with those who never returned.
  Summary and Message: The book concludes with a profound personal manifesto—a promise to live on for oneself and for fallen friends, preserving the absolute, unvarnished truth about them. The author's final message is summed up in his pithy phrase: "He hugged me! It was all worth it!"

Beginning: From a citizen to the front lines

*Decision and Departure: The author decides to volunteer for a combat zone. The narrative opens with a road trip to the Wagner PMC training base in Molkino, Krasnodar Krai.

• Training and Initial Shocks: The author describes the accelerated training course, the transformation of a former civilian into a new recruit, and meeting future comrades—from idealists to former prisoners.
  *Entry "behind the tape": Arrival in Donbas, first experience of being under artillery fire, and the realization of the harsh reality in which romantic notions of war instantly collapse.

Middle: Trench life and everyday combat

• Becoming a specialist: The author ends up in a radio engineering unit. Describes everyday life on the front lines: constant combat with drones, deployment of electronic warfare (EW) systems, work in conditions of sleep deprivation and under the constant threat of air strikes.
  *Leadership: Thanks to his experience and composure, Papyrus rises through the ranks and becomes an electronic warfare platoon commander. The main focus of the narrative shifts to responsibility for the lives of his subordinates.
• A Kaleidoscope of Events: This part is filled with contrasts. The arduous assaults on Soledar and Bakhmut, the loss of comrades and injuries are intertwined with trench humor, self-irony, and touching stories of interactions with local children. A personal storyline is also touched upon—he met his future wife on social media.

Combat episodes and losses. The mosaic also includes poignant moments: situations under fire, injuries, the death of comrades. These fragments are not constructed as climaxes, but are presented as part of the overall picture—without glorification, with an emphasis on the human cost of each event.
- Portraits of Comrades-in-Arms. An important part of the "plot" is a gallery of images of people with whom the author served: from former prisoners to adventurers and patriots. Through these sketches, the unit's atmosphere and how war changes people are revealed.
- Internal Line. Parallel to external events, the author's internal evolution is traced: from a person just learning to survive and make decisions to a commander responsible for others.
- A finale without pathos. *The book ends not with a loud denouement, but rather with a sense of a completed stage: the author sums up his experiences, pays tribute to the memory of the fallen, and formulates his attitude towards what happened to him. The title "To the Living and the Dead" reflects this idea - it is simultaneously an appeal to those who survived and a memory of those who did not return.

Presentation Features

-* Documentary. All episodes are based on real events and the author's personal experience.
- Absence of political rhetoric. The emphasis is on people and their destinies, not on assessments of events.
- A combination of the heavy and the funny. Dark episodes are adjacent to everyday and comic sketches - this helps convey the multifaceted experience of the front.

How the "plot canvas" is structured

Chronologically, the book covers approximately 345 days—from the summer of 2022 to May 2023. The "plot" here is the author's journey from recruit to electronic warfare platoon commander:

• Entry Point. The author describes the moment he decides to volunteer for the Wagner PMC and his journey to the base in Molkino. It's not a pompous choice, but rather an inner sense that "I have to."
  - Preparation and Adaptation. The first essays explore the daily routine of training: schedule, training, initial worries, and attempts to acclimate to a new reality. This also includes first encounters with fellow soldiers who have almost no names, only call signs.
  - Transfer to the Front. As the "plot" unfolds, the author finds himself in a combat zone—in the Soledar area. His role also changes: from a rookie learning on the fly, he gradually becomes an electronic warfare platoon commander.
  - Frontline routine as the main "plot. "The bulk of the book is filled with episodes of everyday life on the front lines: shifts, everyday difficulties, teamwork, and humor as a form of psychological defense. It is these vignettes that create a sense of movement—from confusion to adaptation, from fear to professional composure.