Chapter 179: the interview
The most important thing is that the soldiers were allowed to sleep until eight o'clock the next day... The wake-up whistle is usually blown at six o'clock, even though it is still dark at this time.
This made the soldiers a little unaccustomed to it. Several soldiers who woke up because of the biological clock hid in the bed and played cards together. It was usually a card they made by themselves, but Leonyev had a real card in his hand. In the sense of playing cards, he brought them from Kyiv and always carried them with him.
At this time, with a harsh whistle, Major Gavrilov resounded throughout the barracks in a low voice like a slap in the face: "Get up!"
Soldiers jumped out of bed immediately, and within 3 minutes made the bed and put on their military uniform, which included wrapping feet and ankles in foot wraps and stuffing them into boots.
Then the soldiers ran out of the barracks one by one with their guns on their backs, and then stood in a neat line.
It was only then that Shulka saw "outsiders" in the barracks... They held old-fashioned cameras of various sizes in their hands and took pictures of the troops.
"Attention!"
"Relax!"
…
Following a command, the troops walked onto the street under the spotlight, and then a lot of people gathered on the quiet street last night, waving red flags and flowers on both sides of the street and cheering:
"Welcome, Hero 333 Regiment!"
"Welcome to Moscow!"
"Welcome, Breakout Hero Shulka!"
…
Wait, breakout hero Shulka?
Shuerka looked suspiciously at the assistant instructor who was walking beside him. The assistant instructor showed no expression at all, and followed the queue like a wooden man.
Later Shulka learned that this was just a ceremony to enter Moscow, just like they entered Odessa after winning the battle.
Different from Odessa, the 333rd regiment walked on the street for more than two hours and circled around before finally returning to the barracks.
On the way, people kept cheering on both sides of the street, and many people were discussing which one was the "breakout hero".
Of course, after returning to the barracks, several reporters were waiting for interviews in the barracks, and the main interviewee was Shulka.
"Comrade Shulka, I heard they nicknamed you 'Breakout Hero'. Can you tell me about the origin of this nickname?" The reporter held the recorder in front of Shulka.
Shuerka suddenly understood the reason why the assistant instructor wanted to forcibly change his nickname to "Breakout Hero".
The reporter who interviewed Shulka was called Val Rasha, wearing a boat-shaped hat, a red five-pointed star on the hat contrasted sharply with her pair of blue eyes and cold words.
Look at the rank, it's a major...major? Major Gavrilov has fought so many battles, and he is only a major!
Varrasha's self-introduction comes from "Pravda".
I also know something about "Pravda" Shulka. It was a publication aimed at Russian workers, that is, the proletariat during the Tsarist period. It can be said to be the official newspaper of the Soviet Union.
Varrasha's expression is very serious, and she speaks in a positive and positive manner, with a bit of casualness and disdain in her eyes, which reminds Shulka of the deputy instructor and Captain Bogdan, so this interview is a bit like an interrogation.
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "Perhaps, it is because I made a few suggestions to break through, and they were adopted and succeeded!"
"Can you tell me in detail what are the suggestions?" Val Lasha asked.
"Brest, Pripyat Marsh..."
"Kyiv, Comrade Shulka!" Valrasha interrupted Shulka: "Tell me about Kyiv, how did you carry out anti-encirclement against the enemy!"
Then Shulka understood that the breakout of the Brest Fortress and the Pripyat Marsh was nothing, because it was an "escape", Kyiv was different, it was a heroic anti-siege after being surrounded by the enemy !
At that moment, Shulka felt unreasonable anger and sadness in his heart. He looked back at Valrasha and replied: "Sorry, Major! I think the battle in Brest is also necessary, because our troops A considerable number of people broke out from Brest, and the comrades who died there were the same as in the Kyiv battle. They shed blood, sacrificed their lives for the motherland, and tried their best to block the enemy's advance...they They are also heroes, without them there would be no us!"
Varrasha didn't expect Shulka to answer like this, and was momentarily stunned.
"Shulka!" Major Gavrilov reminded in a low voice.
"Sorry, Major!" Shulka said to Varrasha, "I don't think I'm ready for this interview, Major Gavrilov was involved in all the planning, and he can tell you everything you want to know! "
Saying that, Shulka got up and saluted Val Rasha, and then left.
The deputy instructor found Shulka in the dormitory, handed Shulka a cigarette, and said: "They need to use the victory in Kiev to boost morale... You know, Kyiv successfully launched a war when it was almost surrounded. Counterattack. Word of this victory has spread throughout Moscow, and your name 'Breakout Hero' Shulka!"
Shulka looked up at the assistant instructor.
"This is not what we advertise!" The deputy instructor spread his hands and replied: "The wounded are transported from Odessa to Crimea, and Crimea has trains to transport supplies to Moscow every day, so..."
"You want to take advantage of this, don't you?" Shulka asked.
"Why not?" The deputy instructor replied: "People in Moscow are panic-stricken. They are afraid of being surrounded by the enemy. If there is a 'breakout hero' here, there are also 'breakout troops' who successfully broke out in Kyiv..."
"But the situation in Kyiv is different from that in Moscow!" Shulka said: "Just because we were able to reverse the siege in Kyiv doesn't mean we can do the same in Moscow!"
"I know!" The deputy instructor nodded: "They also know, but this is not important. The important thing is that the people have psychological comfort, understand? This is very important to Moscow!"
Shuerka understood that the reason why the 333rd regiment was sent here was probably just a placebo to stabilize the hearts of the people.
After a pause, the assistant instructor continued: "So, no matter what you say, they won't write Brest in the newspaper!"
"I know!" Shulka said: "Because Brest fell, it was a failure, it was an escape without a retreat order... But it doesn't mean that the comrades who fought and died there are not heroes!"
The deputy instructor patted Shulka on the shoulder and left without saying anything.
(end of this chapter)