War Photographer's Notebook

When the glaring white light disappeared and the field of vision returned to normal, the sound of the rumbling guns stopped abruptly.

Looking around, he found himself in a green meadow beside a birch forest.Not far away is the pier that he is very familiar with.

In a closer position, there is a small tombstone, and a girl wearing a Soviet female soldier uniform, a boat cap, and short blonde hair covering one cheek.

One of the girl's hands is incomplete, but she is still using her incomplete hands to gently caress the bayan in her arms, as if trying to play a piece of music.

A moment later, the grand melody that he had heard twice came out from the loudspeaker on the pier at the highest volume, and Ke Na, who was sitting on the ground by the tombstone not far away, gently held the baby in her arms. The bayanqin was placed by her side, and then she lay on the thick and soft grass with her hands on her pillow, letting the melody reach her ears, and letting the hot sunlight pass through the gaps between the branches and leaves, and gently cover her body .

Looking at the familiar names on the tombstone, Wei Ran quietly stood up and walked a few steps away, took out the camera to check the number of remaining negatives, and then used the viewfinder with a tear still remaining Trapped this small cemetery and pressed the shutter.

After taking the last group photo, he also put away his camera, imitating Ke Na, lying on the soft grass with his hands on his head and closing his eyes - just like lying in the warm basement with those children the same.

"Victor"

"Ok?"

"We still owe Uncle Matvey 16 rubles for the show."

"Um"

"We still have to eat that canned food together." Kona paused, and whispered expectantly in the symphony, "I don't know if the basement is still there."

"Yes, that basement must be there." Wei Ran also paused, "I swear on Moustache's life."

"Then I'd rather have my basement bombed into Lake Ladoga"

Kona smiled, "We still have to sing together, go to the zoo to see beautiful hippopotamuses, eat white bread and beef, drink milk without water, and candy and honey! We also need to rebuild Leningrad together!"

“Going to see a performance at the Marie Opera House”

Wei Ran glanced at Ke Na who was lying on the ground not far away, turned around and closed his eyes again, "If Ke Na is performing, she must sit in the first row."

Subconsciously, she gently touched the cheek missing one ear with her crippled hand. After a moment of silence, Ke Na asked again, "Victor, will we win this war?"

"Yes, definitely!" Wei Ran replied with certainty.

"Would it drive all those fascis off our land?"

"Yes, definitely!" Wei Ran's tone became more and more certain.

"so good"

"what?"

"I said, if the war is over, if those promises can be fulfilled, that would be great."

Cora wiped the corners of her eyes and asked repeatedly, "Victor, will we win this war?"

"Yes, definitely, definitely will." Wei Ran replied again with a more certain tone.

"If my dad was alive, he'd be in the band that was playing."

Ke Na used her incomplete palm to cover the glaring sunlight that rained down on her head, and she couldn't help crying, "It would be nice if my parents were still alive."

"them."

"I died before I went to work as a traffic controller on the Ice Highway"

Cora covered her eyes with her palms, "My mom died of starvation, and she was also a traffic controller. My dad died in an anti-aircraft position, he was a searchlight operator. These are the blue flags looking for musicians and instruments." The hats whispered to me."

Before Wei Ran could say anything, Ke Na moved her hands away from her face and murmured resolutely, "It's all worth it, but what did those children do wrong?"

"yes."

Wei Ran followed with a sigh, and on this piece of grass, there was only the symphony that came from a distance.

After a long time, the last movement also ended with a rush of drums. On the distant dock, the sailors, soldiers, militiamen and even the refugees who were about to evacuate shouted "Ulla!" over and over again like a tsunami.

"Ula!"

Ke Na also waved her arms and shouted, then got up, looked at Wei Ran with a bright smile, and ran towards the distant pier in great strides in the sudden white light.

When the white light faded again, when the field of vision returned to normal again, the first thing Wei Ran saw was a hippopotamus hiccupping with its mouth wide open, and Kellelo and Kona standing outside the cage crying in their arms The crying little guy, and between the two of them, Bogdan and Anastasia, who were being led one by one by Laishia.

"Brother Victor! Shutter!" Carello urged anxiously.

Hearing this, Wei Ran noticed the Rollei dual-camera in his hand and those familiar friends in the viewfinder.

"Look at me!" Wei Ran reminded loudly, and immediately pressed the shutter before the hippo closed its mouth.

When he put down the camera hanging around his neck, Kailelo, Kona and Laishia were obviously relieved. Obviously, these young people had spotted the hippopotamus with its mouth wide open. of.

After Kelelo threw the two big red apples in his hand into the hippopotamus' open mouth again, Cora also walked over holding Galina who had grown up a lot.

"Long time no see, Victor"

Ke Na first hugged Wei Ran gently, and then teased the little guy in her arms who was obviously frightened by the hippopotamus, "Galina, do you remember him?"

"It's been a long time, how are you doing?"

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he also opened his arms and hugged Anastasia and Bogdan who threw themselves into his arms. These two little guys were also much stronger, but the little girl Anastasia, Still retains the bad habit of eating fingers.

"Finally survived," Kelelo subconsciously sighed—even though he looked like he was only about 20 years old at most.

"So you two are together?" Wei Ran asked jokingly, "You really look like a family."

"Victor, you and we are also a family." Bogdan and Anastasia said in unison.

Obviously, although these two little guys have grown up a bit, they are still children.On the contrary, Laishia, who was already a big girl, couldn't help but glanced at Wei Ran and then at Carello, as if she was afraid that the two of them might say something wrong, and seemed to be looking forward to what Carello would say.

"Although we are indeed a family, Eldest Sister Kona and I are not together." Kellelo spread his hands and explained calmly, not noticing the disappointment on Laishia's face at all.

"It's enough for me to have Galina, isn't it? My little angel?"

After Ke Na finished speaking, she lightly kissed the face of the little guy in her arms, and the little guy who seemed to be four or five years old also immediately put his arms around Ke Na's neck, crying "Mom".

And Ke Na, who is not very old next year, is really like a qualified mother, patiently comforting Galina who was scared and crying, her beautiful eyes are also full of pampering that cannot be hidden color.

"look"

Carello spread his hands, "Let's go, Brother Victor, let's chat in a place that doesn't have such a big smell. I'm also working in this zoo now."

"You also work in the zoo?" Wei Ran looked at Kaileluo in surprise, "Why did you come here to work?"

"When the war is over, I've got a job, don't I?"

Kelelo said naturally, "My job is a breeder, the same job as Uncle Matvey, whom I have never met."

Having said that, Gloria paused, put her fingers into her mouth and whistled vigorously.

"Wang!"

In less than ten seconds, a dog wearing German goggles came running over with a big fluffy tail. He stood up without any hesitation and rubbed his big furry head against Galina's little feet. .

"This is Joseph? It's still alive?!"

Wei Ran's eyes widened in surprise, of course he remembered the smart dog that Matvey raised, if it wasn't for it, they would not have been able to find the body of the army horse in such thick snow.

"We didn't expect it to be alive"

While talking, Ke Na squatted down, and let Galina, who was crying just now but now smiling, hugged the dog's neck, and buried her white and tender face in the dog's neck. fluffy fur.

"Where did you find it?" Wei Ran asked in disbelief.

"That was after the Battle of Leningrad"

Cairello explained while leading everyone to a bench not far away, "I accompanied Sister Cora to bury Mrs. Via and Sister Lydia, and then I saw Joseph hiding there. There are still quite a few crushed mouse traps in the den, which are exactly the same as the ones you gave me back then."

"What a loyal little guy." Wei Ran stroked the dog's head, "Where is Matvey buried?"

"His family is gone"

After a brief silence, Kona explained, "I buried him with his younger brothers and sisters, right in the port of Osinovic, right in that birch forest."

"That piece of grass?" Wei Ran asked subconsciously.

"Yes" Cora and Carello responded in unison.

"What about you?" Wei Ran looked at Ke Na, "Are you still working at the port?"

"there is none left"

Kona smiled and shook her head, "I am now the administrator of the musical instrument warehouse of the Leningrad Conservatory of Music."

"The administrator of the musical instrument warehouse?" Wei Ran looked at him in astonishment.

"right"

Ke Na smiled, "Unfortunately... no, fortunately, the war is finally over, and we won."

"yes."

Wei Ran nodded involuntarily, "Fortunately, the war is finally over."

"Victor"

Laishia, who had been silent just now, took up the topic, "Come to our house sometime! I've always wanted to see those group photos you took at that time."

"yes"

Kona came back to her senses and agreed, "We haven't even shown the photos you took before."

"it is good"

Just as Wei Ran was about to agree, a dazzling white light lit up in front of his eyes again, but even so, he still murmured in response, "I will be a guest, I will definitely go."

While he was waiting more and more calmly, when his field of vision returned to normal, the scene he saw again was finally the layout of the world he was familiar with.

On the table in front of him, the picture on the metal notebook also turned into an exceptionally clear black and white photo.Under this photo, the industrious metal quill also wrote lines of words.

Heartless, noble and strong
Mrs. Via, who died on February 1942, 2, was bombarded by the German army. On February 4, 1944, she was buried in Ossinowitz Pier Cemetery. In September 2, he was posthumously awarded the Hero Mother Medal.

Lydia, a rationer, died on February 1942, 2, in a booby-trapped bombing dropped by the German army. On February 8, 1944, she was buried in Ossinowitz Cemetery.

The breeder, Matvey, died on February 1942, 2, in the shelling of the German army. On February 7, 1944, he was buried in the Ossinowitz Cemetery.

Commissar Ilyuch, died in German bombing in April 1942.

Pavel, a wounded soldier in the military band, has served as a music teacher at the temporary school in the Leningrad air-raid shelter since March 1942.

In August of the same year, he participated in the Leningrad premiere of Symphony No. 8 in C major.

In September of the same year, he died of organ failure due to long-term malnutrition, and left a fragment of the score used for the Leningrad premiere of the Seventh Symphony in C major, which was handed over by his comrades to Galina, a war orphan, as a souvenir after the war .

Transport member Kelelo, in February 1942, joined the Leningrad transport team with the help of Kona until the end of the war.

After World War II, he worked as a driver, breeder, trainer, and ticket agent at the Leningrad Zoo.

In 1954, through Kona's arrangement, Kellelo and the war orphan Laishia started a family, and they had a son and a daughter.

Before retiring in 1985, he had accumulatively received the Order of the Patriotic War II, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (multiple times), etc.

In the winter of 1998, he died in a snowy night dream and was buried in Osinovic Cemetery.

War orphan Lesia, on June 1942, 6, on the way to evacuate from the port of Osinowitz, was attacked by the German army, and the barge she was on capsized and escaped by chance, and rescued the baby Galina, companions Anastasia, Bo Gedan.

In 1950, she graduated from nursing school. In 1954, she and Kellogg started a family. They have a son and a daughter named Alexander and Olga.

In 1960, he was transferred to an orphanage as a health care doctor.Before retiring in 1985, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor several times.

In the spring of 1999, he passed away due to excessive longing and was buried in Osinovic Cemetery.

Galina, a war orphan, on June 1942, 6, was on the way to evacuate from Osinowitz Port. Due to the German air raid, the barge she was on capsized, and she narrowly escaped by saving her.

In September 1945, he was officially adopted by militiaman Kona.

In 1957, he was admitted to the Leningrad Conservatory of Music with honors.

After graduating in 1964, he voluntarily stayed in school to engage in music education, and started a family with his classmates in the same year.

After retiring in 1996, she settled in the port of Osinovic and had a daughter named Lydia.

War orphans Anastasia and Bogdan, on June 1942, 6, were on their way to evacuate from Osinowitz Port, but they were rescued by Lesia when their barge capsized due to German air raids.

In September 1945, he was adopted unofficially by militiaman Kona and transport team member Kellelo.

In 1955, Anastasia was admitted to Moscow State University with honors, the same year Bogdan joined the army.

In 1959, Bogdan retired to join the Leningrad police ranks.In the same year, Anastasia graduated.

In 1960, the two started their own families.Anastasia has a daughter named Via.

In 1963, Bogdan and his wife died in the line of duty and were buried together in the Osinowitz Cemetery. The couple left a son, Alyosha, who was raised by his friend Anastasia.

Alexander and other war orphans, on June 1942, 6, on the way to evacuate from Osinowitz Port, due to the German air raid, the barge they were on capsized and died.The next day, the remains of some of the war orphans were buried in the Osinowitz Cemetery together with the tombs.

Militiaman Kona, on March 1942, 3, went to the ice road as a traffic controller. In the next month, he was disabled in a blizzard in search of the Trek convoy. He was later placed in the port of Osinovitz to serve as a civilian job until the end of the war.

After World War II, he worked as a musical instrument warehouse manager and keyboard instrument tuner at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music.

In 1960, he was transferred to the Leningrad Orphanage as political commissar.Before retiring in 1980, he had been awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Second Class Mother Medal, the Second Class Patriotic War Medal, and the Labor Red Banner Medal.

On the evening of December 1991, 12, he died suddenly of a heart attack and was buried in the Osinowitz Mass Cemetery. He was never married and survived with his adopted daughter Galina.

After writing this, the metal quill also started a new line amidst Wei Ran's sigh, listing the detailed information of each medal.

It then wrote down a set of coordinates and a detailed address in Osinovec.And "Galina Valentinovna Altman", a name that Wei Ran is very familiar with, and a landline phone number.

After a short wait, the metal quill wrote at the end of the page, "This is a great hymn played with the lives of all Leningradians, which beat back hunger, cold, despair and the evil fascination Silk, it brings hope and light. It is noble and strong because people’s hearts are not lost.”

"The heart is not lost, so it is noble and strong"

In Wei Ran's murmur, the light yellow page was turned to the back, and the quill pen also wrote under the slowly rotating red swirl, "That winter was extraordinarily cold and extraordinarily warm, and everything that happened there made people feel The despair of falling into the abyss also makes people always have light and hope in their hearts.

My dear family, may you never be trapped by hunger and winter, may you never be free from war and despair.May your heart always be bright, and may you always have hope. "

What Wei Ran didn't expect was that as the metal quill fell on the table, three blue vortexes the size of ping-pong balls appeared side by side under the red vortex at once!

After waiting quietly for a while, seeing that there was no additional movement from the three blue vortexes, Wei Ran heaved a tired sigh of relief, put away the metal notebook and the small TK pistol, stood up and opened the curtains, squinting his eyes , Enjoy the quiet and peaceful St. Petersburg bright sunshine and the air without the smell of gunpowder.

After a long time, he sighed silently, closed the curtains silently, took out the guqin Yaoguang that he hadn't touched for a long time, played the few pieces he knew over and over again, and washed the backlog over and over again. The despair and powerlessness in my heart, as well as the lingering, nightmarish scenes.