Sambrus Letter Z

Chronicles of Peace and War
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-80484-155-6
Verlag: Glagoslav Publications B.V. (N)
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 614 Seiten

Final-year students at the Cinematography Institute are swamped with demands: choosing a topic, crafting a killer script, and shooting a graduation film to earn their degree.

But these are anxious times. Russia has amassed a formidable military force along Ukraine's borders. How can anyone concentrate?

Time is running out-the war has already begun. Though few believed it possible, it erupts like a ruthless steamroller, emblazoned with a crude letter Z, flattening millions of lives in its path.

 is the first comprehensive attempt to capture how it all unfolded-an epic novel chronicling two years of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Blending imagination with stark reality, it weaves the journeys of fictional characters into a tapestry of verified facts, dates, and harrowing testimonies. This is no mere story; it's an investigative narrative, the author's unflinching perspective on events that, in truth, ignited not in 2022 but as early as 2014-a simmering conflict in Donbas that has now escalated into full-scale war. Will it endure forever?

Above all,  probes the questions haunting us all: How could this happen? Why? And the most agonizing-how much longer must it last?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sambrus, Oleksandr

Weitere Mitwirkende

Payne, Svetlana

Leseproben

1 December 2021. ‘Your Country Is Cobbled Together from the Off-Cuts of the Two Empires!’

He’s an Odd One, this Putin…

The situation around us was full of anxiety – both outside or within the country. On the external parameter Russia continued to draw in her troops. The Americans were sharing their satellite images and warning us of danger.

But as for us, the prevailing intent was to keep calm. Even if the parliament and media were more boisterous than ever. President Zelensky had been onto Medvedchuk – an openly pro-Russian leader popularly referred to as ‘Mertvechuk’.14 Nothing funny about any of this: the potential charge was treason! Even abetting terrorism! My, oh my…

The court ruled that while the hearing was going on the defendant should stay under house arrest: a bracelet on his hand enabling them to follow his movements. In short, to prevent him fleeing…

‘Urgh!’ grimaced Spyridon. ‘I really don’t like any of it. This Putin here, he knows how to bear a grudge, he’ll never forgive it… He’s sure to pay back in kind… Putin is Medvedchuk’s daughter’s godfather, so it’s no trifle. They are truly connected. Putin had been placing a serious stake on him all the way until 2014. He advised Yanukovych to appoint him Prime Minister. He used to say: “So here, Vyktor Medvedchuk – who better as a Prime Minister for Ukraine’’?’

‘Whatever the past,’ that from Taras, ‘he and his beauty Oksana Marchenko are probably quite comfortable in this palace of theirs… And the bracelet is clearly not going to be in the way…’

‘Just look at him – such a common mug, somewhat repulsive, even…’ I put in my tiny dig, too. ‘Yet he scored himself a TV presenter for a wife, pretty as a model...’

‘Dough, dude… that’s what rules the world…’ Bolik clasped his fingers expressively. ‘He may well have been repugnant to her too, that’s to start with. Then he bought her, and got attractive…’

‘Enough, guys,’ Alla sounded indignant. ‘Some connoisseurs of the woman’s heart you are!’

Well, Medvedchuk – that was just to get the ball rolling. The conversation promptly moved on to the topical developments.

‘Putin places his bet on provoking immediate chaos here…’ Spyridon added fuel to the fire. ‘Sort of, it’ll all “blow up from within’’! And when the situation spirals out of control, a new Maidan will flare up!15 And this time they’ll be in the right place at the right time. They’ll bring in their army – what else? – to liberate their “compatriots’’. Of whom there’s probably 10-15 percent left here…’

‘It’s clear now, of course, why they kept pushing their insane plan forward so brazenly! One people, my ass!’ Arkady was getting all steamed up. ‘No, guys, the thesis of liberating compatriots is clearly wobbly. They’ll need a new pretext for aggression now. We, allegedly, are “one people’’? But Ukraine, as part of this integral unity, has always been presented as a captive of Bandera toadies!16 And they’ll barge in to defend not just some miserable part but the whole unity…’

‘Look, it’s all true, ‘Bolik flung up his hands. ‘But it’s simply not possible that there aren’t people in Russia opposed to those insane ideas…’

‘You’re talking about the so-called “good Russians’’?’ Liubchik was amazed. ‘Do you believe that they even exist?’

‘Recall, Bolik, the end of August of 2014: our forces went on the offensive near Ilovaisk, thus practically solving the problem of liberating Donbas…’ Taras extended his hand towards him. ‘But Russians promptly moved in: started launching missile attacks from their territory, and brought new forces into the battle zone. That was the decisive factor – our guys got trapped… During some complex talks the Russian side guaranteed the Ukrainian troops safe passage out of the encirclement. Putin personally suggested setting up a “green corridor’’. And then what? You know yourself: the Russian artillery shelled this celebrated ‘‘green corridor’’ to bits...’

‘They gave “the word of an officer’’!’ Arkady flew into a rage. ‘Better still– it was a general! The personal word of the bloody Russky president!’

‘I’ll tell you what,’ Liubchik joined our exchange. ‘Don’t you know what the “good Russians’’ are calling the events of 2014? All of it: Crimea, Donbas, and specifically Ilovaisk? Let me remind you… They are saying it was a tiff between two peoples. Nothing more!’

‘And it’s the “good Russians’’ saying this.’ Spyridon sounded really angry. ‘Of which there is a minority. To say nothing about the “bad Russians’’ who are definitely more numerous… Goodness gracious…’

We all fell momentarily silent, it felt so painful.

‘I was listening to some boffins on telly yesterday. They envisage the entire Left Bank being conquered within a week, all the way to the Dnipro… They give Kyiv no more than two or three days…’

‘I heard it too. One of those talking heads says something else, though: they may well advance so far. But what will they do afterwards? We’ve got a short fuse, that’s for sure! Besides, people got much more switched on lately. Getting in is probably possible but getting out? Even if our army won’t succeed straight away, some civilians will join the partisans. They may arrange them a proper “welcome’’!’

‘God save us from any of it… That’s totally absurd… yesterday sort of brothers but today – enemies? It’s true when they say this Putin of theirs is a monster.’

‘Pity no one can get inside his head… Why is it: they’re armed up to their eyeballs yet militarism is blasting forth! And we should give it all a proper thought…’

‘The way I see it, he’s made some grievous mistakes. For example, he believes that the issue of Crimea has been closed. From his point of view, that’s how it is. Pity the European Union is way too cautious: verbally it’s one story, but in reality they’re weaving and bobbing. Thing is, politics is all well and good but there’re some serious business interests involved. And what does it all mean to the US and UK, the signatories to the Budapest Memorandum?17 It’s a different deal altogether. Their reputation has taken quite a blow. Now go and try to curb any country’s ambitions if they try to create nuclear weapons. And those who already have it, try and keep them from piling it up… They would answer back: “Look at what happened to Ukraine? Some serious papers got signed. And then a lot of zilch and fizzle. And we don’t want anything like it to happen to us too. So let us work at our nuclear programmes. And leave us be, save your admonishments.’’ Don’t you see? After this Russian escapade, it’ll be much harder to control the nuclear stuff! If at all possible…’

‘So why are they dragging their feet, the US and UK?’

‘They are smart. Waiting it all out. Hoping that the colossus does sit on the legs of clay, and will eventually crumble…’

‘What’s there to mull over? He really sucks. He’s something from the last century, a product of the rotten Soviet system…’

Unexpectedly Alla raised her hand, calling us to attention.

‘Look, guys… I’d like to remind you of something ... Remember how our Zelensky came to power?’

‘Sure. His main election promise was peace with Russia! He said: for the sake of that, I’ll speak with the devil himself!’

‘Me too, I remember... After he was elected, his entire team genuinely believed in the possibility of reconciliation with Russia. They were even saying that his abilities as an actor would help! A dialogue was indeed started. Zelensky made calls, met Putin in Paris, there were large-scale exchanges of prisoners of war. But… simpletons they were… Didn’t they take into account the fact that the Kremlin guy is a stubborn maximalist. Who wanted everything for himself... Well, now what? Having had their chips?’

Alla raised her hand again.

‘Still, I’ve had this idea. Perhaps, it’s silly…’

We all froze for a moment.

‘This here Putin…’ she carried on. ‘Isn’t he, sort of…’

She fell silent and said nothing for a bit.

‘Well? What? Do go on!’

‘What idea?’

‘… err, how shall I put it… could it be… that he’s a Devil of some sort?’

‘Whoa! Hold your horses…’ Arkady sounded worried. ‘Wait a minute… Now, to cast such aspersions…’

‘Put on the brakes yourself…’ Taras looked taken aback. ‘Perhaps… perhaps there’s something there? They do say that some weird rites are practised in the Kremlin… And they also invite witch doctors…’

‘Come on, who can say it for certain, apart from him personally?’ Spyridon’s forehead glistened with sweat. ‘He may well be the Evil One … Interesting thought though, must chew it over…’

...