This is a novella. The author narrates the bizarre experiences of Andrei's family and portrays the character of Zuhor, the former deputy secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who evolved into a local bully. It profoundly reveals the cruel reality of Tajikistan's religious theocracy and secular power, family power, and local separatist governance. The regional bullies colluded with various black forces, oppressed the people, and committed all kinds of evil. It more objectively presents the historical picture of the civil war period in Tajikistan. Industry insiders commented that the novel brought the mountainous country of Tajikistan to life. Russian writer Medvedev focused on describing the survival issues of people under war conditions by telling these people and events during the civil war. By reading this novel, I have a relatively comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the civil war and the current situation of life, customs, religion and culture of all social strata during the war.
