About the book: 2019 / "The Soviet soldier, in addition to his main specialty, has several more freelance ones - the so-called “interchangeability.” Any old-timer, if necessary, can take command of a squad or even a platoon, operate with any type of small arms (including BMP guns), carry out simple resuscitation measures, remove a simple mine, and so on. I had a whole garland of such side specialties...” The author of this book had the opportunity to fight in the crew of the AGS, and as a machine gunner, and as a sniper in one of the most “hot spots” of the Afghan war: “In the high mountainous province of Badakhshan, where our unit was stationed, “Soviet power "applied only to the administrative center - the city of Faizabad. The rest of the territory was completely under the control of the spirits. True, not evenly. There were areas where it was possible to “climb” quite calmly, and there were also those that we called only “w...” and from where we never returned without corpses...” This book is “trench truth” of the highest standard, without ceremonial myths about “international duty” and “friendship of peoples,” but without Sakharov’s slander. This is an extremely honest and frank story about life and death “beyond the river”, about exploits and losses, heroes and “torn souls”, about victories that turned into defeat - about the unforgettable last war of the USSR.