Young Guard

It was the dreadful year of 1942. Military units and crowds of refugees move through Krasnodon in an endless stream. They are retreating. From afar comes the rumble of artillery; villages are burning. The front is drawing ever closer to Krasnodon, and the city is forced to prepare for evacuation. The young men and women of Krasnodon — yesterday's schoolchildren — watch the scene of retreat with heavy hearts. Not so long ago, life had been joyful and bright. They had made happy plans for the future, they had dreams...