The service of junior officer Yuriy Romashov couldn’t be called smooth. Constant clashes with officers, mockery, reprimands, and discontent from command—all of this didn’t add optimism to the life of a young officer. He felt lonely and depressed. The final straw was the death of a soldier in one of the companies. That incident triggered a wave of drunkenness. During one drinking session, a conflict erupted between Romashov and his fellow officer Nikolaev, which led to a duel.