The Tsarist sentinel was buried in the ground for nine years and was rescued to bring out love
Love stories in war often make people feel emotional. The stories of Ferdinand and Sofia, Sheila and Simon Wicenthal in Sarajevo are full of joys and sorrows, and people are moved by them.
Then, the story we are going to tell next is also worth exploring and pondering. It tells the story of a Russian soldier who was supposed to retire from the army and return home to spend his life with the girl he loved when he reached his age, but the trick of fate made him live alone in the "dark" underground munitions depot for nine years.
Nine years is enough time for a man to turn to bones in conditions where he could not survive, but the soldier named Ashalev miraculously survived.
Originally, most people probably regarded him as a miracle and marveled at his tenacious vitality. However, his experiences and encounters are far more than simple emotions can be summed up.
Ashalev was able to survive solely because of his faith in his fiancée. Although the spread of the war brought about misfortunes, a love story in Sarajevo eventually became the trigger for the First World War.
In 1914, the two major war patterns gradually took shape, with the Central Powers led by Britain, France, and Russia and the Entente Powers composed of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria fighting for their own interests.
In the Great War, countries are fiercely competing for more benefits. In this global war, Tsarist Russia was at a disadvantage in the duel with Germany, so it was defeated in the war and looked very embarrassed.
At the same time, the situation in the Tsars was unstable, and the tsar had to leave the capital and hand over the affairs of the country to the empress. However, the queen placed too much trust in a sorcerer who healed her son, and the sorcerer gained royal favor as a result.
Later, this sorcerer named Rasputin actually took control of the government, used his power to make the whole country uneasy, and frequently changed a large number of important ministers in a short period of time, causing dissatisfaction among the ministers.
In 1924, there were endless domestic strife, and the 169th Division, where our protagonist Ashalev was located, was unfortunately recalled. As the evacuation plan was underway, Polensky, an officer in Ashalev's army, was convinced that this would not be a permanent retreat and that they would eventually come back to confront Germany again.
However, the amount of supplies in the munitions depot is so large that it is not wise to abandon or take it away. Therefore, the army decided to bury the door of the munitions depot so as not to leave the Germans with a advantage to take advantage of.
The soldiers were busy nervously and orderly, just to evacuate this potentially life-threatening place as quickly as possible.
The soldiers shouted for Ashalev at the entrance of the quartermaster depot, but he did not respond. Polensky ordered the detonation of the munitions depot, the doors of the munitions depot were blown up, and supplies were left in the ruins of the war.
However, no one noticed that Ashalev was mistakenly left in the munitions depot. Porensky, seeing that the quartermaster depot was perfectly hidden, hurriedly left the scene. It turned out that Ashalev was the last sentry, and he went into the tunnel to reach the post, probably because of the pursuit of the Germans, and the soldiers did not tell him about the retreat in a panic.
Ashalev is on duty, basking in the pleasures of work and letters from his fiancée. Suddenly, the shouts of the soldiers at the door were drowned out by a loud ** sound. The impact caused Ashalev to fall into a coma in an instant, and when he woke up, he seemed to be a blind elephant with darkness in front of him.
He fumbled for a match and lit it by instinct. A faint flame illuminated the front, and he groped along the light, discovering that the gate had been blocked by rubble. Feeling desperate, Ashalev slapped the rubble hard, but they did not move.
His clothes were torn while carrying the gravel, and his hands were worn out, but the gravel was still rock solid.
He flapped lonely in the underground quartermaster depot, waiting for a response from his comrades, but no one answered. In his pocket, a letter to his fiancée lies quietly, which he received before the shift change.
In the dim light, he stared at the letter, his heart full of anticipation and unease. He imagined having a wedding with his beloved fiancée after being discharged from the army and enjoying a happy family life.
Tears rolled in his eyes, and he began to cry loudly until the tears could no longer flow.
He sat quietly on the ground, his initial astonishment turning into deep thought. He realized that no matter how much he struggled, he would not be able to escape this underground munitions depot, let alone convey to the outside world the fact that he was buried here.
Despair came back to ......He opened his fiancée's letter again and saw that the life she shared, so beautiful. This vision of a better life gave him hope and courage.
He told himself to go back to that wonderful world no matter what. This unwavering determination allowed him to stop struggling blindly and to grieve alone. He lit the torch and followed the tunnel from memory until he reached the place where the supplies had piled up.
He opened the piled boxes and found them filled with food and military uniforms and bedding. His heart was filled with joy, because he knew that at least he would not starve to death or freeze to death.
Food and clothing alone were not enough to sustain life, and Ashalev also needed water and air. Luckily, their previous officers had put in place air circulation devices that allowed them to circulate even if the quartermaster depot was hidden underground.
Ashalev frantically searched for these blowholes, and eventually found several in the upper end of the stone wall in the process of stepping on the rubble. At this moment, Ashalev was desperate to take a few more breaths of fresh air and make sure he was alive.
Water is an indispensable resource for human survival. At first, Ashalev felt the presence of water on the ground, but to his disappointment, there was no water underground, after all, this pile of ** could not be placed on the wet ground.
As a result, Ashalev could only explore step by step along the stone wall, running towards various caves. Finally, on a stone wall near the entrance to the tunnel, Ashalev felt the presence of moisture and found hope for survival.
Ashalev desperately used the tools around him, little by little, to carve out a route that would guide the droplets of water into the container. He waited patiently, watching the droplets of water accumulate little by little, and the hope of survival ignited in his heart.
At this time, Ashalev could not help but cry again, but this was not the helpless cry just now, but tears for the joy of life. After wiping away his tears, he smiled as he had finally found a way to survive in this ghost place.
After gaining a deep understanding of the necessary conditions for survival, Ashalev fell into an endless state of confusion. In this dark place, his only activity is meditation, and time seems to pass silently.
He began to think, when will he be able to get out of here? Did his fiancée know he was still alive? Are you still waiting for him? These questions left him confused and uneasy.
His belief is as solid as a rock, and he must live no matter what, because only by living can he reunite with his fiancée and reunite with the relatives who are waiting for him. So, he finds comfort in self-persuasion, touches the ** around him with his fingers, and communicates with them with words.
In the face of abundant military supplies, Ashalev realized the freedom to dress, one set a day, and changed at will, however, his eating, drinking, and Lazar could only be carried out in this small space, which made him feel extremely helpless.
On the other side, the retreating army did not find him, mistakenly believing that he had died in **, did not give much attention, and only passed the news of his death to his family.
What they didn't know was that the military supplies that had been reluctant to be left to the Germans and were looking forward to reusing them in the future were being "sentry" by a sentry at the moment.
Ashalev's family and fiancée were equally saddened to learn of his death in battle. They thought he was gone forever on the battlefield and could only suffer in silence in mourning.
Years later, when they found Ashalev alive in the bombed-out quartermaster depot, they were unable to communicate with him, and his fiancée's letters became his only sustenance.
He held the letter to his chest and recited it over and over again, it was the thought between them, the comfort of their hearts. Even in solitude, Ashalev insisted on the routine of a soldier, knowing that if he stopped thinking and acting, human life would become meaningless.
His persistence is not only for himself, but also for those who love him.
With his firm convictions, Ashalev adhered to the habits of the past and carved time on the stone wall, day after day. However, two years later, the contradictions in Saudi Arabia intensified, and the population lost confidence in Nicholas II, believing that he lacked political wisdom and could not rule the country well.
Popular sentiment was growing day by day, while in the war with Germany, Tsarist Russia suffered heavy losses, and the domestic situation continued to deteriorate. By the spring of 1917, the February Revolution broke out, and Nicholas II sent soldiers to suppress it, but the soldiers rebelled and took the Tsar's family prisoner.
On March 2 of the same year, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and although the state still practiced tsarism, the throne passed to Mikhail. However, the mood of the population remained angry, and Mikhail had to flee like a lost dog.
In the end, the power of Tsarist Russia fell into the hands of the bourgeois Provisional ** and the Soviets, marking the official end of the more than 300-year-long monarchy in Tsarist Russia.
Polensky, the former Russian officer, revealed the buried munitions depot to the Poles, and after many days of excavation, finally found the entrance.
Hearing the loud noise, Ashalev could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart, he quickly put on his military uniform, took the gun that had been with him for several years, and ran wildly towards the shining place, freedom and light seemed to beckon to him, and he was so excited that he couldn't help but shout loudly.
The soldiers at the mouth of the tunnel were irritated by the smell coming from below, and they whispered to each other about it, and when they heard someone below, they were even more shocked that they had been ambushed.
Polish soldiers were ready for battle. However, when Ashalev saw soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms, armed with guns pointed at him, the Polish soldiers saw a group of savage soldiers, their hair tangled together with dirt in addition to their clean uniforms, their beards were long unclean, their faces were covered with dirt, and it was difficult to see where their mouths were.
When Ashalev and Polensky met unexpectedly, both were a little surprised, and then tentatively questioned each other. Polensky was thrilled when he recognized Ashalev in the military uniform he had led.
Ashalev told Polensky about his underground experiences over the years, and Polensky was so emotional that he realized that it was his own negligence that allowed a soldier to stay in the dark for nine years.
So, Polensky begged the Polish soldiers to send Ashalev back to his homeland. Despite his mixed feelings, Ashalev embarked on the journey home. When he picked up the yellowed and illegible letter again, with dust and dirt on it, his feelings were even more complicated.
Ashalev regards this as a priceless treasure, which is his persistent belief, the deep longing for his fiancée for nine years, and the source of strength that sustains him in persevere.
Looking at the ever-changing scenery outside the window, his heart was filled with fear, would his family and fiancée wait for him? However, after thinking about it, he can finally go home, comfort himself, and bravely face the ...... of the way homeWhether his fiancée was still waiting for him, or whether he already belonged to something else, the passage of time would not have made up for the lost nine years for Ashalev in any way.