A Body Left in the Field

Sergeyich’s encounter with an unidentified dead soldier develops into a moral decision to protect the body and return its intended gift.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Distant Shape

The Distant Shape An unsettling sight From his garden, Sergeyich notices a dark shape lying in the field toward the Ukrainian positions. Pashka’s binoculars reveal a dead soldier whose uniform does not establish which side he belonged to. The body interrupts routine The corpse unsettles Sergeyich more than the distant firing. Its exposed presence denies him the comfort of treating the battlefield as merely another part of the landscape.

A Makeshift Cover

A Makeshift Cover A dangerous approach Despite the risk of snipers and possible booby traps, Sergeyich crawls across the snowy field with a shovel. He searches the dead man’s pockets but finds no documents that would identify him. A modest act of care Unable to dig frozen earth, Sergeyich cuts heavy squares of snow crust and lays them over the body. The improvised cover shields it from view and scavengers, though it cannot provide a grave.

The Children’s Sweets

The Children’s Sweets A hidden purpose The body’s backpack contains Red Poppy sweets. Children in Svitle describe a young armed visitor with an earring who promised them treats, and Sergeyich recognizes the dead man as their lost gift-bearer. Returning what remained Feeling that the sweets belong to the children, Sergeyich carries them back and presents them as coming from their wounded Santa Claus. His act restores a small promise while acknowledging that the man himself cannot return.

mid-February, after fresh snowfall

the day Sergeyich crawls to the corpse

after Sergeyich visits Svitle