Analysis and summary of Bondarev's "Hot Snow"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Soviet writer Yuri Bondarev belongs to the glorious galaxy of front-line soldiers who, having survived the war, displayed its essence in vivid and solid novels. The authors took the images of their heroes from real life. And the events that we calmly perceive from the pages of books in peacetime, for them happened with their own eyes. The summary of "Hot Snow", for example, is the horror of the bombing, and the whistle of stray bullets, and frontal tank and infantry attacks. Even now, reading about this, an ordinary peaceful person plunges into the abyss of the gloomy and formidable events of that time.

Front-line writer

Bondarev is one of the recognized masters of this genre. When you read the works of such authors, you are involuntarily amazed at the realism of the lines that reflect various aspects of the difficult military life. After all, he himself went through a difficult front-line path, starting at Stalingrad and ending in Czechoslovakia. That is why novels make such a strong impression. They amaze with the brightness and truthfulness of the plot.

One of the bright, emotional works that Bondarev created, "Hot Snow", justtells about such simple, but immutable truths. The very title of the story speaks volumes. In nature, there is no hot snow, it melts under the sun's rays. However, in the work he is hot from spilled blood in difficult battles, from the number of bullets and fragments that fly into brave fighters, from the unbearable hatred of Soviet soldiers of any rank (from private to marshal) for the German invaders. Here is such a stunning image created by Bondarev.

War is not just fighting

The story “Hot Snow” (a summary, of course, does not convey all the liveliness of style and tragedy of the plot) gives some answers to the moral and psychological literary lines begun in the author’s earlier works, such as “Battalions ask for fire” and “Last shots.”

Like no one else, telling the cruel truth about that war, Bondarev does not forget about the manifestation of ordinary human feelings and emotions. “Hot Snow” (the analysis of his images surprises with the lack of categoricalness) is just an example of such a combination of black and white. Despite the tragedy of military events, Bondarev makes it clear to the reader that even in war there are quite peaceful feelings of love, friendship, elementary human hostility, stupidity and betrayal.

Fierce fighting near Stalingrad

Retelling the summary of "Hot Snow" is quite difficult. The action of the story takes place near Stalingrad, the city where the Red Army finally broke the back of the German Wehrmacht in fierce battles. A little south of the blockaded 6th Army of Paulus, the Soviet command creates a powerful line of defense. Artillerythe barrier and the infantry attached to it should stop the tank divisions of another "strategist" - Manstein, rushing to the rescue of Paulus.

As is known from the history of the Great Patriotic War, it was Paulus who was the creator and inspirer of the infamous Barbarossa plan. And for obvious reasons, Hitler could not allow an entire army, and even led by one of the best theoreticians of the German General Staff, to be surrounded. Therefore, the enemy spared no effort and means in order to break through an operational passage for the 6th Army from the encirclement created by the Soviet troops.

Bondarev wrote about these events. "Hot Snow" tells about the battles on a tiny patch of land, which, according to Soviet intelligence, has become "tank dangerous". A battle must take place here, which, perhaps, will decide the outcome of the battle on the Volga.

Lieutenants Drozdovsky and Kuznetsov

The army under the command of Lieutenant General Bessonov receives the task of blocking the enemy's tank columns. It is in its composition that the artillery unit described in the story, commanded by Lieutenant Drozdovsky, is included. Even a summary of "Hot Snow" cannot be left without describing the image of a young commander who has just received an officer's rank. It should be mentioned that even at the school Drozdovsky was in good standing. Disciplines were given easily, and his position and natural military bearing pleased the look of any combat commander.

The school was located in Aktyubinsk, from where Drozdovsky went straight to the front. Together with him in one part receivedthe appointment of another graduate of the Aktobe Artillery School - Lieutenant Kuznetsov. By coincidence, Kuznetsov was given command of a platoon of exactly the same battery commanded by Lieutenant Drozdovsky. Surprised by the vicissitudes of military fate, Lieutenant Kuznetsov reasoned philosophically - his career was just beginning, and this was far from his last appointment. It would seem, what a career, when there is a war around? But even such thoughts visited the people who became the prototypes of the heroes of the story "Hot Snow".

Summary should be supplemented with the fact that Drozdovsky immediately dotted the “and”: he was not going to remember the cadet time, where both lieutenants were equal. Here he is the battery commander, and Kuznetsov is his subordinate. At first, reacting calmly to such vital metamorphoses, Kuznetsov begins to quietly grumble. He does not like some of Drozdovsky's orders, but, as you know, it is forbidden to discuss orders in the army, and therefore the young officer has to come to terms with the current state of affairs. In part, this irritation was facilitated by the obvious attention to the commander of the medical instructor Zoya, who deep down Kuznetsov liked.

Motley team

Focusing on the problems of his platoon, the young officer completely dissolves into them, studying the people he was to command. The people in the platoon at Kuznetsov were ambiguous. What images did Bondarev describe? "Hot Snow", the summary of which does not convey all the subtleties, details the stories of the fighters.

For example, Sergeant Ukhanov also studied in Aktobeartillery school, but due to a stupid misunderstanding did not receive an officer's rank. Upon arrival at the unit, Drozdovsky began to look down on him, considering him unworthy of the title of Soviet commander. And Lieutenant Kuznetsov, on the contrary, perceived Ukhanov as an equal, maybe because of petty revenge on Drozdovsky, or maybe because Ukhanov really was a good gunner.

Another subordinate of Kuznetsov, private Chibisov, already had a rather sad combat experience. The part where he served was surrounded, and the private himself was taken prisoner. And gunner Nechaev, a former sailor from Vladivostok, amused everyone with his unstoppable optimism.

Tank strike

While the battery was advancing to the designated line, and its fighters were getting to know each other and getting used to each other, the strategic situation at the front changed dramatically. This is how events unfold in the story "Hot Snow". A brief summary of Manstein's operation to liberate the encircled 6th Army can be conveyed as follows: a concentrated tank attack butt-to-end by two Soviet armies. The fascist command entrusted this task to Colonel-General Goth, the master of tank breakthroughs. The operation had a loud name - "Winter Thunderstorm".

The blow was unexpected and therefore quite successful. The tanks entered the butt of the two armies and went deep into the Soviet defensive formations for 15 km. General Bessonov receives a direct order to localize the breakthrough in order to prevent tanks from entering the operational space. To do this, Bessonov's army is reinforced with a tank corps, making it clear to the commander thatthis is the last reserve of the Bet.

Last Frontier

The frontier on which Drozdovsky's battery advanced was the last. It is here that the main events about which the work "Hot Snow" is written will take place. Upon arrival, the lieutenant receives an order to dig in and prepare to repel a possible tank attack.

The commander understands that Drozdovsky's reinforced battery is doomed. The more optimistic divisional commissar Vesnin does not agree with the general. He believes that thanks to the high fighting spirit, the Soviet soldiers will survive. A dispute arises between the officers, as a result of which Vesnin goes to the front line to cheer up the soldiers preparing for battle. The old general does not really trust Vesnin, considering deep down his presence at the command post as superfluous. But he has no time to conduct a psychological analysis.

"Hot snow" continues with the fact that the battle on the battery began with a massive bomber raid. The first time falling under the bombs, most of the fighters are afraid, including Lieutenant Kuznetsov. However, pulling himself together, he realizes that this is only a prelude. Very soon, he and Lieutenant Drozdovsky will have to put all the knowledge they were given at the school into practice.

Heroic efforts

Soon there were German tanks and self-propelled guns. Kuznetsov, together with his platoon, courageously accepts the battle. He is afraid of death, but at the same time he is disgusted by it. Even the brief content of "Hot Snow" allows you to understand the tragedy of the situation. Shell after shell tank destroyerssent to their enemies. However, the forces were not equal. After some time, only one serviceable gun and a handful of fighters remained from the entire battery, including both officers and Ukhanov.

Shells became less and less, and the soldiers began to use bundles of anti-tank grenades. When trying to undermine a German self-propelled gun, young Sergunenkov dies, following the order of Drozdovsky. Kuznetsov, in the heat of battle, throwing back his chain of command, accuses him of the senseless death of a fighter. Drozdovsky himself takes the grenade, trying to prove that he is not a coward. However, Kuznetsov holds him back.

And even in battle conflicts

What does Bondarev write about next? "Hot snow", a summary of which we present in the article, continues with the breakthrough of German tanks through the Drozdovsky battery. Bessonov, seeing the desperate situation of the entire division of Colonel Deev, is in no hurry to bring his tank reserve into battle. He doesn't know if the Germans used their reserves.

And the battery was still fighting. Zoya, the medical instructor, dies senselessly. This makes a very strong impression on Lieutenant Kuznetsov, and he again accuses Drozdovsky of the stupidity of his orders. And the surviving fighters are trying to get hold of ammunition on the battlefield. The lieutenants, taking advantage of the relative calm, organize assistance to the wounded and prepare for new battles.

Tank reserve

Just at this moment, the long-awaited reconnaissance returns, which confirms that the Germans have committed all reserves to the battle. The fighter is sent to the observation post of General Bessonov. commander,having received this information, he orders his last reserve, the tank corps, to be brought into battle. To speed up his exit, he sends Deev towards the unit, but he, having run into the German infantry, dies with a weapon in his hands.

The Panzer Corps came as a complete surprise to Goth, resulting in the German breakthrough being localized. Moreover, Bessonov receives an order to develop success. The strategic plan succeeded. The Germans pulled all the reserves to the site of the operation "Winter Thunderstorm" and lost them.

Hero Rewards

Watching a tank attack from his OP, Bessonov is surprised to see a single gun that is also firing at German tanks. The general is shocked. Not believing his eyes, he takes out all the awards from the safe and, together with the adjutant, goes to the position of the defeated Drozdovsky battery. "Hot Snow" is a novel about the unconditional masculinity and heroism of people. About the fact that regardless of their regalia and ranks, a person must fulfill his duty, not worrying about awards, especially since they themselves find heroes.

Bessonov is amazed at the resilience of a handful of people. Their faces were smoked and burned. No insignia is visible. The commander silently took the orders of the Red Banner and distributed them to all the survivors. Kuznetsov, Drozdovsky, Chibisov, Ukhanov and an unknown infantryman received high awards.