COLLECTION · Movie · 1983

Sashka

Сашка

Based on the eponymous novella by V. Kondratyev, presented by the Moscow Art Theatre. The narrative spans the first five months of the war, chronicling the daily experiences of a former teenager now on the frontlines. Sasha captures a German soldier, falls in love with a nurse named Zina, receives an order from his commander to execute the prisoner, and encounters various individuals while being transported to a rear hospital. Each encounter shapes Sasha's worldview and helps him form his identity. Through these meetings and separations, Sasha truly discovers himself and his character. "Sasha" is the story of a man thrust into the most challenging time, place, and role—a soldier. As Konstantin Simonov wrote in the preface to the first edition, "If I hadn't read 'Sasha,' I'd feel something was missing—not just in literature, but in life itself."