In the bullet-ridden overcoat of the Russian soldier of the Great Patriotic War, Alexander Zaitsev, who died in 1944, his last letter in earthly life, a farewell letter, was found.
It is not addressed to family and friends, but to Almighty God, in whom our warrior sacredly believed in his dying hour.
Listen, God... Never before in my life
I haven't talked to you, but today
I want to greet You.
You know, from childhood I was told,
That you are not there. And I, a fool, believed it.
I have never contemplated your creations.
And then last night I looked
From the crater that was knocked out by a grenade,
To the starry sky that was above me.
I suddenly realized, admiring the universe,
How cruel deception can be.
I don’t know, God, if you will give me your hand,
But I will tell you, and you will understand me:
Isn't it strange that in the midst of a terrifying hell
Suddenly the light opened up to me and I recognized You?
Apart from this I have nothing to say,
It’s just that I’m glad that I recognized you.
We are scheduled to attack at midnight,
But I’m not afraid: You’re looking at us...
Signal. Well then? I have to go.
I felt good with you. I also want to say
That, as You know, the battle will be fierce,
And maybe at night I’ll knock on You.
And so, even though I have not been your friend until now,
Will You let me in when I come?
But I think I'm crying. My God, you see
What happened to me is that today I have seen the light.
Farewell, my God, I'm leaving.
And I’m unlikely to return.
How strange, but now I am not afraid of death.