About the book: year / This frostbitten Far Eastern history began in the era of hopeless perestroika under Brezhnev's stagnation. At that time, with the rank of senior lieutenant, I had the honor of commanding a howitzer artillery battery deployed throughout the peacetime state. It began on a January evening with an urgent call to a meeting with the regiment commander. “Comrade officers, tomorrow, at 5 o’clock in the morning, we will be “unexpectedly” alerted to participate in an awesome exercise.” “How are the exercises? What exercises?” Gogol would be indignant.