The school auditorium buzzed with children’s voices. Kostya sat in the farthest corner, fidgeting with the sleeve of his worn sweater—the only decent one he found in his closet. The elementary school’s autumn festival always attracted many parent volunteers, and today was no exception. Around him, the festive chaos reigned—mothers in autumn coats bustled back … Read more
This story touches each of us in one way or another, as it tells of dreams and plans, of difficulties and the crushing of hopes. But it also tells of how real people cope with life’s situations. Where they draw strength, and what keeps them from giving up. Pasha grew up in an orphanage, placed … Read more
Forest ranger Ivan quietly walked along the path, listening to the familiar sounds of the forest: the rustling of leaves, the crackling of branches under the paws of a hare, the cries of magpies. It was a cool autumn morning. Ivan was headed to the southern part of the reserve, where he had recently noticed … Read more
Yegor stood on the threshold of his grandmother’s old house. In his hands, he held an envelope with his savings accumulated over the past few years. He had been saving money for a new laptop for work and a trip abroad; he had always dreamed of spending at least a week on tropical islands. But … Read more
Liza passed through the station every day on her way to work. The usual route, familiar faces, the hustle of early morning. But Liza had long stopped paying attention to the bustle. Her gaze always lingered on the same bench. He sat there. A homeless dog, who for some reason had chosen that particular spot. … Read more
Natalya slammed the door loudly. From the morning, she had a premonition that the day would not go well. Her 19-year-old daughter, Lusya, recently brought home a kitten named Musya, who managed to create a mess right on the bathroom mat. It was hard for Natalya to scold her daughter for this, as Lusya was … Read more
Rita’s phone vibrated in her hand. The voice of an unfamiliar woman, quiet but clear, echoed in the background. Just a second ago, she was expecting to hear her husband’s usual voice, but now this strange whisper was there instead. “Where are you?” she wanted to scream, but Rita gripped the phone tighter, held her … Read more
“Boryslav!” Borya flinched. He didn’t like being called by his full name. All his colleagues knew him as Borya and never addressed him formally. The person who called him that now must have been looking at his passport. Borya turned around. In the doorway stood Vera Igorevna, the accountant. She had only been at the … Read more
Look, she’s dragging that bag again! See how hard it is for her!” waitresses out on a smoke break laughed. One of them shouted: “Dishwasher! Baba Val, just don’t hurt yourself, leftovers are heavier than food!” The elderly woman looked back, smiled sadly, and, switching the hand holding the bag, headed towards the bus stop … Read more
Irina had just put her daughter, Alice, to bed a few minutes ago. She was about to lie down herself to enjoy the quiet of her cozy apartment. The soft light of the table lamp created a warm atmosphere in the living room, where the walls were adorned with landscape paintings and photographs of happy … Read more