Scarecrow. The Game of Moths. The Last Parade

Vladimir Karpovich Zheleznikov (1925-2015) consistently wrote about childhood and youth, but in a way that captivates readers of any age. His characters often act without much reflection - as their nature demands. Nature can require 'unjustified cruelty', or it can demand self-sacrifice. But sometimes a special moment of insight suddenly arrives, and everyone sees everything - including themselves - in true light, remarkably clearly, without any embellishments. Then the despised 'scarecrow' and the funny oddball from the sixth 'B' suddenly turn into wonderful beings, bearers of good, while yesterday's hero turns out to be a traitor and a coward... Zheleznikov's stories have been repeatedly adapted for film. The movie 'Scarecrow', directed by Roland Bykov in 1983, with young Kristina Orbakaite in the lead role, became truly cult-like.