The book ‘1418 Days’ is part of the series ‘Russia. The XXth Century’ consisting of four volumes issued in 2003-2004. The book is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is not just another interpretation of that war events but an attempt to show them in an unusual aspect, to give the floor to unprejudiced witnesses of the history.
The war chronicle day by day is restored by the daily news bulletins issued by the Soviet Information Bureau from June 22, 1941 till May 9, 1945. The unique photos of that period made by both the world-known military correspondents Dmitry Baltermants, Emmanuel Evzerikhin, Georgy Zelma, Eugeny Khaldey, Yakov Khalip, Arkady Shaikhet and other masters and the amateur photographers left forever unknown open the unexpected sides of the war usually staying aside the official chronicles. We can see not only attacks and parades but also the harvest gathering, fishing, sport events, the tailor studio at the front, amateur performances — all those activities that neither the peaceful life nor the war even the most horrible one at which the most important is to remain a human being can do without.
