Hubert Mingarelli - Four Soldiers

Hubert Mingarelli's beautifully written short story set during the Russian Civil War delivers an emotionally powerful account of comradeship and friendship among a small group of soldiers. Set during a lull in the fighting it tells of a summer that would have been idyllic if it weren't for the war just over the horizon. The four soldiers in the title form a close knit, secretive group within the larger camp and become emotionally and physically dependent on each other.

Their friendship has the intensity that can only be matched by those formed under the threat of intense stress. Mingarelli doesn't overburden the story with wider details. There is nothing here about the Civil War itself, though we learn a few background facts about some of the characters that tell of grinding poverty. The army also requisitions food from surrounding villages, but the soldiers have little to say about this. The ending isn't cheerful, but it is enormously powerful. But perhaps not the most positive of stories to read during the anxiety of global lockdown.