The first anthology of veterans who took part in specialized operations, Life for Oneself, edited by Zakhar Prilepin and published by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, was unveiled in the conference hall of the Russian Society Knowledge. The presentation took place during the Russia Exhibition, as reported by the foundation’s press service.
This collection gathers narratives drawn from the lived experiences of heroes from the Northern Military District and their families. The contributors themselves are veterans and former special operations soldiers whose voices shape these pages.
Anna Tsivileva, chair of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, explained that the idea for compiling these stories grew out of the foundation’s First Forum of veterans from the Northern Military District.
She emphasized that the book allows readers to peer into the lives of special operators and to grasp the challenges these individuals faced in service and in civilian life.
The foundation’s president described the result as a precise, intimate, moving, and uplifting chronicle of destinies and achievements, captured in human terms that resonate beyond military circles.
Zakhar Prilepin observed that memory of peoples and nations is preserved through words and literature, noting that as long as such memory endures, a people endures with it. He also suggested that if certain events have not found their way into literature, poetry, or an ode, they may have been treated unfairly in some way.
Sergei Novikov, Head of the Russian Presidential Public Projects Administration, expressed the belief that these stories will stand the test of time and become a lasting part of history.
He added that it is crucial to multiply such narratives and translate them into literary works that the younger generation can understand, ensuring the stories are accessible and meaningful to a broad audience.