War through the eyes of children. This is how one can define the volumetric space of Elena Kryukova’s new novel, where tragedies, mistakes, despair, enmity, victories and pain of the adult world are viewed through the prism of children’s destinies. "Bellona" is a canvas of Rembrandt's chiaroscuro, contrasting, emotionally dense. It could be compared with Goya's "Caprichos" if it were not for the recognizably Russian breadth in the depiction of battle scenes and the poignancy of the lyrical, intimate episodes. Adults and children are the plot and figurative “yoke” of the book. The Second World War is seen in an unusual way, stereoscopically, from different sides, not only from the side of the warring USSR. Germans, Italians, Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians, British - the peoples of Europe contributed suffering to the wealth of future, sacrificially won joy. Much, if not all, has been redeemed by love. Dvoira Zuckerberg and Gunther Wegeler, Yuri Makarov and Marysya, the Italian Nicoletti, a guard in a concentration camp, and the prisoner boy Leo, who became her son - all these are facets of love. And we walk along the sharp edge of war and love - now and always.