The novel describes the turbulent events of the period of the late 80s and early 90s: the end of the war in Afghanistan, “democratization”, “glasnost”, the first parliamentary elections, a difficult economic situation, a series of ethnic conflicts, the difficult life of the Soviet army army, complex relationships in the army environment. The second part describes the dramatic events that took place during the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany, the putsch of the State Emergency Committee. Despite the difficult socio-political and economic situation in the country described, the book is full of optimism and humor.