This work was written in 1917 by direct participants in the legendary “attack of the dead” - Lieutenant Colonel Svechnikov (chief of staff of the Osovets fortress) and Major General Bunyakovsky (commander of the Livensky infantry regiment). The book clearly reveals the military significance of Osovets, describes the area of combat operations and the entire course of the six-month heroic defense, which ended with the legendary counterattack of the “Russian dead.” Yes, these are not living and intimate memoirs of Ivan Lukash about the stand of the Russian army in Gallipoli. “Defense of the Osovets Fortress” is a real military-academic study, at the same time clearly demonstrating the same thing that “Naked Field” tells us about - the inflexibility and heroism of the Russian army, which we simply must remember.

From the author’s preface to the book: “The 6 1/2 month Osovets battle does not shine with colorful combat episodes with the massive capture of prisoners and trophies, but from beginning to end it is imbued with heroism, the performance of military duty, the calm diligence of the entire command staff, and a lot of examples of valiant actions of commanders and individual military units, severe life hardships and manifestations of extremely intense physical and mental work by the participants in the defense, which resulted in a calm and courageous defense of the fortress, which did not allow the enemy to reap cheap laurels and brought invaluable services to the general strategic position on the northwestern front. participants of the Osovets epic, who survived all its ordeals and, due to their official position, had full opportunity to follow all the actions of the command staff and military work, we, in order to share with a fresh impression the progress of the heroic defense, preserve in the memory of the people the work of the valiant garrison and to perpetuate the memory of worthy sons of the great Motherland, whose death captured the feats they accomplished and created the glory of Osovets and the participants in its defense, we offer our humble work to the favorable attention of readers.”