Without this book, which has long become a world bestseller, it is no longer possible to imagine either the history of the Afghan war - an unnecessary and unjust war, or the history of the last years of Soviet power, which was completely undermined by this war. The grief of the mothers of the “zinc boys” is inescapable; their desire to know the truth about how and why their sons fought and died in Afghanistan is understandable. But having learned this truth, many of them were horrified and abandoned it. Svetlana Alexievich’s book was tried “for libel” - in a real court, with a prosecutor, public prosecutors and “support groups” in government and in the press. Materials from this shameful trial are also included in the new edition of The Zinc Boys.