"Severe Days" by Ivan Shmelev is an impressive literary testimony about the brutal realities of the Civil War in Russia, which took place in the late 1910s - early 1920s. The author, successfully comprehending the events of those times, tells the story of an ordinary peasant who had to survive in an era of drastic changes, violence and the decay of usual moral values. "Severe days" is a deep embodiment of a person in critical conditions, where true character is tested in the most painful way. This is a masterpiece that convincingly demonstrates that even in the darkest of times, an amazing strength of spirit is able to survive and continue the struggle for dignity and truth.