—— Red Army Sniper ——112I congratulated my friends and helped them to attach the orders
to their tunics.
Then I suddenly heard the announcement: ‘Order of the Red
Banner... Nikolaev, Yevgeni Adrianovich!’
I sat as if I were tied to the chair, unable to bring myself to
get up. ‘What if it’s not me. Imagine the embarrassment if two
Nikolaevs get up.’
‘Go on! What are you still sitting there for? You’ve been called
up,’ Ivan Karpov whispered to me.
Completely at a loss, I got up from my seat and headed down
the broad aisle to the table.
‘Is Nikolaev present?’ said Comrade Zhdanov with a smile,
held out the box containing the order and shook my hand.
Without letting my hand go, he said, turning to the audience:
‘Comrade Nikolaev has come to us from hospital. Let’s wish
him a speedy recovery! And that after he gets out of hospital he
will knock out the Nazis as well has he did before he was wounded.
I congratulate you, Comrade Nikolaev, on your award.’
‘I serve the Soviet Union!’ I replied in a loud voice to the
applause of those sitting in the hall. And softly, just to Comrade
Zhdanov, I said: ‘Thank you, Andrey Alexandrovich!’
The audience applauded. Comrade Zhdanov again shook my
hand and then said, for my ears only: ‘Isn’t there anything you
want to say?’
‘I do, Andrey Alexandrovich!’
He raised his hand in a bid for calm. As soon as silence
descended in the hall, Andrey Alexandrovich said: ‘Attention,
please! Sniper Nikolaev wishes to say a few words!’ And he nodded
to me and beckoned towards the rostrum with his eyes.
In a state of agitation, I approached the rostrum and stopped
beside it. I was afraid I would disappear behind it, as it seemed
too big for me. I had a lot of thoughts in my head, and nice, warm
words I wanted to say, but felt that I might lose my way from the
agitation gripping me and, since it was not possible to talk for long,
I decided to keep it as brief as possible. I stood for a little with my