«IN THE CIRCLE OF KUNDUZ» Page #6

In the compartment of the vans, there is a fuss, a hustle, a crush. Newcomers jump off the upper tiers, jump up from the seats of the lower tiers, and urgently leave the vans. Following the directions of the movement of the welcoming soldiers, they run in two columns through the open high doors of the tiny station and, running out onto the square, deftly jump onto the KAMAZ trucks standing in a row.

All the recruits have already loaded, the soldiers soon ran through the cars and, looking inside, tightened the awnings on all sides. The KAMAZ trucks are leaving.

34. EXT. THE MOUNTAIN TRAINING CENTER (MTC) "SHERABAD" — EARLY MORNING.

TITLE:
THE MOUNTAIN TRAINING CENTER (MTC) "SHERABAD", TURKVO.

There is a formation of newcomers at the one-story building of the military unit headquarters. There are six people standing nearby — Sidor, Strela, Rust, Mongol, Kostyan, Koster.

Three military men in camouflage uniforms without military insignia strut along the line. In front, an important man, obviously a senior in rank, walks with a long stride, hands behind his back. Two men follow him, standing on either side, apparently his subordinates, who look a little younger than the senior.

The SENIOR looks at the faces, examines each newcomer.

SENIOR:

Masters of Sports, Candidates for Masters of Sports, dischargers who want to prove themselves in military service, as well...

The senior stops moving, turns around, looks at the formation.

SENIOR:

(continuing)

Having misunderstood conflicts with the Law: Step forward!

Sidor, Strela, Rust, Mongol, Kostyan, Koster are out of order.

35. EXT. THE MOUNTAIN TRAINING CENTER (MTC) "SHERABAD" — DAY.

There is a training session – working out the actions of scouts on a raid and an ambush. A reconnaissance patrol of the raid group is advancing along a narrow street between a high adobe fence. There are three comrades in it – Sidor, Strela, Koster. The main group is moving behind the patrol at a distance of twenty meters – ten soldiers. The soldiers are quietly sneaking around, vigilantly looking around, pointing the barrels of their submachine guns and machine guns at a likely target.

Mongol threw a lasso from the roof of an adjacent low building at Sidor, who is walking in front, nailing him to the wall, not allowing him to leave his place. Rust and Kostyan jump from behind the fence at lightning speed on the heads of Strela and Koster and begin to strangle them with belts of machine guns.

36. INT. TENT OF THE TRAINING RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY - AUTUMN TURKESTAN NIGHT.

TITLE:
TWO MONTHS BEFORE BEING SENT TO AFGHANISTAN. TENT OF THE TRAINING RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY.

After the evening verification, Mongol walks around in the tent of 5 friends lying next to each other, preparing for bed: Kostyan, Rust, Strela, Sidor, Koster.

MONGOL:

I made an agreement with the foreman, this night he lets the six of us out of the unit into the desert, so that I can perform the traditional rite of exorcism of evil spirits for the end of October. So, be ready to perform at night.

Everyone in the company will already fall asleep!

37. EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE — NIGHT

A gusty wind is blowing, a fine, dank rain is drizzling. Mongol and his friends Sidor, Rust, Kostyan, Strela and Koster gather behind the tent of the reconnaissance company. Mongol leads his friends to the storeroom; the friends take out a large bag rattling with its contents and three fascines lying at the exit.

Distribute the load among themselves, reach the edge of the MTC, seep through the barbed wire and move away from the location of the military unit.

STRELA:

(on the move, aggressively)

Mongol! Is there anything you want to tell us?

MONGOL:

(with sincerity)

At the end of October, the border between the worlds opens, and I am obliged to facilitate the relocation of the spirits of the dead, hovering among people in the underworld. In this regard, according to tradition, it is urgent for me to perform tailagan – kamlaniya. Simply put, prayer services accompanied by ritual dances around the campfire with a tambourine fight.

SIDOR:

(joking)

"You should go to the doctor and say — he will give you medicine if he is sick!"

MONGOL:

(dropping the sneer)

Tailagan is held in a place of worship — on the shore of a reservoir, at the foot of a mountain, in the desert. We have always believed that the mountain, the big water, the ancient tree, the desert have their own spirit.

Sidor, Strela, Kostyan, Rust, and Koster all laughed together.

RUST:

(perplexed)

Good! This is an old tradition and ritual! But what are we doing here?!

KOSTYAN:

(lazily)

Personally, I'd rather sleep. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn, get up at five in the morning and march.

MONGOL:

(in a faded voice)

But we're friends!

And it is customary to perform the rite in the circle of relatives and friends.

STRELA:

(interested)

Let's say.

But how did you explain the reason for our excommunication to the foreman?

MONGOL:

(dodging)

Said it like it is!

SIDOR:

(excitedly)

How is it?! That is, you said: Foreman Tolstoperov!

I don't have any strength; I want to run around the campfire and knock on the tambourine to the point of stupefaction?!

And yet he was deeply imbued and blessed you on the kamlaniya, letting you go into the desert at night with five comrades — so what?!

MONGOL:

(embarrassed)

But why? Not right away.

I found a special approach, and I was able to agree on many things. Including tailagan.

SIDOR:

(aggressively)

Come on, Mongol, lay it out, — what kind of a special approach is this?!

MONGOL:

(evasively)

It's not that important!

SIDOR:

(without retreating)

But still?

MONGOL:

(after thinking about it)

Gold! I gave him gold!

SIDOR:

(having played with feeling)

What kind of gold?!

MONGOL:

(serene)

The most ordinary!

Seven gold spools with a total weight of 30 grams.

SIDOR:

(excitedly)

Yes, you, Mongol, are a luxury fraer! At the time, eh?! Buryat Nouveau riche are dragging gold into the Army!

RUST:

(with confidence)

And how else to appease the foreman? Just like that!

KOSTYAN:

(incredulously)

He must be joking!

MONGOL:

(sincerely)

Not at all!

I gave him the spools that I took from home and secretly stored in different places.

STRELA:

(astonished)

Isn't 30 grams of red gold too much for the foreman, eh?!

MONGOL:

(sincerely)

When I joined the army, I foresaw that gold would certainly come in handy for me,

(Mongol opened up)

this September, unfortunately, I missed the tailagan of the closing of the Heavenly Gates. Therefore, it is important for me to do it now.

You understand!

(he explains to his perplexed friends)

this piece of gold is nothing compared to my spiritual need to perform a ritual. It is akin to a breath of air, the will and the desire for life.

SIDOR:

(he sang amused)

The fires in my furnaces don't burn at all, I can't keep a couple in the boilers.

KOSTER:

(indignantly)

What a foreman, eh?!

SIDOR:

(with the stem)

What do you want?!

Life as it is! If taylagan is important for our mountain Buryat guys, then we need to help him let off steam, look, and we will break off some gold plate from his luxury.

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