By the middle of the 12th century, the borders of the Mongolian Empire stretched from the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas in the west to the southern lands of China in the east. The Mongolian army, under Khan Batu’s command, was known for its invisibility, destroying anyone who dared to challenge them. Yet, even within their central territories, some areas refused to bow to the Genghisids. Kozelsk was one of them. The Mongolian armies bypassed the high walls of this small town, considering that "the skin of the wolf was not worth the risk of encountering its teeth".However, one of the Khan’s commanders harbored a grudge against the town's citizens. Now, the people of Kozelsk must face a battle against the strongest army in the world, with no hope of victory. This is a story about people facing their death. Some try to escape, others are willing to do anything to survive, but most are prepared to protect their city from the relentless storms of the Mongolian hordes.
Spring 1942. Moscow schoolgirl Katya is corresponding with a cadet of the naval school Kostya, who is unknown to her. When sent to the front, his echelon must pass through Moscow, and they have a chance to meet ... Our days. Muscovite Katya, a talented violinist and a wild child, without realizing it, begins to follow in the footsteps of the history of Katya and Kostya, her peers from the war years. Will she be able to finish an amazing teenage love story that began years ago?
Damir Yusupov could never have imagined that one day he would be hailed as a hero. As a child he dreamed of flying and was certain that he would follow in the footsteps of his aviator father, but fate seemed to have other plans for him. As years went by, even those closest to him lost hope, but Damir finally managed to make his dream a reality and became an airline pilot. In August 2019 his courage and skill saved 233 lives when he brought his plane down safely in a cornfield after a complete engine failure.
The year is 1941. Nazi Germany has declared war on the USSR and begins launching air assaults on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Stalin immediately orders a retaliatory air campaign under the code name “Wings over Berlin.” The closest entry point to Berlin from the USSR border was an airfield on the Estonian island Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea. It would be a 7-hour flight over enemy territory in outdated aircraft leaving no chance of survival for the tail crew members in case of attack. Despite overwhelming odds, the first units completed the mission and made it back to base safely, unlike many others that followed.