A short novel by a distinguished author about Mongolia's past and a special military campaign against a fortress occupied by the Chinese. The events are authentic, but neither the campaign, nor the fortress, nor the Russian officer whose notes form the novel ever existed. Fiction, rather than hindering, helps Yuzefovich create a precise document of the era. We recommend this book to anyone interested in the early 20th century and a love of the diary genre. Leonid Yuzefovich is one of the most acclaimed writers of our time. A professional historian, he often explores how the era is reflected in the everyday person. 

“I endured many inconveniences here, suffered from the heat, cold and bad water, got lice, was covered in boils, suffered from dysentery, but never and nowhere did I feel freer than in Mongolia.”