From miniature black holes to complete distortion of matter and the concept of space-time, from galaxies that consume each other to matter that has no mass, which can neither be seen nor calculated using modern technology and the latest computers, these are just some of the secrets of space, defying the onslaught of the human mind, in the vast space there is a huge number of inexplicable mysteries, we will remind you of some of them.

QUASARS

Bright beacons shine and signal to us from the farthest edge of the visible part of the Universe, which persistently reminds our scientists of the cosmic chaos and the infancy of our native galaxy. These beacons we call quasars, which have the power to radiate an amount of energy that is comparable to hundreds of galaxies at the same time. But the main conclusion made by the world community of scientists is that quasars are nothing but monstrous black holes in the very heart of infinitely distant galaxies. One of these space monsters was captured on film back in 1979, its code name is ZS 273.

Quantum physics explains to us that, contrary to their own external appearance, empty spaces are entire virtual factories for the production of subatomic particles, which are continuously created there and immediately destroyed. Fast particles fill every cubic centimeter of the Universe, bringing with them a certain amount of energy, which, according to the law of relativity, creates anti-gravitational forces there, trying to tear the cosmos apart, to expand it. But, alas, no one knows what makes such an expansion of the Universe increase and accelerate ...

ANTIMATTER AND BLACK HOLES

Now let's touch on another riddle called antimatter (antimatter). The particles and molecules that make up ordinary matter, of which all terrestrial and cosmic substances and bodies are composed, have the opposite version of themselves. For example, electrons (the main structural elements of any substance) carry a negative charge. But their antimatter equivalent, the positron, is positive. Therefore, matter and antimatter annihilate when they collide in space, and their masses are converted into pure energy, according to Einstein's equation E=mc2. That is why space interplanetary ships of the future are already being designed with an eye on the energy of antimatter.

Miniature black holes also amaze us. If the radical new "braneworld" theory of gravity is correct, then an incredible number of miniature black holes, no larger than the size of an atomic nucleus, are scattered throughout our galaxy (and perhaps the Universe). However, unlike their "global" counterparts, these miniature black holes are initially a remnant and echo of the "Big Bang" theory. Miniature black holes affect spacetime in a completely different way, due to their close "affinity" with the fifth dimension.

And if we have already mentioned the "big bang" theory, then it would be appropriate to remind everyone about the origins of cosmic microwave radiation. This radiation is a consequence of the Big Bang itself, which originated in the Universe. It was first discovered in the 60s of the last century by radio noise emanating, as it seemed then, from all points of the Cosmos. Scientists have considered that the radiation of cosmic microwaves is the best confirmation of the Big Bang theory that can only exist. Recent measurements have shown that the temperature in the areas of microwave radiation is -270 ° Celsius.

Dark matter also seems to us to be a dark mystery, of which there is a huge amount in space. But it cannot yet be seen or calculated by all means available to us, using even the latest equipment. Neutrinos (a stable uncharged elementary particle with zero mass) are candidates for a component of dark matter. They are considered to be an integral part of black holes. Some scientists are wondering: is black matter actually real? They believe that the solution to this problem lies in the field of a different consideration and understanding of the theory of gravity.

EARTH PASSIONS OF SPACE

Until the 90s of the last century, we knew only about the planets of our solar system close to us. But very little time has passed, and astronomers have already identified more than 190 planets outside the solar system. The planets vary greatly in size and physical data, from giant balls of gas to the smallest, whose orbit is even impossible to calculate. But the search for a new (or second) Earth has not yet led to positive results. However, astronomers are confident that the latest technology will allow scientists to discover worlds similar to our earthly life.

Gravity waves are like folds in a woven fabric. This is how they appear to specialists according to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. Gravity waves travel at the speed of light, but they are very weak. Experts hope to calculate them already at the moment of their formation during any serious cosmic event. For example, at the moment of their absorption by one of the black holes of the Universe.

Installations have already been created that can capture such an event.

By the way, such phenomena (the absorption of other planets by a black hole) are called today by a beautiful phrase - galactic cannibalism.

As on Earth, in space there is a struggle for survival. One galaxy devours another, continuing to develop and evolve over time. The nearest neighbor of the Milky Way - Andromeda "lunches" at this time with its satellites. More than a dozen star clusters are scattered in the Andromeda Nebula, they are just the remnants of its previous nourishing processes.

Scientists have tried to computer-describe the galactic collision of Andromeda with our galaxy, which astronomers expect in the next 3 billion years. An impressive picture!

The little-known neutrino is also covered in mystery - a stable uncharged elementary particle with zero mass, which can easily overcome any distance. Some of them have passed through your body as you read this article, by the way. These particles originated in the global boiler rooms of burning healthy stars or in supernovae galactic explosions of dying stars. Neutrino detectors are now being installed in the depths of the world's oceans, according to the new IceCube project. Some of these detectors are attached to the bottoms of huge icebergs. And the results of these works will soon become known to us.

And these are just some of the mysteries of the cosmos that man will have to uncover in the future.

Emil Ivanov is an opera singer and an amateur astronomer rolled into one. From an early age he was interested in singing and astronomy. Emil built the first telescope at the age of 9: spectacle glasses and a lens from theater binoculars went into business. And he took his first pictures of the starry sky with the help of a 35-mm camera "Change"

After graduating from school, Emil Ivanov began studying astronomy at the State University of Sofia, but two years later he transferred to the Academy of Music, from which he graduated five years later. And then began his career as an opera singer, during which he performed at the most prestigious venues in the world. Professional employment until very recently did not allow him to turn to his favorite hobby, but since 2009, when Emil became the owner of a 12-inch astrograph, he got the opportunity to do astrophotography.

As a result, for 3 years, Emil has accumulated an impressive collection of astronomical images with images of planets and the sun, comets, the Moon and a wide variety of deep space objects.

(Total 20 photos)

1. In spring, the sky of the northern hemisphere is poor in stars, as we look away from the disk of the Galaxy, where most of the stars of the Milky Way, nebulae and star clusters are concentrated. But before us, the depths of space open up - clusters of galaxies in the constellations Coma of Veronica and Virgo. One of the many star systems that can be seen in the sky in the spring is the magnificent spiral M94, a galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici, located at a distance of 16 million light-years from us. Together with about 20 other galaxies, M94 is part of a group of galaxies that is part of the Virgo supercluster. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is also part of this supercluster.

2. Nebula IC 405 has several other catalog numbers (Sh 2-229, Caldwell 31), but is known to astronomy buffs as the Flaming Star Nebula. This vast collection of gas and dust lies in the constellation Auriga and surrounds the very hot star AE Auriga (center). The powerful radiation from the star ionizes the nebula's gas, causing it to glow red, as well as bouncing off extremely fine dust particles nearby. As a result, we see near stars and blue tones. By galactic standards, AE Aurigae is a real baby - her age is only 2-3 million years. However, during this time the star has come a long way across the sky: studies show that AE Aurigae was born in the Orion Nebula. What gave the star such a great speed that it left its cradle forever is not exactly known today.

3. Globular cluster M3 in the constellation Canes Venatici. This rather bright globular cluster is best seen in the sky in the spring. It is located halfway between the bright Arcturus and α Hounds of the Dogs. Like the vast majority of globular clusters in the Galaxy, M3 is an old cluster - probably over 11 billion years old. Very clear images like this show many red giants - stars in the late stages of evolution.

4. It's no secret that the plane of our Galaxy is heavily "dusty". Interstellar dust and molecular clouds absorb the light of distant stars, hiding from us the center of the Milky Way and many other interesting objects. To the naked eye, cold clouds appear at best as dark pits against the pale glow of the Milky Way, but photographs like this show their structure in greater detail. In the center of the image is the bright star β Cephei. In the lower right corner is the well-known reflection nebula Iris (NGC 7023), slightly to the left of it is the Ghost Nebula. And at the left edge of the image is the elongated nebula Barnard 175

5. Beautiful spiral galaxy M88 from the constellation Coma Berenices. This star system is located at a distance of 47 million light years from Earth. Active processes are going on in the core of M88, probably associated with the interaction of the matter of the galaxy and the supermassive black hole. Astronomers have found that the mass of the central black hole is about 80 million solar masses.

6. M21, an open star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. This cluster is located quite far from us, at a distance of over 4 thousand light years, so it is not visible to the naked eye. However, even small binoculars can easily resolve it to the stars. The M21 cluster is very young - its age is estimated at 4.6 million years.

7. The emission nebula NGC 2174. This vast and rather bright nebula is located in the constellation of Orion, where on ancient maps a hunter's club was depicted raised up. The left edge of the nebula has a complex structure; the glow of hydrogen is interspersed with dark streaks of dust. Hubble images show globules and columns of dust at this location, similar to the famous Pillars of Creation in the M16 nebula.

Fig. 8. A detailed image of a section of the constellation Cepheus with dark nebulae LBN 468, LDN 1148, LDN 1155, LDN 1158, HH 215. The first four nebulae were included in the catalogs of bright and dark nebulae in Lynds (Lynds Bright Nebula, Lynds Dark Nebula), the last one, similar to tadpole, bottom right object - Herbig-Haro object 215

9. A group of galaxies in the Dragon. The beautiful trio of galaxies consists of two spiral (NGC 5981 and NGC 5985 - left and right) galaxies and an elliptical NGC 5982 (center). They are indeed physically connected to each other and are located at about the same distance from us - about 100 million light years. Due to a very solid distance, the integrated brightness of each of these galaxies does not exceed the 11th star. quantities. However, much more distant galaxies also appeared in this remarkable image.

10. Among the placers of stars in the constellation Arrows is a small emission nebula Sh2-82 (object number 82 from the Sharpless catalog). The nebula is surrounded by a bluish reflection nebula; both of them are behind a powerful accumulation of dust

11. M19 - a distant globular cluster in the constellation of Ophiuchus. The cluster is almost 12 billion years old and contains more than a million stars, many of which have already left the main sequence and are going through the red giant stage. It is clearly seen that the shape of M19 is elongated, however, in infrared images, the cluster appears to be an almost perfect ball. Obviously, interstellar dust has also been involved here, which hides part of M19 from our eyes.

12. Needle Galaxy (aka NGC 4565) in the constellation Coma Berenices. This magnificent spiral galaxy is located edge to us, so we do not observe spiral arms, but we can very well see the central thickening - the bulge - and a layer of interstellar dust. If we could look at our own star system, the Milky Way, from the outside, it would probably look very similar to the Needle Galaxy. In addition to NGC 4565, two more galaxies got into the picture - NGC 4562 (in the upper left corner) and IC 3571 (a small bluish speck directly under the Needle Galaxy).

13. Galaxies M81 and M82 in the constellation Ursa Major. The remarkable pair of galaxies has long been a favorite object for many astronomy enthusiasts - they are perfectly visible even with 50mm binoculars. M81 is known as the Bode Galaxy, while M82 is known as the Cigar Galaxy or the Exploding Galaxy. Studying the spectrum of the M82 galaxy (on the right), astronomers 3-4 decades ago believed that there was a grandiose explosion in its center, but modern studies using the largest telescopes offer a different explanation for the appearance of the galaxy. According to him, processes of rapid star formation are underway in M82, and the stellar wind from thousands of young hot stars blows gas out of the galaxy. The burst of star formation probably occurred as a result of the gravitational interaction between M81 and M82. The image also included the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg IX, a satellite of the M81 galaxy, which is visible just above it as a ragged cloud

14. Dark holes in the sky have long been known to astronomers, but the first to study them was the American astronomer Edward Barnard. In 1919, he published a catalog of dark nebulae, which included 182 such objects. One such nebula, Barnard 174, is shown in this image. The astronomer described it as a narrow, irregularly shaped nebula, elongated from the northeast to the southwest and 19 arc minutes in diameter.

15. The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) and open cluster M52 in the constellation Cassiopeia. The strange spherical nebula at first glance seems to be planetary, but in fact it is not. The bubble is blown by a hot star inside it, center right. A powerful stellar wind literally pushes the interstellar matter in different directions. The size of the bubble has already reached 10 light years

16. In the constellation Ursa Major. Two objects from the Messier catalog were captured at once, which, however, have a completely different nature. At the top left is the planetary Owl Nebula (M97), at the bottom right is the spiral galaxy M108. The Owl Nebula is the expanding shell of a dead star. The core of the star - a hot white dwarf at the center of the nebula - heats the envelope with its ultraviolet radiation and causes it to re-emit photons in the visible spectrum. Distance to M97 - 2600 St. years. Galaxy M108 is 17.5 thousand times further away, at a distance of about 45 million light years. Its mass and dimensions are comparable to the mass and dimensions of the Milky Way.

17. Open cluster M7 (cluster Ptolemy). It is one of the brightest open clusters in our sky. It is located in the constellation Scorpio, in the thick of the Milky Way, at a distance of about 1000 light years from us. The cluster consists of 80 giant stars, whose total mass is more than 700 solar masses. Despite the fact that the cluster is quite young (its age is 200 million years), its most massive stars have already evolved significantly

18. California Nebula (NGC 1499) in the constellation Perseus, taken in several narrow bands of the spectrum. This huge nebula stretched out in the sky by 2.5 °, which is almost 5 disks of the moon. Despite its impressive size, the nebula is visually incredibly difficult to observe due to its extremely low surface brightness. Nevertheless, in photographs with a long exposure, its outlines appear in sufficient detail, resembling outwardly the outlines of the state of California. The distance to the nebula is about 1000 sv. years

19. NGC 1333 - a reflection nebula in the constellation Perseus. In this image, amazing in clarity and depth, the nebula appears as a dense intricacies of gas and dust clouds that emit almost no light. The reflected glow has a bluish color, by the way, for the same reason that the earth's atmosphere is also blue. Nebula NGC 1333 is part of the Perseus molecular cloud, which is located at a distance of about 1000 light years from us. Inside the cloud are many very young stars no more than a million years old - in fact, the same age as humanity.

20. The Sunflower Galaxy (M63) is a beautiful spiral star system in the constellation Canis Hounds. The galaxy was discovered in 1779 by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain, and in the middle of the 19th century, Lord Ross established its spiral structure. M63 is about 100,000 light-years across, about the size of the Milky Way. Its structure is extremely curious - in the picture we see a small dense core with many short, highly twisted spiral arms. But besides this, we also see the continuation of the spiral branches in the form of weak loops, continuing far beyond the disk of M63. Probably, these structures, also consisting of stars and gas, were formed as a result of gravitational interaction with neighboring galaxies.

THE UNIVERSE AND WE

What is there, in the depths of the universe?

How did the world come about? According to what laws does the universe develop? How old is she and what is the duration of her future existence? Humanity has been occupied with these questions for centuries. Today, science has reached such heights that it seems that it is about to give answers to them. Is it so? We asked Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of the Scientific Research Nuclear University MEPhI S.G. RUBY.

– Sergey Georgievich, as you know, the Big Bang theory is considered the most widespread theory of the origin of the Universe. Explain, please, what is its essence. Many, although they know that it exists, have little idea of ​​what it is.

– You know, modern science, although it has not finally decided the question of the origin of the Universe, has advanced so far that the human imagination is no longer enough to present the essence of some scientific discoveries. It's the same with the Big Bang theory. Since our brains have been formed for millions of years under certain conditions (low speeds, weak gravity, macroscopic dimensions), it is very difficult for us to accept that space and time originally arose in a microscopic region, that the Universe is constantly expanding, and so on. Scientists cannot visually imagine this either, but they, in addition to imagination, have one more tool that people who are not connected with science are deprived of - these are well-tested equations. It is they who prove that before the Big Bang there was a certain field that had a number of physical properties, including the energy density. According to quantum theory, fluctuations in this field are constantly occurring both in the past and in the present. So, about thirty or forty years ago, it turned out that with some types of field fluctuations, an expansion of space occurs, and at the first moment the expansion process had a tremendous speed. In science, this is called inflation. Accordingly, the energy density of the field within which inflation took place began to decrease rapidly, giving rise to energetic particles (it was from them that all celestial bodies were later formed). This meant an increase in temperature in the Universe, since it is known that the temperature of the system is proportional to the characteristic energy of its particles. This process, which for us, modern observers, seems to be a single instant, is called the Big Bang. And from that moment on, space continued to expand, slowing down, the temperature gradually dropped, and after about 13.6–13.7 billion years, a person appeared on Earth.

– But how did this initial field arise and under what conditions did it exist, if then there was neither space nor time - in our understanding?

“Science has no answer to this question. Perhaps the field has always existed, perhaps it once arose for reasons unknown to us ... The only thing we know for sure is that it existed before the emergence of the Universe and still exists, continuing to fluctuate constantly. There is also no answer to the question of the conditions under which it existed: we do not know the equations that can describe them, which means that we can only guess. And everything that can exist only at the level of conjectures, science does not take into account.

-Apart from mathematical calculations, are there any arguments confirming the Big Bang theory?

- Well, of course! Any self-respecting physicist checks his equations in practice all the time. For example, in the 1960s, the CMB was discovered, which proved that the Universe used to be very hot, and then began to cool due to expansion. And here is another proof: no stars older than thirteen billion years old have been found. Moreover, if the Universe existed forever, stars could not form, at least in the form in which they exist now. Because any star consists mainly of hydrogen, which is gradually processed into helium. That is, there would be no hydrogen left for a long time. And finally, the theory is confirmed by calculations on powerful computers, in the code of which the conditions of the Big Bang are recreated, and based on these data, they model the same distribution of galaxies that actually exists.

But are there alternative theories? For example, the theory of the pulsating Universe...

– Yes, there is such a theory and it is being developed by serious scientists. According to it, our Universe exists forever, either expanding in space to its maximum, or shrinking back and destroying everything that exists in it. But I have never dealt with this theory and, to be honest, I consider it not very promising. As for other alternative theories, the probability of their correctness is small.

– Interestingly, the Big Bang theory is not only trusted by secular scientists. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have a positive attitude towards it - in their opinion, it does not refute the possibility of the creation of the world by God.

“I have great respect for all religions and believers. But for me, as a physicist, there is no concept of faith, there is only the concept of probability. And if we want to determine the degree of probability of the existence of God, it is necessary to decide on the subject of conversation, to answer the question - what properties does the entity that we call God have. Can He break the laws of nature? Does He continue to watch over us sinners and punish us for our transgressions? If yes, why, how? Of course, the probability that the root cause of our universe is God remains, but, in my opinion, it is extremely small. And the more properties, similar to those that I just named, we give Him, the less chance (in my opinion!) that God exists, that is, the probability drops to almost zero. But, as you know, faith is a self-sufficient phenomenon, it does not require scientific justification, so believing in God or not is a personal matter for everyone.

-Of course, you are right, everyone decides the question of faith for himself. But if we take an atheistic point of view, then it turns out that the emergence of the Universe is pure chance?

– Quite right.

– But then why is everything in it so ordered, harmonious? After all, randomness is more associated with chaos.

– Great question. Many scientists are thinking about it. Indeed, such an accident at first seems incredible. However, we all have ever seen how a single flower breaks into the light from a small crack in an asphalted area. The question is, how did the seed from which he grew up manage to fall into this particular crack? But the question is removed as soon as we understand that it was one of a thousand seeds, most of which died on the pavement.

Yes, and about the harmony of nature, I have big doubts. Almost everyone is sick with something. The animal world is cruel - all the time there is a struggle for survival. Ideal natural conditions for existence are extremely rare, and so on.

“Are you saying that our universe was formed as a result of one of thousands of random reactions, most of which led to nothing?”

- Exactly! Only not thousands - many billions! Our Universe is just one of an infinite number of Universes with very different properties. All of them arise as a result of various fluctuations. In the overwhelming majority of Universes, nothing can be born, they are empty. But our field fluctuated in such a way that conditions arose for the origin of life.

-In this regard, I would like to ask another question - do you believe in aliens?

– I repeat, the word “faith” is not from the lexicon of scientists. There are about 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Planets revolve around most. Obviously, many of them have conditions similar to those on Earth. Well, the same conditions lead to the same results - the mind must be born on them. So I am sure with a high probability that our planet is far from the only one on which life arose, and in our Universe, in addition to the Earth, there are many other civilizations.

Why, then, is there still no real evidence of this?

This is what really worries modern scientists. After all, many of these civilizations are much older than us, perhaps they have already died. Or maybe they know about us, but they are simply not interested in us. After all, just imagine how much more advanced they are than we are, if their civilization is several billion years older than ours? It is even possible that these civilizations perform for us the very functions of God that we have spoken about.

– That is, life on Earth, perhaps, of alien origin?

- Quite possible. But this still does not solve the problem of the existence of God, because those civilizations also somehow arose.

– I hope that we will meet with alien brothers before the end of earthly civilization comes... By the way, since the end of the world did not happen on December 21, as we were predicted, will it happen at all?

- Well, if we talk about the end of the world as the death of the universe, then this will not happen very soon - after many billions of years. And most likely the reason for this will be excessive expansion and, as a result, cooling, in which neither the movement of celestial bodies, nor even any life, will become possible.

– I recently read that this process is explained by the action of some kind of dark energy, which is opposed by dark matter. Could you explain what these phenomena are?

– Dark matter was discovered several decades ago as a result of observing the movement of stars in the galaxy. Stars have been found to move as if there is something besides themselves that creates an additional gravitational pull. And this very something was called “dark matter”, because no one knew what it was. It is now assumed that dark matter is some kind of particles that have two special properties: they are very massive and practically do not interact with the environment, which makes them invisible.

Nevertheless, they are ubiquitous, so scientists do not lose hope of finding them after all. Whoever finds it first is the Nobel laureate.

What about dark energy?

- She's harder. Dark energy was discovered in 1998, and it turned out that it is about 70 percent of all existing energy density. In short, dark energy is created by a field that is very evenly distributed throughout the space of the Universe, which in itself is very strange. But even more strange is that there are no fluctuations in this field, only pure energy, which is in a stationary state. Why - there are many versions, but no one knows the exact answer yet.

– But does dark energy somehow affect the Universe?

– In simple terms, it causes distant galaxies to scatter further and further, and with a slight acceleration. If there were no dark energy, then at some stage the expansion of the Universe would slow down to a minimum. And so space expands with increasing acceleration, clusters of galaxies scatter further and further, the temperature in the Universe decreases. Eventually the heavenly bodies will cool down. However, as I said, before that there are still billions of years.

-That's reassuring! But that's the Universe, but what about our globe? How much is left for him?

-Yes, as much as our star, the Sun, will shine. After all, there are not so many dangers from space. Studies of the Sun show that for about 5 billion years it will probably function in the same mode as now. It will not go out and will not start to warm us too much. A large meteorite, of course, can destroy life on Earth, but scientists control the movement of large celestial bodies, and in the event of a danger, we can prevent it in the near future. So the main danger comes from ourselves. And the day of the end of the world, first of all, depends on how carefully we treat the world in which we find ourselves by a lucky chance ...

– I’ll add from myself – an accident, which, in spite of everything, is so similar to a miracle…

Interviewed by Marianna MARGOVSKAYA

men", "Father", "Son". Title your presentation. Underline the participles in your presentation
I saw a man come out from behind the outer yards of the farm. He was leading by the hand a little boy, judging by his height, no more than five or six years old. They wearily wandered towards the crossing, but, having caught up with the car, they turned towards me. A tall, round-shouldered man, coming close, said in a muffled bass voice: -Hey, brother!







- I'm in trouble with this passenger!




But my father looked different: the quilted jacket, burned in several places, was carelessly and roughly darned, the patch on worn protective trousers was not sewn on properly, but rather baited with wide, masculine stitches. He wore nearly new soldier's boots, but his heavy woolen socks were moth-eaten.

Underline the sacraments in your presentation.

I saw a man come out from behind the outer yards of the farm. He was leading by the hand a little boy, judging by his height, no more than five or six years old. They wearily wandered towards the crossing, but, having caught up with the car, they turned towards me. A tall, round-shouldered man, coming close, said in a muffled bass:

Hello, brother!

Hello. - I shook the large, callous hand extended to me. The man leaned towards the boy and said:

Say hello to your uncle, son. He, you see, is the same driver as your daddy.

Looking straight into my eyes with sky-light eyes, smiling a little, the boy boldly held out his cold pink hand to me. I shook her gently and asked:

What is it with you, old man, your hand is so cold? It's warm outside, and you're freezing?

With a touching childish trustfulness, the boy clung to my knees, raised his whitish eyebrows in surprise.

What kind of old man am I, uncle? I’m a boy at all, and I don’t freeze at all, but my hands are cold, I rolled snowballs because.

Taking off his skinny duffel bag from his back, and wearily sitting down next to me, my father said:

Trouble with this passenger!

He took out a shabby magenta silk pouch rolled into a tube from the pocket of his protective summer pants, unfolded it, and I managed to read the inscription embroidered on the corner: "Dear fighter from a 6th grade student of the Lebedyansk secondary school."

We lit a strong samosad and were silent for a long time. He put his big dark hands on his knees, hunched over. I looked at him from the side, and I felt something uneasy ...

Have you ever seen eyes, as if sprinkled with ashes, filled with such inescapable mortal longing that it is difficult to look into them? These were the eyes of my random interlocutor.

Stealthily examining the father and son, I noted with surprise to myself one, strange, in my opinion, circumstance. The boy was dressed simply, but soundly, and the way he was wearing a long-brimmed jacket lined with a light, worn tsigei, and the fact that tiny boots were sewn with the expectation of putting them on a woolen sock, and a very skillful seam on the once torn sleeve of the jacket -everything betrayed female care, skillful maternal hands.

But my father looked different: the quilted jacket, burned in several places, was carelessly and roughly darned, the patch on worn protective trousers was not sewn on properly, but rather baited with wide, masculine stitches. He wore nearly new soldier's boots, but his heavy woolen socks were moth-eaten.