Crossing the Narew River. 0 km new road bridge in Ostroleka

The crossing of the Narev and the offensive to expand the Rozhan bridgehead were to begin on October 1, 1944. However, at the very last moment, the army command postponed the start of the offensive to October 12.

On October 11, we visited Mamonov’s regiment, which was to operate in the main direction, and checked its readiness. The enemy line of defense here runs through an open area. The first trenches were dug right next to the water. The shore is entangled with rows of barbed wire and heavily mined. The crossing area is under fire from both flanks. It won't be easy to attack.

The offensive was to begin exactly at noon. But with the first glimmers of dawn, all the headquarters officers were already on their feet. The units took up their starting positions at night and are waiting for a signal. The sun rose in deathly silence. There seemed to be not a soul around.

And now the long-awaited hour has come. Exactly at 12.00 a powerful artillery barrage began. The assault groups began to board boats and rafts. Aviation came into action and Katyusha rockets struck from behind the forest. As soon as the infantry appeared on the river, the artillerymen moved the barrage forward to the second line of enemy trenches.

My observation point is located in the bushes, 200-250 meters from the water. From here Mamonov's regiment is especially clearly visible. We, Bublikov, Fedorov, Kotov and division engineer F. G. Khizhnyak, do not take our eyes off him. Enemy aircraft arrived. From the bomb explosions, boats and rafts danced on the water like splinters. Single bombs also exploded near the engineering reserve, very close to the OP. I still don't take my eyes off Mamonov. His trench is on the very shore. The regiment is in charge of the crossing. Although it is mid-October, he is hot: his overcoat is thrown aside, his helmet is pushed to the back of his head. He shouts something to someone, waves his arms, and every now and then gives commands over the phone. So he grabbed the phone again. A machine-gun burst that threw clods of earth over the parapet forced him to duck, but a second later he was shouting into the phone again.

Bublikov contacted the divisional artillery group and ordered to suppress enemy machine guns on the flanks.

What are those on direct fire watching? - one of the artillerymen objected.

Bublikov exploded:

Are your eyes in place? Don't you see where the machine guns are firing from? They are hidden behind the coastal slope.

This was the moment when the landing force that landed on the other side under the command of Senior Lieutenant Ispolinov captured the enemy’s first trench in a narrow area and that piece of land was blocked by the Nazis on three sides. Communication between the paratroopers and our shore was severed. At any cost we need to “smoke out” the Germans from the coastal trench and deprive them of the opportunity to conduct aimed fire at our crossing. I was agonizingly thinking about who to send there to contact Ispolinov.

Just in time, the regimental agitator, Senior Lieutenant Rzhanov, appeared near us with several soldiers. Hearing our restless conversation, Rzhanov saluted:

Comrade General, allow me to cross!
- Can you do it?
- The Narev is not the Volga, I can do it.
- Perfect!

Having received the order, saluting again, the regimental agitator immediately ran forward for a second, followed by a signalman with a reel. Mamonov was happy with this decision.

When Rzhanov ran to the shore, there was neither a boat nor a raft there. He threw off his overcoat and rushed into the cold water, followed by a telephone operator with a reel.

The Narew was raging from exploding shells and mines, and enemy machine guns were firing from the flanks. A cold, piercing wind was blowing. The icy water froze the body. From the high, steep bank the brave men are clearly visible. Miraculously, they made it to the shore. Ispolinov was seriously wounded.

Rzhanov took command of the surviving soldiers. He reported the situation and his decision over the phone, then immediately rushed towards the enemy at the head of a group of brave men.


The Germans had not yet recovered from the strong blow of our artillery fire when a hail of bullets and grenades fell on their heads again, and ours burst into the second trench.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of their heroic success, Mamonov’s battalions continued crossing the river, trying to reach the opposite bank as quickly as possible. The soldiers row with oars, shovels, boards, and return fire at the enemy from rafts.

At Evseev’s site, a black curtain of smoke rises higher and higher. Smoke has already covered the enemy shore, and nothing is visible because of it. This is the case of the head of the chemical service, Major Shtatnov. “Well done fellow countryman”! - I mentally praised him.

The enemy was almost unable to conduct aimed fire. The resistance became disorganized. The enemy was forced to withdraw from the front line of defense; the battle was fought to capture the second trench.

K:Rivers in alphabetical order K:Water bodies in alphabetical order K:Rivers up to 500 km in length K:River card: fill out: Region Narew Narew

Previously, the lower section of the river from the confluence of the Narev proper and the Bug was usually considered as part of the latter. Compound names were also used Bugonarev, Narvobug etc. The uncertainty was caused by the fact that at the confluence the length of the Bug is much greater, and the water flow is less. In 1962, by decree of the Polish government, it was established that the Bug flows into the Narev, that is, the lower section is called the Narev. However, this decree is not always implemented by both the local population and map compilers, including Russian-speaking ones.

see also

Write a review about the article "Narev"

Notes

Links

On the geography of the Grodno region. You can help the project by adding to it.

An excerpt characterizing the Narev

A tall, plump, proudly looking lady with a round-faced, smiling daughter, rustling with their dresses, entered the living room.
“Chere comtesse, il y a si longtemps... elle a ete alitee la pauvre enfant... au bal des Razoumowsky... et la comtesse Apraksine... j"ai ete si heureuse..." [Dear Countess, how long ago... she should have been in bed, poor child... at the Razumovskys' ball... and Countess Apraksina... was so happy...] animated women's voices were heard, interrupting one another and merging with the rustle of dresses and the moving of chairs. That conversation began, which is started just enough so that at the first pause you get up and rustle with dresses , say: "Je suis bien charmee; la sante de maman... et la comtesse Apraksine" [I am in admiration; mother's health... and Countess Apraksina] and, again rustling with dresses, go into the hallway, put on a fur coat or cloak and leave. about the main city news of that time - about the illness of the famous rich and handsome man of Catherine's time, old Count Bezukhy, and about his illegitimate son Pierre, who behaved so indecently at an evening with Anna Pavlovna Scherer.
“I really feel sorry for the poor count,” said the guest, “his health is already bad, and now this grief from his son will kill him!”
- What's happened? - asked the countess, as if not knowing what the guest was talking about, although she had already heard the reason for Count Bezukhy’s grief fifteen times.
- This is the current upbringing! “Even abroad,” said the guest, “this young man was left to his own devices, and now in St. Petersburg, they say, he did such horrors that he was expelled from there with the police.
- Tell! - said the countess.
“He chose his acquaintances poorly,” Princess Anna Mikhailovna intervened. - The son of Prince Vasily, he and Dolokhov alone, they say, God knows what they were doing. And both were hurt. Dolokhov was demoted to the ranks of soldiers, and Bezukhy’s son was exiled to Moscow. Anatoly Kuragin - his father somehow hushed him up. But they did deport me from St. Petersburg.
- What the hell did they do? – asked the Countess.
“These are perfect robbers, especially Dolokhov,” said the guest. - He is the son of Marya Ivanovna Dolokhova, such a respectable lady, so what? You can imagine: the three of them found a bear somewhere, put it in a carriage and took it to the actresses. The police came running to calm them down. They caught the policeman and tied him back to back to the bear and let the bear into the Moika; the bear is swimming, and the policeman is on him.
“The policeman’s figure is good, ma chere,” shouted the count, dying of laughter.
- Oh, what a horror! What's there to laugh about, Count?
But the ladies couldn’t help but laugh themselves.
“They saved this unfortunate man by force,” the guest continued. “And it’s the son of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov who is playing so cleverly!” – she added. “They said he was so well-mannered and smart.” This is where all my upbringing abroad has led me. I hope that no one will accept him here, despite his wealth. They wanted to introduce him to me. I resolutely refused: I have daughters.

The Narew is one of the largest right tributaries of the Vistula. The river originates from swamps in the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The length of the river is 484 km, of which about 160 km flows through Mazovia. It is a typical lowland river with a very slight downward slope and a moderate flow.

The construction of the Dembem barrage led to a rise in the water level in the lower part of the Narev at the point where it joins the Bug. This is how the Zegrzyn Bay was formed. The high water level is maintained in the river for several tens of kilometers - up to Pułtusk.

This river is characterized by strong fluctuations in water level. When the snow melts in April, the water level in the Narew can increase 2.5 times. Therefore, in the spring, large spills form in many places.

Worth a look

On its Masovian section, the Narew passes through areas famous for their unique Kurpie folklore. In many villages, wooden houses with characteristic ornaments have been preserved. On holidays, residents - especially women - willingly wear traditional costumes. There are also interesting cities located above the Narew. The Ostrolensky Church of the Bernardine Order amazes with the richness of its interior decoration. In Pułtusk it is impossible to resist a walk through the longest market in Europe.

Nadnarva meadows and forests are an oasis for birds. Many swallows nest on the coastal slopes, the white-winged tern can be found on the sand spits, and the goldfinch and hoopoe can be found in the floodplain forests.

Before you go on a trip...

In several places the river has been developed by man, but for the most part it has retained its natural character; hence the numerous shoals. When the water level is low in the riverbed, stones are often exposed, sometimes their sizes are quite significant. Of course, the road markings will help you navigate, but first of all, follow your instincts and your own experience.

The river is part of a popular route connecting the Great Masurian Lakes with Warsaw. You should definitely dedicate part of your trip to covering this route. It will bring the most joy to those who raft on a boat with a small displacement.

Although yachts and kayaks can often be seen while sailing on the Narew, the river still remains virgin in terms of tourism. The nearest water tourist centers operate in Pułtusk and Ostroleka.

Route: Novogrud – Serock

The route runs along the entire course of the Narev, right up to the mouth of the Pisa in Novogrud. It will take you about a week to cover this route by kayak, but conquering this route on a yacht (equipped with a motor) will take you three days.

0.0 km Novogrud

The small town is picturesquely located on the left bank, opposite the mouth of the Pisa. On a green slope inclined towards the water, the peaks of lightning rods shine from afar. They were built to protect the objects of the Kurpie Open Air Museum, one of the most interesting ethnographic museums in the country. More than thirty objects presented here were brought from Green Forest, the oldest of the exhibits is more than two hundred years old. Here you can see Kurpie houses with decorative spiers and cornices, characteristic barns with arcades, as well as a forge, oil mill, wind and water mills. The houses and outbuildings are furnished with traditional furnishings. Objects related to traditional activities in Kurpi – beekeeping and fishing – are also exhibited. At the bar, be sure to try local dishes, including Roe beer. (Juniper berries are used to prepare this drink). There is a great parking area at the base of the museum.

A few hundred meters down the river, hidden in the bushes behind a road bridge, is a World War II bunker. The memorial plaque installed on it and the monument on the slope of the valley are intended to perpetuate the memory of the fierce battles of 1939.

8.0 km Chartoria

On the left bank you can see one of the most beautiful landscapes of Nadnarva: wide dry meadows overgrown with juniper and bizarre shaped pine trees. In the shallow waters, on hot days, herds of cows often bask, and they reluctantly give way to those traveling along the river.

14.0 km estuary of the Rouge River

In this section, the Narew Valley is filled with bird sounds. Herons often fly overhead, and in the morning and evening you can hear the crowing of cranes.

19.0 km mouth of the Shkva River

If you look out of the kayak, you can see oblong lakes located along the river. Immediately beyond the mouth, on the left side, you will come across an island that grows every year, slowly forming an old river.

28.5 km mouth of the Rozoga River

Having reached the mouth of Rozoga, the Narev turns southwest. This means that there is very little left to Ostroleka.

30.0 km Wojciechowice

This is already the suburb of Ostroleka. On the left bank there is an industrial area, from which sometimes not the most pleasant odors can be heard. The riverbed is often blocked by dredges that provide water intake for enterprises.

33.0 km Ostrolenka

On the left bank (before the road bridge) there is a convenient pier. But don't forget to keep an eye out for rocks and aquatic vegetation. The city sports and recreation center has a boat workshop and a restaurant. There is also a gas station nearby. Although you can find everything you need right by the river, be sure to take a walk through the beautiful center.

It wasn't always as calm here as it is now. The city and its surroundings became a battlefield many times. On February 16, 1807, near Ostroleka, the French army won a major victory over Russian troops. To commemorate this event, the city's name was placed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The next page in the military history of Ostroleka was the November Uprising. The defeat of Polish troops on May 26, 1831 in a battle with the army of Tsarist Russia is considered the beginning of the end of the great national movement. Every year on the day of the battle, a colorful reenactment of this event is played out here.

The market in Ostroleka is named after General Józef Bem, the hero of the Battle of Ostroleka in 1831. In the center of the square there is a large bust in his honor. On the south-eastern side of the market stands the classical town hall from 1824. The former post office building (1828) houses the Museum of Kurpie Culture. Here you can see an interesting ethnographic exhibition, as well as a panorama of the battle of 1831.

The most significant monument in Ostroleka is the monastery complex of the Bernardine Order. The temple was built in 1666–96. It is a single-nave building with cloisters and three turrets adjacent to the west.
You will admire the rich exterior decoration in the Baroque style and the interesting multi-colored colors characteristic of the second half of the 18th century.

34.0 km new road bridge in Ostroleka

The architecturally interesting design resembles the rib of a whale suspended above the water. It is modeled after the bridge in Seville, the construction of which was dedicated to the EXPO-1992 exhibition.

35.0 km mouth of the Omulev River

Omulev is also an interesting rafting route with a length of more than one hundred kilometers.

36.0 km railway bridge on the Ostroleka – Szczytno highway

You need to be extremely careful in this section because of the unmarked rocks under the bridge.

39.0 km Dzbienin

In front of the island, on the left bank, a huge erratic boulder protrudes from the water - the Bathory Stone - a block of pink granite, twelve meters in diameter. You can see the carved letter “B” on it. According to legend, in this place the doctor bandaged the wounds of King Stefan Batory, who was wounded by a deer while hunting in the surrounding forests. According to the second version, the king went deep into the forest after a huge deer and got lost. And only at the stone he was able to find his squad. Be careful, because there are many other stones in the riverbed. Three kilometers below Dzbienin, on the left bank of the river, good parking spots begin. It’s not worth stopping closer to Ostrolenka - the water here is quite dirty.

51.0 km Krusevo

There is an island in the middle of the river, and next to it are unmarked stones.

60.0 km Dyshobaba

Local shallow waters were an obstacle for many generations of sailors crossing to Mazovia. The wide channel has been narrowed by bank protection spurs on the right bank of the river, but there are still shoals here. The location of the shoals changes very quickly, so you should not rely entirely on special navigational symbols. Fortunately, the bottom is sandy. Beyond the shallows, the Narev forms a sharp bend.

64.0 km Ruzhan

Ruzhany can be recognized by the characteristic silhouette of the road bridge on the Ciechanów – Ostrow Mazowiecki highway. In the Middle Ages, an important port stood on this site. The city was famous for its trade in grain and forest products. In 1581, a warehouse was built in which salt supplies were stored for the entire northern Mazovia. Among the modern buildings of the town, almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, the neo-Gothic church designed by Stefan Schiller stands out. Its side chapels contain fragments of an older, Gothic building.

69.0 km Dzbondz

The straight section of the river ends with a sharp turn to the right. Just around the bend is a village located right next to the river.

79.0 km Nowy Lubel

Resort village on the left bank of the river. It is worth a look into the wooden church from 1890. The interior is decorated with works of art from the 18th century: icons of saints, a font and a Rococo organ brought from an older church.

80.0 km

This is the place with the strongest water flow along the entire route. Over the next five kilometers you need to watch out for rocks.

97.0 km mouth of the Orzyc River

The river, emerging from the swamps of the Mlavskaya Upland, flows through the Kurpiovska Plain. To the left are densely wooded areas.

99.0 km Zambski-Kościelne

The majestic silhouette of a 19th-century church rises above the area, densely built up with dacha plots.

117.0 km Pułtusk

The most charming city on the entire route. It is sometimes jokingly called the Masovian Venice. In the 14th century Pułtusk was already quite a large city. Over the next two centuries, the city grew rich through trade and crafts, becoming an important center of cultural, intellectual and spiritual life. In the middle of the 19th century, the future writer and poet Wiktor Gomulicki attended Pułtusk's school. In his story “Memories of a Blue Uniform,” he figuratively presented the then atmosphere and appearance of the city.

The main part of Pułtusk is located on the right bank of the river. Under the canopy of coastal trees you can see a tiled tower with a flag flying on it. Heading in its direction, you enter a convenient port at the foot of the old castle of the Polish bishops. This building has always been connected with water - it is built on an artificial embankment, which is washed by the Narew River, and is the remnant of an early fortification. The 14th-century Gothic building was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The current two-story building - in the shape of a polygonal horseshoe - was restored after the Second World War in its classic appearance of the first half of the 19th century. Today it houses the House of Polonia, which includes a hotel, a conference center, and a water tourism center. After a pleasant meal at one of several over-water restaurants, take a gondola or motorboat ride. Perhaps the most fantastic watercraft on the Narew River are the local pedal boats - here you can ride a huge duck or a swan.

Although the architectural, sports and recreational sites may keep you busy for a long time, not visiting the city would be an irreparable mistake.

The most important monuments of Pułtusk are located around the traditional market square. The length of the market is 400 m, and therefore it is called the longest in Europe. Among the buildings surrounding the market are several classic stone houses from the first half of the 19th century. Take a closer look at house number 29: at the turn of 1806 and 1807, Napoleon himself lived there. On the southern outskirts of the market stands a small round church - the castle chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, nicknamed "Magdalenka" by the townspeople. Renaissance temple built in the first half of the 16th century.
In the center of the market stands the town hall, which is a Gothic, eight-story tower and classical buildings added to it after World War II. A local history museum is opened in the tower. It is worth taking a closer look at the archaeological and ethnographic finds collected here. Don't forget to check out what the Pultus meteorite looks like. In 1868, stone rain fell on the fields near the city. Then more than 9 tons of rock with a high iron content fell out. Its fragments have all the significant geological collections in the world.

The northern part of the market is closed by the characteristic silhouette of the classical bell tower of the collegium. When in the 15th century it was planned to build a majestic residence for bishops in Pułtusk, the need arose to also build a magnificent temple. The Gothic, three-nave Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Matthew was built in 1443. In the middle of the 16th century, the Venetian architect Jan Baptista, invited by Bishop Andrzej Noskowski, erected a side chapel in the Renaissance style, and also rebuilt the vault of the main nave, giving it a peculiar shape of circles connected by belts. The impressive vault is covered with Renaissance-style paintings. The side naves retain Gothic cross-rib vaults. Most of the interior details of the church date back to the Baroque era. Fifteen side altars, lavas, a pulpit, as well as eight tombstones laid by Bishop Ludwik Załuski for members of his family are in this style.

Outside the church, on the right side of the entrance, there is a stone resembling a human head placed in the wall. One of the legends associated with it tells of a thief who, along with his loot, tried to get out of the college and remained here forever - he was squeezed by the walls themselves. Another legend sees the head of a pagan idol in a stone mask.

After leaving the harbor of the House of Polonia, you will sail under a pedestrian bridge and then under a road bridge on the route from Pułtusk to Wyškov. From this point the Narew becomes wider and wider - this is the influence of the dam in Dembe. There are many picturesque islands and islets on the river. If you are traveling on a vessel with a larger displacement and are not familiar with this water area, it is better to stick to the fairway.

132.0 km Stawinoga

The flood meadows in the river valley are full of chirping, clattering and croaking: now you are sailing through the territory of the Nadbuzh Landscape Park. This is the largest landscaped conservation area in Poland. It also includes fragments of the Narew River valley. To take care of the nesting sites of many species of birds, the Stavinoga Nature Reserve was created on the left bank, and the islands down the river are under the protection of the Kempa-Dzerzheninska Nature Reserve.

135.5 km Dzerzhenin

brewing

NAREW (Narew) river in Poland (sources in Belarus), the right tributary of the Vistula. 484 km, basin area 75.2 thousand km2. The average water flow is 332 m3/s, the flow is regulated. Navigable, connected by a canal to the river. Neman.

Narev

(Narew), a river in Poland, sources in the USSR, right tributary of the Bug (Vistula basin). Length 438 km, basin area over 28 thousand km2. It originates on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in the BSSR, and flows through a forested swampy plain in places. The food is predominantly snowy. Spring flood, summer low water. The average water flow at the mouth is 130 m3/sec, level rises during floods reach 4≈6 m. The flow of the river in the lower reaches is regulated by the reservoir on the Bug (dam and hydroelectric power station above the town of Dembe). It freezes from late December to mid-March. The average duration of freeze-up is 80 days. Navigable in the lower and middle reaches. Through the Biebrza tributary, the Augustow Canal and the Augustow Lakes it is connected to the Neman basin. Wood rafting. In some Polish and German sources, the N. is considered a tributary of the Vistula, and the Bug is considered a left tributary of the N. (the length of the N. within these limits is 476 km).

Wikipedia

Narev

Narev(, Prussian and,) - a river in western Belarus and northeastern Poland, the right tributary of the Vistula.

The length is 484 km, of which 448 km are in Poland, and 36 km are in Belarus, where the source of the river is located (in Belovezhskaya Pushcha). The Narew is a flat, low-lying river with large floods, feeding vast swamps and peatlands. The Narev basin reaches 75,175 km² (of which 53,873 km² are in Poland).

Previously, the lower section of the river from the confluence of the Narev proper and the Bug was usually considered as part of the latter. Compound names were also used Bugonarev, Narvobug etc. The uncertainty was caused by the fact that at the confluence the length of the Bug is much greater, and the water flow is less. In 1962, by decree of the Polish government, it was established that the Bug flows into the Narev, that is, the lower section is called the Narev. However, this decree is not always implemented by both the local population and map compilers, including Russian-speaking ones.

The name of the river is associated with a Nostratic root *nVr- and other hydronyms widespread in Europe on Nar-/Ner- (cf. Narva, Neretva, Neris, Nerl, Nero, Nara).

Narew (gmina)

Narev- rural commune in Poland, included as an administrative unit in Hainów County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. Population 4299 people (as of 2004).

Narev (disambiguation)

Narev:

• Narew is a river in North-Eastern Poland and Western Belarus.
• Narew is a rural gmina in Poland.
• Narew - a village in Poland

Narew (village)

Narev- a village in Poland, part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, Hajnow County, Narew commune.

Examples of the use of the word narev in literature.

Even from her seat, Nikki saw her brother's ascetic face Nareva turned purple.

At the same time, I learned that the attempt to take Lomza with a surprise attack failed, having met courageous resistance from the Poles, and also due to the lack of combat experience among our soldiers, the 21st Army Corps stopped on the northern bank of the river Narev.

So, I get scared ten times more when brother Narev comes to ask why the products are not ready.

By September 3, when England and France entered the war, Kluge's troops cut the Polish corridor and reached the Lower Vistula, while Küchler's troops launched an offensive from East Prussia towards Narev.

Both of them, brother Narev and Emperor Jagang, would insist that I help you.

In the event of territorial and political changes in areas belonging to the Polish state, the delimitation of the spheres of interest of Germany and the USSR will take place approximately along the line of the rivers Narev, Vistula and San.

- Coordinates

- Coordinates

 /   / 52.433333; 20.683333 (Narev, mouth)Coordinates:

Previously, the lower section of the river from the confluence of the Narev proper and the Bug was usually considered as part of the latter. Compound names were also used Bugonarev, Narvobug etc. The uncertainty was caused by the fact that at the confluence the length of the Bug is much greater, and the water flow is less. In 1962, by decree of the Polish government, it was established that the Bug flows into the Narev, that is, the lower section is called the Narev. However, this decree is not always implemented by both the local population and map compilers, including Russian-speaking ones.

The name of the river is associated with a Nostratic root

An excerpt characterizing the Narev

At that time, it was already late autumn and a group of our neighboring children gathered in the forest after school to pick the last autumn mushrooms. Well, naturally, as usual, I decided to go with them. The weather was unusually mild and pleasant. The still warm rays of the sun jumped like bright bunnies across the golden foliage, at times seeping down to the ground and warming it with the last farewell warmth. The elegant forest greeted us in its festively bright autumn attire and, like an old friend, invited us into its tender embrace.
My beloved, gilded in autumn, slender birches, at the slightest breeze, generously dropped their golden “leaves-coins” to the ground and did not seem to notice that very soon they would be left alone with their nakedness and would bashfully wait for spring will again dress them in their annual delicate attire. And only the stately, evergreen spruces proudly shook off their old needles, preparing to become the only decoration of the forest during the long and, as always, very colorless winter. Yellow leaves rustled quietly underfoot, hiding the last russula and milk mushrooms. The grass under the leaves was warm, soft and moist and seemed to invite one to walk on it...
As usual, I kicked off my shoes and walked barefoot. I always loved walking barefoot everywhere, whenever the opportunity arose!!! True, these walks very often had to be paid for with a sore throat, which sometimes lasted quite a long time, but, as they say, “the game was worth the candle.” Without shoes, my feet became almost “sighted” and there was a particularly acute feeling of freedom from something unnecessary that seemed to interfere with breathing... It was a real, incomparable little pleasure and sometimes it was worth paying for it.
The guys and I, as always, split up in pairs and went in different directions. Very soon I felt that I had been walking alone for some time. I can’t say that this scared me (I wasn’t afraid of the forest at all), but I felt somehow uneasy from a strange feeling that someone was watching me. Deciding not to pay attention to this, I continued to calmly collect my mushrooms. But gradually the feeling of observation intensified and it became less pleasant.
I stopped, closed my eyes and tried to concentrate to try to see who was doing it, when suddenly I clearly heard someone’s voice that said: “That’s right...” And for some reason it seemed to me that it didn’t sound from outside, but only in my mind. I stood in the middle of a small clearing and felt that the air around me began to vibrate strongly. A silver-blue, transparent shimmering pillar appeared right in front of me and a human figure gradually became denser in it. He was a very tall (by human standards) and powerful gray-haired man. For some reason I thought that he looked ridiculously like the statue of our god Perkunas (Perun), for whom bonfires were lit on the Holy Mountain on the night of June 24 every year.
By the way, it was a very beautiful ancient holiday (I don’t know if it still exists?), which usually lasted until dawn, and which everyone loved very much, regardless of age and taste. Almost the entire city always gathered for it and, what was absolutely incredible, no negative incidents were ever noticed at this holiday, despite the fact that everything happened in the forest. Apparently the beauty of customs opened even the most callous human souls to goodness, thereby slamming the door to any brewing aggressive thoughts or actions.