In early May, Moscow was still immersed in the tail end of winter and the chilling sound of the wind, making people shiver.
As a military enthusiast and die-hard fan of the Soviet Union hailing from China, Lin Jie's purpose for this trip to Moscow was very clear: to witness the grand parade commemorating Victory Day on May 9th.
In order not to miss any crucial details of this rare celebration, Lin Jie, who woke up at four in the morning, packed his belongings and arrived early outside Red Square, braving the stars and the night sky above his head, queuing up in anticipation. He aimed to capture the most exciting and captivating photos from the best vantage point and share them with his fellow countrymen, satisfying his small sense of vanity.
With a mix of anxiety and excitement, after a long wait, as the familiar melody of the "Red Army Is the Strongest" song, which evokes yearning for past memories and glory, played year after year, the most anticipated highlight of the Victory Day parade, the armored column, finally began to slowly approach the grandstand along the flat road, trailing black exhaust fumes characteristic of bear-like engines.
"Damn! T-34/85! A moving, living T-34/85! Damn, those little rascals back home are gonna envy the hell out of me! Haha!"
"T-72B3? Excellent! Gotta capture the turtle-shell-shaped turret, a trademark of the bear!"
"They're coming! 2S35 self-propelled howitzers and 2S19! Damn, they're so beautiful!"
As Lin Jie's accompanying friend, Rostov Vlakovitch Lavorinko, a true-blooded Russian citizen and descendant of the Soviet Red Army, who managed to secure the parade tickets for Lin Jie, couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled by Lin Jie's enthusiasm for constantly taking photos.
"Lin, your Chinese military is also very powerful now. Why did you, after graduating from Moscow University two years ago, come all the way back here to watch the Victory Day parade?"
Hearing the question from his friend and former classmate during his study abroad, Lin Jie temporarily set down his camera and responded with a hearty smile.
"Well, Comrade Rostov, why not? The victory over fascism is our shared triumph. Don't you want to share this joy with me? My dear Davarikha."
"Hahaha, when it comes to talking big, I don't think there's any country in the world that can match you Chinese!"
The hearty warmth and laughter from the warrior nation dissipated the slight tension in their conversation. Before Rostov, who had just returned to his normal self, could continue speaking, Lin Jie, who had been tightly gripping his camera, suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.
"Oh damn, they're here! It's the T-14 Armata and Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles! Damn it, why is this damn camera acting up now?"
Regardless of whether the day's discoveries made Lin Jie feel perfect and satisfied, this somewhat rushed and busy day was coming to an end, bathed in the fading glow of the setting sun.
Lying flat on the bed in the hotel room, Lin Jie took out a small box borrowed from his old classmate Rostov and opened it carefully. What appeared before Lin Jie's eyes was an authentic Soviet Hero Medal, a treasure that drove all die-hard Soviet fans crazy.
This Soviet Hero Medal in Lin Jie's hand is by no means a shoddy counterfeit. It is an authentic Soviet Hero Medal awarded to Dmitry Fyodorovich Lavrinenko, the great-grandfather of Rossof, on May 5, 1990, by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Dmitry Lavrinenko, the top tank ace of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, destroyed 52 German tanks.
It is no easy task for this legendary military medal, symbolizing the highest honor for Soviet soldiers, to have been passed down to the present day.
In the second year after the presentation of the Soviet Hero Medal to Lavrinenko's descendants, the once invincible and powerful Red Soviet Empire, strong enough to rival the entire NATO led by the United States, finally collapsed due to irreconcilable institutional flaws and accumulated contradictions. What remained for the Soviet people was an endless yearning for their once mighty homeland and a sudden plunge into a life of hardship after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
During that turbulent and disillusioned era, Rossof's father, who was so desperate and helpless that his family could barely afford to eat, contemplated selling this medal, which symbolized the legendary military achievement and supreme honor of their family, in exchange for some basic bread and food to survive.
But in the fierce internal struggle within himself, Rossof's father ultimately chose to keep this Soviet Hero Medal and led his family through the most difficult years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Now, this Soviet Hero Medal, awarded in the year leading up to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, has become Rossof's most cherished and proud possession.
Even for Lin Jie, the "drinking and carousing brother" who had spent his university years drinking vodka with this guy, it took quite a bit of persuasion and talking to finally borrow this genuine Soviet Hero Medal from Rossof for a closer look and admiration on the occasion of Victory Day Parade.
Weighing the heavy medal in his hand, with over 90% of its material made of pure gold, Lin Jie seemed to see Dmitry Lavrinenko, the recipient of the medal, commanding a T-34 medium tank bravely charging into battle against German armored forces on the Eastern Front during the fierce fighting.
Witnessing the mark of the present era and feeling deeply moved, Lin Jie took some photos for remembrance and carefully placed the Soviet Hero Medal back into its storage box, which he borrowed from Rossof. After ensuring everything was in order, he placed it back in the cabinet by his bedside.
"I'll return this thing to Rossof tomorrow. Even if there's a magnitude 9 earthquake, it probably won't wake him up now."
Like most Russian men who claim to be part of the "warrior nation," Rossof, in the prime of his life, was also a big man who loved vodka and the exhilaration it brought. Although he couldn't handle alcohol well and had poor taste in alcohol, this guy had an almost fanatical obsession with vodka. Every time he downed two bottles of vodka, this young, red-faced Russian would inevitably collapse onto the bed and not wake up.
Unless he woke up on his own after the effects of the alcohol wore off, the only way to awaken him was to give him a thorough shower with a large bucket of ice-cold water.
Listening to the thunderous snoring from the adjacent room, which sounded particularly piercing against the backdrop of the silent room, Rossof gradually fell asleep. It was evident that Lin Jie, who had worked hard and been busy all day on this special day, was indeed in need of a good rest.
However, what he did not anticipate was that a sudden turn of events, significant enough to alter the trajectory of his life, would occur from this very moment onward.