Voluntarios De Donbass

YAN and SERGEY are approached by a GUY in overalls, and they walk towards the ruins of the temple. EKATERINA and ALINA follow their mother.

CHURCH MOTHER

Heat up the water, clean up, help CHURCH MOTHER. Prepare tea for the workers, monks, and kids on the front line. We're in the rear with them. Where are you from, and what are your names.

EKATERINA

I am EKATERINA from Mariupol.

CHURCH MOTHER

From Mariupol? Oh, I've heard about what was happening there. Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on all the martyrs of Mariupol. What is happening to the world. And what are your names?

ALINA

I'm ALINA. I'm from Moscow. More like from Murmansk. I study in the Capital. I practically went to Donbass on my own – my mother still doesn't know that instead of studying at MGIMO, I chose Donbass. However, coming here was of paramount importance to me.

CHURCH MOTHER

And is it scary?

ALINA

I wasn't scared. I always dreamed of helping people. My dad was a Chernobyl liquidator. And somehow, I have this idea in my head that he helped to mitigate the disaster. And I constantly think: help people, help people. It's easy for me to approach and say, "Guys, do you need help?".

In the opposite direction, GUY in overalls is walking with YAN and Sergey.

IVAN

What are your names?

YAN

I'm YAN, and my friend is SERGEY.

IVAN

In the world, my name was IVAN Dreylikh. I used to be a volunteer and practiced medicine. And then I took the vow of obedience.

SERGEY

You are not a monk then?

IVAN

No, but they are already preparing for the tonsure ceremony.

YAN

How does the consecration to the monkhood usually take place?

IVAN

The candidate pronounces vows. Prayers are read. Then the abbot throws the scissors three times and demands that the candidate humbly pick them up. Each time, the candidate humbly hands them over and kisses the abbot’s hand. Do you want to become a monk too? It's very difficult, especially at a young age.

YAN

I don't know. But our help and that of all other volunteers here is definitely needed.

IVAN

All the territories that have been liberated and joined together need help because there are problems everywhere, and the problems are serious. Some places lack water, while others face severe destruction due to shelling. Volunteers will always be needed here, and their assistance will always be in demand.

YAN

Indeed, the local residents mostly treat us well, but not everyone initially believes that we came here to work for free. Not for money, but simply out of a desire to help.

SERGEY

It surprises people. We have to explain to them that we are volunteers precisely to help for free.

IVAN

Since the start of the special operation, more and more people are joining volunteer movements to help residents of the border territories who have lost their homes and families. This is the will of God.

The girls with the mother walk into the tent where food is being prepared. There are many staff members working in it. Each is diligently carrying out their duties..

CHURCH MOTHER

Here is where you will be helping out. Let me introduce you to our senior in charge of the dining tent, SISTER VALERIYA. She is the sister of EKATERINA and ALINA.

CHURCH MOTHER quickly exits the tent.

SISTER VALERIYA

Hello. How did you make the decision to participate in the volunteer program??

ALINA

Volunteering is not new to me. I have been helping homeless animals since childhood, and in general, I try not to stand aside when someone needs my help. Of course, I couldn't stand aside from such a great tragedy as the one faced by the residents of Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republic.

SISTER VALERIYA

Silence.

In the distance, a swiftly approaching sound of a whistle can be heard.

SISTER VALERIYA

(shouting at the top of my lungs)

Everyone, get down on the ground!

SISTER VALERIYA falls to the ground. The others immediately lie down as well. ALINA and EKATERINA stand in fear and look at each other. SISTER VALERIYA grabs their legs and pulls them down. There is a strong explosion. The shockwave bends the tent towards the ground. Some poles do not hold up and break. Shrapnel of various sizes pierces through the tent roof.

SISTER MARIA

It's an explosion at the construction site. My husband is there.

SISTER MARIA jumps up and runs towards the exit. A couple of other sisters follow her as explosions continue.

SISTER VALERIYA

Wait, the cassettes are about to explode now.

Immediately, the cassettes explode with automatic fire. The girls running are thrown back by the shockwave and fall lifeless. One falls near Alina and Katya. Her lifeless face with open eyes gazes unblinkingly at Ekaterina. Katya looks at her. After a while, SISTER VALERIYA stands up.

SISTER VALERIYA

Alright. Whoever can, let's all head to the construction site.

ALINA

(in a trembling voice)

And these?

SISTER VALERIYA

It's too late to help them here. But there might be wounded there.

At the construction site, everything is destroyed. Those who are able are carrying the wounded out from under the rubble of beams and walls. Novice IVAN and Sergey are carrying construction stretchers and there lies the bloodied YAN.

SERGEY

Hang in there, buddy. Just don't fall asleep.

YAN

(In a trembling voice)

Seryoga. I'm scared. ALINA.

SERGEY

Everything will be okay, brother.

IVAN

Let's carry him to that tent. It looks like a medical tent and seems to be mostly intact.

YAN

(groaning and writhing)

Aaahhh.

Sergey and Novice Ivan stop and place the stretchers on the ground. Novice Ivan kneels down and checks the pulse.

He then closes YAN's eyes, and Ivan begins to recite a prayer.

IVAN

Look with Your mercy, O Compassionate Lord, upon their wounds, sufferings, groans, and sorrows, and count all these as a good and pleasing sacrifice to You. Accept them with Your grace, for they have endured fierce sorrows and hardships here, in need, distress, toil, and vigilance, hunger and thirst, exhaustion and weariness.

Nearby, EKATERINA and ALINA stop.

ALINA

YAN?!

ALINA breaks down in hysterics and rushes towards the stretchers. She falls to her knees and starts wailing hysterically.

ALINA

(SOBING)

Damn you, Herods.

Zelensky, bitch. Yes so that

you were damned forever.

EKATERINA

(crying)

Calm down, ALINA. We must keep ourselves composed.

ALINA struggles to catch her breath.

ALINA

Forgive me.

Alina starts crying again and holds onto YAN's bloodied stomach. SISTER VALERIYA, with tears in her eyes, gently lifts Alina up. EKATERINA helps her, and they lead her away from the deceased.

Novice IVAN finishes praying. SERGEY crouches down next to the stretchers.

SERGEY

What was that?

IVAN

Heimers with a cassette charge.

Novice IVAN stands up from his knees. In the distance, emergency vehicles of the Emercom and Ambulance Service appear.

IVAN (CONT.)

SERGEY is coming. They will handle it without us now.

SERGEY

What is Heimers?

IVAN

M142 HIMARS is a highly mobile artillery rocket system. It is an American rocket artillery system mounted on a wheeled chassis. It has recently been introduced into service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It has a weight of 16,000 kilograms, a speed of 85 km/h, and a range of 480 km. Its primary armament consists of 6 MLRS-type rockets or 1 ATACMS-type tactical missile. It can fire cassette rounds, which are prohibited by the Geneva Convention..

SERGEY

cassette rounds?

IVAN

That is, such ammunition that scatters many explosive submunitions, each weighing no more than 20 kg. Such things, brother SERGEY.

IVAN and SERGEY approach the ravine and sit on the edge of its shore.

SERGEY

I will enlist as a volunteer and will kill those fascist creatures. I will retrieve Zelensky from hell.

IVAN

It's simple.

SERGEY

What?

IVAN

The hardest thing is to find strength within yourself and suppress the desire for revenge. You have chosen your path as a volunteer and must carry this burden for the rest of your life.

SERGEY

What are you talking about, IVAN?

IVAN

To fight fascism, one must not only kill, but also save. If everyone seeks revenge, then how are we any better than them? Evil cannot be defeated with evil. Only with goodness. And YAN is now watching us from the gates of Heaven and wants us to continue our mission, keeping the promise we made to God. Otherwise, we should have gone as volunteers to death and killing immediately.

SERGEY

I wanted to, but it was a bit scary. YAN came here because of Alinka. He is Katya's brother and he tried to dissuade her, but Alina insisted on it. They were actually planning to get married. She told him it was a pre-wedding vacation.

IVAN

Apparently, it was God's will. And you?

SERGEY

I'm in for the company.

IVAN

I thought you went for Katya.

SERGEY

Katya is beautiful and very kind. But my heart feels indifferent towards her. We are just friends.

Ekaterina approaches Sergey and Ivan with a girl and sits down next to them.

SERGEY

How about you?

EKATERINA

I'm holding up for now.

SERGEY

And Alina?

EKATERINA

She's sleeping. She cried her heart out. Let me introduce you to Vika. She will be in our squad instead of Yan. She's a dental plasterer.

SERGEY

Nice to meet you, Sergey. And this is Ivan's brother.

IVAN

Are you a volunteer? Tell us about yourself?

VIKA

I applied to medical school. I failed the exam. Then I decided to help others. I just didn't know who to turn to for a long time. I talked about my desire with some acquaintances, and one of my old friends told me that her colleague, who is a doctor, got involved in a volunteer mission. She shared a website where I could read about different programs, and I chose one that felt closer to me and applied. It was a program providing humanitarian assistance to residents of Donbass. After some time, they contacted me.