Oleg's boots

Oleg has kept these boots from his army service, and will not give them up to anyone, even during inspections. These boots represent his own independence, and are among the few items he truly owns.

Ush-Terek

Oleg and the Kadmins have been exiled to this small town on the steppes of the Soviet Union, far from Moscow. The town is full of exiles and guarded by a camp of soldiers. Life is very hard there, but the landscape has a harsh beauty that Oleg loves. He has come to think of this small village as his true home.

Cancer Ward

The hospital is in a remote part of the country, but not too far from Moscow. It is a large, gray brick building, about seventy years old, and is surrounded by poplars and maple trees. The cancer ward in the hospital is the scene of most...