“...we did what we had to”: Review of the book by Butorina O.V., Nichikov A.V., Yunovidov A.S. An ordinary division of the great war. 385th rifle Krichevskaya. 1941–1945. Moscow: Ves mir, 2024. 672 p.

The article reviews the monograph by Butorina O.V., Nichikov A.V., Yunovidov A.S. An ordinary division of the Great War. 385th Krichev Rifle. 1941-1945. Four key stages of the 385th Division's combat operations are distinguished: 1) the division's participation in the Battle of Rzhev near the Moscow-Warsaw Highway; 2) defense with episodes of offensive actions in the Oryol (now Kaluga) region; 3) liberation of the Smolensk region and Belarus; 4) participation in operations in Poland and Germany. The source base of the study is analyzed, emphasizing its comprehensiveness, which is achieved through the use of a wide range of sources: combat journals of various levels of military formations, reports from the headquarters of the 385th Division and daily operational reports from the front, periodicals, memoirs, front-line letters and diaries, and background information. It is noted that the book, by the nature of its writing, largely belongs to the genre of military chronicles, which is due to the specifics of a source base, as well as the authors' idea of the most reliable and neutral coverage of the history of the division. It is emphasized that the book meets all the signs of a monographic study, such as a comprehensive exhaustion of the stated topic, review by reputable scientists, a scientific style of presentation, and a reference apparatus for the study. It is indicated that the long history of the community of the 385th division, the extensive composition of participants, the circumstances of collecting material, writing and publishing the book allow us to consider it as a result of a public project implemented by the descendants of the division and supported by all caring people. It is concluded that the book is a holistic monographic publication based on a solid source base and telling not only about the military, but also the social side of the Great Patriotic War. The book is recommended to the specialists in the history of the Great Patriotic War, researchers of everyday life in wartime, as well as to all readers interested in the history of this event. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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