Christ rose from the dead, trampling down death by death

And giving life to those in the graves...

- So it’s our humble worshipers who are making a fuss! - loudly and contemptuously interrupted the singing Zubov. - They sing about some kind of “belly” when all the forest is being cut down... Well, go out into the yard and build!

Five prisoners obediently left the barracks. They could see how the last column of prisoners going under escort to work passed through the wide camp gates. The sun was rising and it was a wonderful Easter morning.

– You know that I don’t like to talk too much: those who go to work go to the left, those who don’t want to work go to the right, against the wall!

To make the words of the camp commander more convincing, the soldiers jerked the bolts of their machine guns. One of the brothers, lowering his head and praying to himself, immediately moved to the left. The rest stood motionless.

– To the right, to the wall, I said! - Zubov yelled.

The shepherd dogs, hearing the owner's intonation, barked angrily. He affectionately patted them by the scruff of the neck. Meanwhile, all four brothers stood at the log wall of the barracks.

“You’re a priest,” Zubov pointed his finger at Father German, and three machine guns simultaneously turned in his direction, “will you go to work?”

- No.

- You? – the finger, along with the machine guns, moved to the young brother Vasily.

It was clear from the young man's face that he was hesitating. Then Zubov took out his pistol and put it to the refuser’s temple.

– Will you work?

- Yes! – Vasily could not stand it and ran to the side.

“Okay,” the camp commander’s face lit up, “who else does the synod allow to work on Easter?” How about you, F-319? – he pointed the pistol at the third brother’s chest.

He silently walked away to his two friends who had been frightened before him.

– And we still have a presbyter left, so it seems? – four trunks looked with black holes at Savely.

“No, I won’t work today,” he answered quietly but decisively.

- So, we had five refuseniks, and now there are only two for the whole camp! – Zubov summed up. - Those who have changed their minds will now go with an escort to the plot, there an honest day of work awaits them along with everyone else, and we will have to bury these two lazy people today...

The head of the camp nodded his head to one of the machine gunners and he, laughing, led the three brothers into the forest, to the most difficult and humiliating work.

Zubov looked point blank at the remaining convinced refuseniks, and his anger quickly flared up with renewed vigor. Oh, with what pleasure he would now shoot down these D-184 and S-522! There would be two fewer faceless numbers, no big loss. But Stalin had already died... The old world, in which Major Zubov always so clearly felt his necessity and significance, was beginning to collapse before our eyes. Many of the Boss’s nominees had already lost their places, there were already rumors about an imminent mass amnesty of prisoners in the country, and a new secret instruction strictly warned against unauthorized executions in the camps. And what can he now do to these religious fanatics, just send them to the BUR (high-security barracks, penal camp)? But a wolf who has tasted blood will no longer become a vegetarian... Zubov looked searchingly at his shepherd dogs: the beauties Vesta and Stela, strong and obedient to him. After all, they could have gotten off the leash on their own? This happens sometimes... Refusiers, say, ran out of the tenth barracks, trying to hide, at that time he was talking with the guards about the need to close the stubborn prisoners in the BUR. Then the shepherd dogs suddenly broke off their leash, and by the time they ran up to them, it was all over... Such an accident!

Zubov looked around and smiled tenderly at the guards, he had known these soldiers for a long time, they would not say too much. “Well, let’s look behind the barracks!” – he said in a mysterious voice to the prisoners and guards. They all walked together into the gloomy backyard. The rays of the sun had not yet penetrated here and therefore it was quite gloomy and cold here. Rows of old barbed wire stretched along the barracks. The head of the camp again ordered Savely and German to stand against the wall. Those, preparing to be shot, began to pray. They firmly decided to fulfill God’s commandment and holy Easter day to the end. “He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us!..” Savely quoted the words of the Apostle from memory and extended his hand to Father Herman (2 Cor. 4.14).

"Take!" – at that same second Zubov shouted fiercely. Taught by this command to gnaw their throats, Vesta and Stela, growling menacingly, rushed at the Christians. Exhausted by hard work and malnutrition, the bodies of the prisoners seemed to be easy prey for them. However, having reached their victims in two leaps, the shepherd dogs then for some reason stopped, circled in one place, whining, and a moment later suddenly wagged their tails and lay down peacefully at the feet of the brothers.

-Have you prayed about this? – Opening his eyes, Savely asked in surprise.

- Great is the Lord! - Herman answered him. – Готовься, сейчас будут стрелять!

Soon, indeed, shots rang out - an enraged Zubov shot at his beloved dogs, who had never let him down before. Those with indifference accepted the bullets that their master mentally sent at the rebellious Christians. Saveliy and German spent the rest of the holy day (and the next week) in BUR, on bread and water, without hot food. But how could this in any way darken their great joy that stemmed from God’s real presence with them!