"Cuckoo" — a cruel game of Russian officers, the defeat in which — death

"Cuckoo" — a cruel game of Russian officers, the defeat in which — death

Categories: History

The true pride of Russia has always been its army, which gained immortal glory on the fields of victory with its true courage and heroism. Not only our compatriots, but also foreign thinkers from time immemorial have asked the question: "What qualities make the Russian soldier invincible?» Traditionally, the answer was vague, shrugging and referring to the "mysterious Russian soul".

We will not take the bread from the philosophers and conduct lengthy discussions. We will simply tell you a story that will help you look into the very depths of desperate Russian fatalism and a reckless, mocking attitude to death.

"Cuckoo" — a cruel game of Russian officers, the defeat in which — death

In the garrisons of the battle throughout the vast empire, the most interesting game — "Cuckoo" - helped to relieve the boredom of the Russian officers. Don't let the harmless title deceive the reader. Defeat in this game often meant death. At nightfall, with their revolvers and a supply of ammunition, a dozen officers would lock themselves in a barn, stable, or any other spacious room. In total darkness, the players scattered to different ends of the hall. In the deathly silence, the only sound was the cocking of revolvers.… 

"Cuckoo" — a cruel game of Russian officers, the defeat in which — death

Dmitry Nikolaevich Logofet, a general of the Russian army, a military publicist and writer, tells us: "...one, by lot, must represent the cuckoo itself... They will sit down… And quiet, so quiet everything will become, even breathing can not be heard. And then the cuckoo shouts: "Peek-a-boo" ... the rest of the voice in the cuckoo and shoot… How they'll almost hit you in one gulp ... Tra-ta-ta, and the bullets will snap on the walls… And again, so quietly that you can hear your heart pounding in your chest... and then again: "Peek-a-boo". And in response: tra-ta-ta ... quite a lot of people got into the excitement. You shoot, you shoot... he listens, and again: "Peek-a-boo". You forget that it's your own brother who cooks, and you just think: "Wait, damn it, next time I'll cut you off properly." It happens that they take turns to cook, but they run from place to place… And as they go to shoot, so from the side to listen — a whole battle… It'll be fun."

"Cuckoo" — a cruel game of Russian officers, the defeat in which — death

Naturally, for many, the game turned into a tragedy. But do not rush to condemn the players and accuse them of idle murder. Let the narrator finish the story: "... it seems to be a wild game, but it taught me to control myself… You'll see, some good fellow took part in everything: in various stories, and played the cuckoo, and went to the tiger… And it was developed in such a way that the nerves are like ropes. The first person then turned out to be in the war. Laugh to yourself, but I will still say that this reckless prowess also served for the benefit of cultivating the spirit that has always distinguished the Turkestan troops… Here you are condemning the cuckoo… But she herself had brought up a whole generation of Turkestan officers in the consciousness that life is a penny, and therefore these urchins then showed, when necessary, miracles of courage… There is a time for everything…»

And you say, "300 Spartans". If there was an ancient Roman god of war, Mars — then Russian soldiers would have stood shoulder to shoulder in his guard.

Keywords: Death | Russian federation | Army | History | Weapons | Soldiers | Russian empire | Danger | Officer

Post News Article

Recent articles

A human skull bonded with metal 2000 years ago amazed scientists
A human skull bonded with metal 2000 years ago amazed scientists

The fact that ancient surgeons were able to perform quite complex operations has been known for a long time. But despite this, the ...

An American woman lives in a tent and eats animals that have been hit by cars.
An American woman lives in a tent and eats animals that have ...

Everyone has the right to choose the lifestyle they like. US resident Manders Barnett has been living in a tent all year round for ...

Village girls who will drive anyone crazy
Village girls who will drive anyone crazy

Everyone knows that village girls are special. They almost do not use cosmetics, rarely visit beauty salons and do not visit ...

Related articles

Popularity, money and death: the dark secrets of The Viper Room club from the 90s
Popularity, money and death: the dark secrets of The Viper ...

In the 90s, The Viper Room nightclub was a favorite place of entertainment for many stars. In 1993, it was created by Johnny Depp ...

13 scenes, the shooting of which ended tragically for the actors
13 scenes, the shooting of which ended tragically for the actors

We've learned that in the movies it's not real: instead of actors run the risk doubles or stuntmen, many tricks are held in the ...

25 places in Russia, where it is very fun to live with
25 places in Russia, where it is very fun to live with

Without exception, all residents of Russia, traveling to our vast country, met the strange names of towns, cities and rivers. What ...