18. May 2026
To the rhythm of the wheels, vast barren stone mountains flickered past the window — giant titans, guardians of the Iranian plateau. From this side, the Alborz mountains looked exhausted by the sun and almost lifeless. Almost — because just a few dozen kilometers later, the train was already passing through ripe pomegranate orchards.
22. April 2026
Ismail woke up in a hospital. He had been placed in the corridor with a shattered head. Struggling to remember what had happened, he silently began to observe what was going on around him.
28. July 2025
The morning was cool, with the sun's first gentle rays just beginning to touch the earth. Ismail and his loyal horse arrived, seeking work from the commander of the Cossack brigade. With his limited Russian, Ismail hoped to negotiate and secure some kind of employment.
06. May 2025
Setare—that was the name of the grandmother who had won our grandfather’s heart. From the moment Ismail first met her, he knew he would marry her. But Setare’s wealthy Turkish parents disapproved of the match. To them, Ismail was just a poor young man—kind, sincere, but not worthy of their daughter. Despite this, the young couple began meeting in secret.
15. April 2025
The grandfather's story began not far from the city of Tabriz, in Shabestar — at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, near the salty shores of Lake Urmia. It was there that Mir Ismail was born.
His childhood unfolded among orchards and mountain valleys. Youth thundered in soon after, and before long, the song of young manhood began to play.