And like so many of his colleagues, he never saw his own great work published.
Thanks to Vasilyev and a generation of writers whose art was born from action, the war was seen in a new light: not just as an achievement of the Soviet people, not just an affair of global scale and significance, but also as a personal drama for each yourself.
He has a bit diverse to drink while on the train; he raves, he jokes, and he talks to fellow travellers.