Days of Glory

In the snow-blanketed countryside behind German lines, Vladimir commands a small partisan unit dedicated to sabotaging the invaders. The group maintains a strict, pragmatic routine as they survive and plan their operations. The brutal winter conditions test loyalty, endurance, and discipline from the outset.

Nina is brought to the partisan hideout after being separated from her troupe. She admits she has never held a gun or learned essential skills like fighting, cooking, mending, or cleaning. The men and women there are skeptical about how she can contribute to the cause.

A German sentry stumbles onto the group’s lair but is quickly captured. That night, when he attempts to escape, Nina shoots him, earning a reluctant glimpse of valor from the squad. Her act of violence begins to blur the line between courage and ruthlessness.

The guerrillas carry out a successful sabotage of a German munitions train, disrupting crucial supplies. Vladimir uses this moment to formalize Nina’s integration into the group by having her accompany the operation as part of her initiation. The mission demonstrates the risks the squad takes and Nina’s growing willingness to act.

As Nina and Vladimir become closer, the romance threatens the squad’s stability and complicates decisions under fire. Vladimir explains that his ruthlessness stems from a grim past action as an engineer who destroyed a power plant to deny the enemy its use. The revelation casts a new light on his tactics and the costs of war.

Vladimir decides that a woman courier would be less likely to be caught delivering a coded message on Nazi troop strength. He selects Yelena, the only other woman in the group besides Nina, to carry the dispatch to Soviet headquarters. This decision reinforces how gender roles are invoked under pressure.

When Yelena’s horse returns stained with blood, Nina volunteers to take her place as the courier. Vladimir reluctantly agrees, sending the teenaged boy Mitya to accompany her. The trio sets out with a dangerous mission that could expose the group to severe reprisals.

Nina and Mitya reach Soviet headquarters and relay Vladimir’s coded information about enemy strength. The response to the message comes back with the cryptic signal: "The snow will fall tomorrow," announcing a massive Russian counterattack scheduled for the next day. The mission confirms the escalating stakes of the campaign.

Vladimir’s superiors merge the partisan operations for a coordinated strike. Before the fighting begins, he orders Nina to take Mitya’s younger sister Olga to safety, placing her in a protective role despite the danger. The move underscores the personal bonds and responsibilities forming within the group.

The fighters engage in a fierce confrontation, and comrades are killed one by one. Nina returns to Vladimir as the battle intensifies, demonstrating loyalty and resolve under pressure. The cohesion of the squad frays under relentless fire, testing everyone's limits.

During the critical moment, Vladimir administers the partisan oath to Nina, sealing her pledge to the cause even as danger closes in. The act epitomizes the ritual of recruitment under fire and the personal cost of loyalty. The atmosphere is tense as the nest holds against the German assault.

A German tank rolls onto the nest, crushing the gun position and exploding the fortifications. The final stand ends with the attackers overpowering the defenders, underscoring the brutal costs of resistance. Nina’s oath and the sacrifice of her comrades mark a grim, irreversible turning point in the story.