Son of the regiment. A lonely sail gleams white.

The most terrible war in the history of our country is raging - the Great Patriotic War. And along its blood-soaked roads walks little Vanya Solntsev, an orphan picked up by soldiers who daily and quite literally shield the Motherland with their own chests...
The diverse city of Odessa roars, laughs, jokes, argues, and frowns, where at the beginning of the turbulent 20th century, two inseparable friends live, grow, and experience many adventures - the rebellious son of a respectable teacher, Petia, and the cheerful street tough, Gavrik...
Times can be any - peaceful and quiet or deadly dangerous. But boys always remain boys - brave and mischievous, cheerful and fearlessly exploring the world around them.
Just as they appear in this collection of works by Valentin Kataev.