Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the topic of historical and personal memory using the example of the short story by Kalmyk writer-veteran Andrei Dzhimbiev “Mank Gurm” (“Eternal Trouble”, 2002). At the age of 78, the author, remembering the Great Patriotic War, creates the image of an eighty-year-old veteran, talking about the past and the present for the sake of the future. Old Dovdon, in a conversation with a friend, returning to his youth, grieves for the dead of his fellow soldiers and the company commander, paying tribute to the heroism of the defenders of the Fatherland. The title of the story about the war as an eternal disaster is accompanied by the author’s intention about historical and personal memory, different for veterans and for modern youth, preserving the historical truth about the victory of the people in the fight against fascism. The action takes place on May 9, Victory Day, many decades after the war. This length of time actualizes the theme of the story. The dialogical form of the work affects the dynamics of the plot, slowing down its action. The Russian translation of the text is not always accurate in reproducing the original source.</jats:p>