The Doll Walks on the Ground

Kostya has absolute pitch. He is in the ninth grade, plays the balalaika in the orchestra "Strings of the North," and plans to enroll in a music college. And Kostya is also a rare case of nervousness and sensitivity. So says his mother. These qualities, strangely enough, help the teenager live in a city that is slowly "dying." But they also hinder him.

One day, "Strings of the North" goes to perform in the capital of the region. There, Kostya witnesses a disgusting act committed by two guys from his own orchestra. He experiences such a strong nervous shock from the emotions he has felt that he falls seriously ill... What should be treated now — the soul or the body? Will Snezhana, whom he is in love with and plays with in the orchestra, help him? Or will the puppet Pierrot, a marionette on strings that his father long ago gifted him, suggest what to do? What or who will free Kostya from his illness? And is there any salvation from it at all?..

Dmitry Sirotin tells a poignant story about teenagers, first love, self-discovery, and a city full of history and legends that its inhabitants keep. There could be no other way. After all, the author writes about his native Vorkuta, where he was born and began his creative journey. He worked in a puppet theater, created scripts for holidays, and led school theater circles. Later, his writing career began. Dmitry's stories and novellas have repeatedly made it to the shortlists of the "Kniguru" competition, the V. P. Krapivin prize, and the K. Chukovsky competition. The artist Alina Fedina, while designing the publication, sensitively conveyed the lyrical and fragile image of the hero.