Zakhar Prilepin intends to return to the front as early as November.

      25 October 2025, 13:30

      Society. Writer Zakhar Prilepin told the TASS agency in an interview why he decided to sign a contract for military service.

      According to him, one of the main reasons was the realization of the need to take responsibility for his words. Even after the severe wound he received during an assassination attempt, he repeatedly said, "If I recover, nothing will prevent me from going back" — and he caught himself on that word.

      The second reason he named was the deaths of comrades and servicemen on the front. "You can't detach yourself from that. It still gnaws at you: try, at least try, make some efforts to bring it to some logical conclusion," he noted.

      The third reason Prilepin named was the globally tense relations with the West.

      In addition, he mentioned a personal reason. He turned 50 and realized that he does not feel satisfied with his habitual way of life. He devotes a lot of time to writing, but it does not provide him with an answer to the question of the meaning of existence. According to him, even if he lives many more years devoted only to his creative work, it will not change his inner sense of emptiness.

      Zakhar spoke about his decision to sign the contract: "I was just driving in the car, looking out the window and thinking, 'No, I'll sign the contract in three days.' That's it, and I signed. [The decision] is not emotional, it just happens somehow — something clicked in my head, I understood that I had to do it."

      He specified that he expects to get to the front as early as November.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about the main events, exclusive materials and timely information.

      Copyright © 1999–2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.