"The Sixth Day" by Mikhail Borisov, summary Automatic translate

The story by Mikhail Borisov, a professional paragliding pilot, is a realistic drama set against the backdrop of a paragliding competition in the mountains. Written in the early 2000s, it delves deeply into the technical and psychological aspects of flying, exploring the conflict between athletic ambition and human decency.

Return to the Sky

Alexander Belov, an experienced pilot, arrives at a ski resort after an eighteen-month hiatus. At a local bar, he meets his old friend Farid, who tells him the latest news: many famous athletes, including those from Astrakhan, Omsk, and Perm, have gathered for the competition. However, the most disturbing news for Belov is that Nikita Koval is also there with his girlfriend, Tatyana. This news brings back painful memories for the protagonist, as Tatyana is his former girlfriend.

Belov recalls how he met Tatyana. They met at an advertising agency, where she worked as a manager and insisted on a specific placement of the sponsor’s logo on the paraglider wing. To prove his point and explain the design, Alexander invited her to fly. He demonstrated his favorite wing, the "Consul," in action. Tatyana was captivated by the flight, and a romance blossomed between them. They lived together, Belov continued to compete, and Nikita Koval became his close friend and partner, often visiting them.

Registration and meeting day

On the second day, a crowd of pilots gathers at the ski lift. Competition organizer Viktor Valtsov greets Belov, noting his long absence and empty logbook, but allows him to participate. In the crowd, Alexander bumps into Tatyana and Nikita. The conversation is tense: Belov is cold, advising Tatyana, who has also started flying, to be careful in the mountains. Nikita tries to intervene, but Alexander ignores him.

While waiting for better weather, Belov reminisces about the reason for his retirement and the breakup with his friend. The incident occurred a year and a half ago at a competition in Austria. Belov and Nikita were leading, but the weather was deteriorating. Near a rock wall, where the pilots were trying to gain altitude in a weak thermal, Nikita made a dangerous maneuver. Trying to catch a narrow updraft (a tornado), he abruptly cut Alexander off, nearly causing a collision. Belov was forced to swerve toward the rocks, lost altitude, and landed, dropping out of the race for the lead. Nikita, however, gained altitude and won the leg.

Later at the bar, Nikita tried to justify himself and offered him a drink, extending his hand in reconciliation. Belov refused to shake his hand. This betrayal by his friend and the subsequent depression broke Alexander. He stopped flying, withdrew into himself, and distanced himself from Tatyana. She tried to bring him back to life, asking him to teach her to fly, but, encountering a wall of alienation, she eventually left for Nikita, who became her instructor.

Expectation and the Philosophy of Flight

The third and fourth days are spent waiting for favorable flying weather. The pilots while away the time in cafes and the hotel. Tolik Sarychev, nicknamed "Sych," entertains his colleagues with theories about the "psychology of anticipation." Belov takes a training flight, once again experiencing the oneness with the sky he’s been missing so much. He realizes that his place is here, in the harness of a paraglider, not in a stuffy office.

One evening, when the launch site is closed due to low clouds, Sych and Farid come to Belov’s room with treats from the flight director. The friendly get-together helps Alexander relax a bit. He recalls how, after returning from Austria, he tried to live a normal life, but the longing for the sky and an unresolved conflict with his past haunted him. The spontaneous decision to rush off to this competition was an attempt to break the cycle.

Dramatic denouement

On the fifth day, the weather improves. At the takeoff, Tatyana asks permission to fly the route behind Belov. Alexander agrees, although he notes that this is unfair to her instructor, Nikita. Belov takes off, finds a strong thermal, and begins to climb. From above, he sees Tatyana, on her yellow "Relax" wing, trying to find lift, but due to her inexperience, she loses altitude over the wooded slope. Instead of making a safe landing, she continues searching for the thermal and eventually crashes into the trees.

Nikita, in the same flow just below Belov, sees his girlfriend fall but continues to climb to maintain his route and avoid losing his points. Belov, seeing Nikita’s inaction, decides to land. He executes a complex maneuver, losing altitude in a deep spiral, and lands hard in deep snow on the slope, hitting his head on a hidden rock.

Abandoning his gear, Alexander reaches Tatyana’s fall site. She’s hanging unconscious from the slings high in a spruce tree. Belov climbs the tree using a knife. He discovers that a branch has pierced her leg, causing severe bleeding. Acting calmly, he administers first aid, cuts the slings, and lowers Tatyana to the ground, using the reserve parachute as a rope.

While they wait for rescuers, Tatyana comes to her senses. She asks about Nikita. Belov doesn’t tell her the truth about him flying away, but Tatyana guesses it herself. Rescuers arrive and evacuate the victim. Belov gives his knife to one of the rescuers in exchange for his tool — a sign of masculine respect.

The finale

That evening, Nikita meets Tatyana’s stretcher at the ski lift, feigning extreme concern and claiming his radio had malfunctioned. However, Viktor Valtsov checks the connection, and Nikita’s radio responds loudly and clearly, exposing his lie to everyone present. Nikita knew what had happened, but he chose athletic performance over saving his beloved.

Belov, disgusted by the situation and tired, decides to leave immediately, without waiting for the competition to end. He says goodbye to his friends, helps the young pilot Gnome fold his wet wing, and prepares to depart.

Early in the morning of the sixth day, Alexander goes out to his car. Opening the back door to put his backpack away, he discovers Tatyana sleeping there. She had escaped from the hospital on crutches and hidden in his car, knowing one of the doors wouldn’t close properly.

Waking up, Tatyana asks Alexander if he thinks she’s a bitch. "A real one," I confirmed. "One hundred percent." And I turned the key in the ignition.