Trishka in the North

Mikhail Samarsky

Trison, the golden Labrador retriever whose extraordinary career as a guide dog has taken him across oceans, into criminal investigations and through countless encounters with human kindness and cruelty, is about to face an entirely different kind of adventure.

This time his destination is Chukotka, one of the most remote and unforgiving regions of the Russian Far North.

His blind companion, retired police lieutenant colonel Andrei Maksimovich Yeliseyev, has decided to spend the New Year holidays visiting his old friend and former colleague Alexander Borisovich Makarov, who lives near Anadyr.

Trison is far from enthusiastic.

He imagines temperatures falling to fifty degrees below zero, endless snowdrifts, freezing winds and the very real possibility of losing the use of his paws. A Labrador accustomed to civilized city life has no desire to become an Arctic explorer.

But his sense of duty is stronger than his fears. Wherever Andrei Maksimovich goes, Trison must accompany him.

Their preparations become the first comic ordeal of the journey. Airline regulations require veterinary certificates, special paperwork and restrictions that seem almost designed to humiliate a professionally trained guide dog. Trison is particularly offended when he is forced to wear a muzzle and endure a long flight with limited freedom of movement.

He reflects bitterly on the absurdity of rules that recognize guide dogs as indispensable assistants while often treating them as dangerous or inconvenient luggage.

After ten exhausting hours in the air, they finally arrive at Anadyr Airport.

For Trison, the first sight of the Arctic landscape is astonishing. Snow stretches toward distant hills, vegetation has almost vanished, and the cold seems to enter his body with every breath.

He has reached a world unlike anything he has known.

Alexander Borisovich welcomes his old friend warmly. Their reunion recalls years of shared police service and a friendship that has survived time, distance and the loss of Andrei Maksimovich's sight.

Together they travel to the settlement of Ugolnye Kopi, where Alexander lives with his wife, Olga Vladimirovna.

The household becomes Trison's temporary home.

He quickly makes friends with Chita, an unusually friendly cat whose intelligence and independence challenge his prejudices about feline character. Unlike many cats he has encountered, Chita seems genuinely interested in conversation rather than establishing her superiority over dogs.

Trison also meets other animals in the neighborhood, whose stories gradually reveal the surprisingly rich social world hidden beneath the surface of ordinary Arctic life.

His new surroundings offer unexpected comforts. Alexander treats him generously, even serving him red caviar and fresh fish. But the Labrador soon discovers that life in Chukotka is governed by forces far more powerful than domestic hospitality.

The first excursion is an ice-fishing trip on the frozen Anadyr estuary.

Alexander prepares fishing holes, teaches Andrei Maksimovich how to catch smelt and thoughtfully spreads a reindeer skin on the ice so Trison will not freeze his paws.

The Labrador even learns to help remove fish from the hooks.

Everything goes well until a drunken fisherman stumbles over the line just as Trison is working. A sharp hook pierces the dog's lip. The frightened Labrador howls in pain, while Alexander struggles to free him and disinfect the wound.

It is the first reminder that even a peaceful outing can turn dangerous through human carelessness.

But much greater adventures lie ahead.

Alexander and Andrei Maksimovich decide to travel into the tundra to visit a Chukchi reindeer-herding family and watch an international dog-sled race.

They set off in a tracked all-terrain vehicle driven by Yuri, an experienced traveler familiar with the region's immense distances and difficult conditions.

During a rest stop, Trison is allowed to run freely across the snow.

He climbs a low hill and hears a strange cry coming from the opposite slope. Investigating, he finds an enormous polar bear standing over her injured cub.

The young bear's front paw is caught in a steel trap.

Trison is terrified. The mother could kill him with a single blow. Yet instead of attacking, she desperately begs him to save her baby.

The Labrador realizes that he cannot free the cub himself. He returns to the vehicle and repeatedly attracts the men's attention until they follow him to the scene.

Alexander understands the situation immediately.

Risking his life, he approaches the trapped cub while Trison persuades the mother to move away and remain calm.

The rescue is a terrifying exercise in mutual trust. Alexander must believe that the polar bear will not attack, and the bear must trust a human being approaching her helpless offspring.

At last Alexander forces open the trap.

The cub limps toward its mother, and the two animals disappear into the snowy wilderness.

Before leaving, the grateful bear thanks Trison. What began as a frightening encounter between natural enemies has ended in an act of cooperation.

The episode establishes one of the novel's central ideas: kindness becomes possible when fear is overcome by trust.

The travelers continue into the tundra and reach the camp of Vladimir Tyvlyanto, a Chukchi reindeer herder who lives with his wife Faina and their extended family.

They are welcomed into a traditional yaranga, a dwelling constructed from poles and animal skins.

Trison is fascinated by everything around him: the strange architecture, the warmth preserved inside despite the brutal cold, unfamiliar foods, the family's hospitality and the simplicity of a life built around movement and survival.

Vladimir explains the traditions of reindeer herding, the importance of dogs in the Arctic and the remarkable knowledge that allows nomadic families to navigate enormous territories without conventional maps.

Andrei Maksimovich listens with fascination.

The visit challenges both man's and dog's assumptions about northern peoples. What might appear primitive to an outsider is revealed as a sophisticated way of adapting to one of the world's harshest environments.

The family possesses relatively few material luxuries, yet its members demonstrate independence, courage and generosity.

Trison also confronts uncomfortable contradictions in human customs. The animals that sustain northern communities are both respected as living creatures and hunted or slaughtered for food.

The Labrador is reminded that the boundary between kindness, necessity and cruelty is not always simple.

The following morning, a thrilling surprise awaits him.

An international dog-sled competition is being held near the camp.

Vladimir is an experienced musher whose racing team has won numerous prizes. Its leader, a powerful and rather arrogant Alaskan malamute named Woods, initially treats Trison with contempt.

Woods is a professional athlete. Trison is merely a guide dog.

The difference seems enormous.

But one of Vladimir's dogs, Jack, has injured his paw and cannot compete.

A joking suggestion suddenly becomes serious: why not let Trison take the injured dog's place?

Andrei Maksimovich agrees, provided that the Labrador is healthy enough. A veterinarian examines him, and soon Trison finds himself harnessed into a six-dog racing team.

He has never pulled a sled in his life.

The course is fifty kilometers long.

At the starting line, surrounded by powerful northern dogs, Trison struggles to conceal his anxiety. He is accustomed to carefully guiding a blind person around obstacles, not racing at full speed across frozen tundra.

When the starting signal sounds, the dogs surge forward.

Trison experiences an extraordinary mixture of excitement, exhaustion and fear. His companions move with practiced coordination while he struggles to adapt to the rhythm of the team.

Woods leads confidently, supported by experienced dogs including Sam and Ray. Vladimir controls the sled and urges them onward.

As the race continues, Trison discovers that physical strength alone is not enough. Success depends on discipline, endurance, self-control and the ability to work as a single unit.

An opposing team from Canada attempts to provoke the Russian dogs. One particularly aggressive competitor repeatedly insults them, hoping to disrupt their concentration.

Trison nearly gives in to anger but follows Ray's advice and refuses to be distracted.

The Canadians eventually lose control on a sharp turn and overturn their sled.

Vladimir's team continues toward the finish.

Exhausted but determined, Trison discovers reserves of strength he never knew he possessed.

They cross the finish line first.

The unexpected newcomer has helped the experienced racers win.

Woods, who had dismissed Trison as an unsuitable amateur, sincerely thanks him and apologizes for his earlier doubts.

Their victory transforms mutual suspicion into respect.

The celebration that follows introduces Trison to another side of Chukotka.

Around a great bonfire, people gather in traditional clothing, sing, dance, prepare food and celebrate the competitors. Trison watches with fascination as a shaman performs a ritual, accompanied by drums and fire.

The holiday is filled with stories about Arctic traditions, history, survival and the relationship between human communities and the natural world.

Trison also learns from Vladimir that working dogs should be trained through understanding rather than cruelty. The reindeer herder condemns those who try to secure obedience through beatings and intimidation.

His own dogs are companions whose strength and judgment have repeatedly saved his life.

The Labrador increasingly understands that northern animals are not simply tools for transportation. They are partners in survival.

When the travelers finally return to Ugolnye Kopi, Trison feels that he has already lived through enough adventures to fill an entire book.

But the most dangerous episode of his journey has yet to occur.

One day, Andrei Maksimovich takes him out for a walk as the weather begins to change.

The temperature rises unexpectedly, strong winds sweep through the settlement, and snow begins falling with increasing intensity.

Within a short time, a violent blizzard engulfs the streets.

Visibility almost disappears.

Andrei Maksimovich cannot see even in good weather, but now Trison himself is struggling to distinguish roads, buildings and landmarks.

As they attempt to reach shelter, they encounter a desperate father searching for his little son, Zhenya.

The child has vanished in the storm.

The man had looked away for only a moment before the wind and snow separated them.

Andrei Maksimovich immediately offers the services of his guide dog. He asks the father for something belonging to the child.

The man produces Zhenya's backpack.

Trison catches a faint smell of yogurt and begins searching.

But the storm makes everything difficult. The wind tears at his body, carries unfamiliar smells and almost lifts him off the ground. He wanders through the whiteness, increasingly uncertain of his direction.

At last he catches the child's scent again.

It leads him to a construction container.

Beneath it, huddled in a narrow space, he finds Zhenya crying for his father.

The boy is injured and cannot walk.

Trison tries to comfort him, but quickly understands that he cannot carry the child through the storm. Leaving him would mean allowing him to freeze.

The Labrador lies down beside Zhenya.

The boy wraps his arms around the dog, pressing against his warm body. Together they spend the night under the container while the blizzard rages outside.

Trison is frightened for both of them, but he refuses to abandon the child.

He is also tormented by concern for Andrei Maksimovich, whom he has left without a guide. He can only hope that Alexander will find his blind friend and take him home.

By morning the storm has subsided.

Zhenya's injured leg still prevents him from walking. Trison has to make another difficult decision: remain beside the helpless boy or go for help.

He chooses to leave, hoping the child can stay safely beneath the container until rescuers arrive.

He finds his way back to Alexander's house and alerts him by barking insistently.

The man quickly understands that the Labrador is trying to lead him somewhere.

Alexander contacts Zhenya's father, and they set out in a tracked vehicle, following the dog through the deep snow.

Trison returns to the container and brings rescuers to the child.

The father embraces his son, overcome with relief.

Zhenya cheerfully announces that he found the dog, rather than the other way around, and asks whether they can take Trison home.

His father explains that the Labrador already has a very important job: he helps a blind man move safely through the world.

The boy's innocent questions give the rescue an unexpectedly humorous conclusion.

For Trison, the experience is one of the most meaningful achievements of his life.

He has protected a child through a night when exposure to the Arctic cold could easily have proved fatal.

The news spreads rapidly throughout the settlement.

Trison becomes a local celebrity.

Journalists arrive, photographs appear, and Andrei Maksimovich is repeatedly asked to explain the extraordinary abilities of his guide dog.

Yet Trison's adventures do not end with public recognition.

Alexander's son Igor, who works in airport security, is investigating a series of luggage thefts. Among the missing items is a passenger's bag containing an essential computer component.

Unable to identify the thieves, Igor asks Trison to help.

The Labrador follows the scent from the passenger's scarf and gloves, tracing it through the airport's service areas.

After several false starts, he locates the smell near a room used by baggage handlers.

A hidden compartment beneath the floor contains stolen luggage and other valuables.

The discovery leads to the detention of several suspects and reveals a criminal group operating within and beyond the airport.

Trison has once again entered the world of police investigation — an echo of his earlier adventures with Max.

His remarkable achievements lead to a public celebration at Chukotka College in Anadyr.

Students, teachers, police representatives and airport security officials gather to meet the celebrated guide dog and his companion.

Andrei Maksimovich explains how guide dogs are trained, what responsibilities they carry and why people with visual impairments need independence rather than pity.

The occasion is particularly meaningful because Trison meets Alma, a guide dog who attended the same training school as he did.

Alma now works with a blind musician named Vasily Mikhailovich.

The two dogs exchange stories about their different lives. Alma explains that she accompanies her companion's musical performances and even sings along while he plays the accordion. Their performances have become popular online.

The reunion reminds Trison that his fellow guide dogs have developed extraordinary lives of their own.

Some protect children, some help musicians, and others accompany people through the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

What unites them is their commitment to the people who depend on them.

The Labrador's growing affection for Chukotka is also shaped by a series of new animal friendships.

One of his most entertaining acquaintances is Gorokh, an irrepressible young Dalmatian owned by a woman named Irina.

Gorokh's energy seems inexhaustible. He pursues cats, causes domestic accidents and approaches every unfamiliar situation as an opportunity for mischief.

Chita, the Makarovs' cat, frequently becomes the unwilling target of his games.

Their comic rivalry turns ordinary household activities into chaotic adventures.

But beneath the laughter, another animal's story begins to acquire increasing emotional importance.

Near a bus stop, Trison encounters a large black stray dog named Byvaly.

The dog travels on public transport in search of food, often visiting places where leftovers can be found.

His family moved away, leaving him behind.

At first Trison is offended by Byvaly's distant and unsociable behavior. Later he discovers that the dog has been living alone in the entrance hall of his former apartment building, stubbornly waiting for his owners to return.

Other neighborhood animals know him well.

A German shepherd named Astra, who lives with a caring owner, tells Trison that Byvaly once saved Chita from a pack of aggressive stray dogs.

Despite his abandonment, Byvaly has remained brave and generous.

He has never stopped believing that the people he loves will come back.

Trison is deeply moved by his faith.

He cannot understand how anyone could leave behind a faithful animal that has spent its life loving and protecting its family.

The question becomes increasingly painful as he witnesses other examples of human irresponsibility.

During a visit to a shop, a boy named Vitalik begins tormenting him, pulling his tail and striking him with a stick.

When Trison reacts defensively, the child accuses the dog of aggression.

His mother immediately believes him, refusing to listen to witnesses who saw the cruelty.

An elderly woman intervenes and tells the truth, but the mother continues defending her son.

Andrei Maksimovich later reflects that indulging every whim of a child is not the same as loving him. Without guidance, discipline and moral responsibility, affection can produce selfishness rather than kindness.

For Trison, the incident exposes another paradox: people often demand perfect obedience from animals while excusing cruelty in their own children.

A visit to Zhenya's family offers a much happier contrast.

The boy's grandparents have rescued an Arctic fox named Snezhok from a dangerous encounter with a wolverine. The little fox has become part of their household.

Trison is initially suspicious of the unfamiliar creature, but soon discovers an intelligent and curious companion.

Their conversation expands his understanding of the many ways humans and animals can coexist.

The visit also allows the Labrador to see Zhenya safe, healthy and surrounded by a loving family.

As the New Year approaches, Trison encounters an even more personal danger.

During an evening walk, Gorokh rushes away and becomes surrounded by a pack of aggressive homeless dogs near the garages.

Trison hears the commotion and runs to help.

The pack's leader threatens to kill and eat both dogs.

The Labrador is shocked by the desperation and brutality of animals driven to such behavior.

Some members of the pack explain that they were abandoned by their owners and now survive through hunger, fear and constant conflict.

Their suffering does not excuse the violence, but it reveals its origins.

Trison refuses to leave Gorokh behind.

The two are attacked, and both are injured.

Just when escape seems impossible, Byvaly arrives with Astra.

The huge black dog confronts the pack leader, who recognizes him and immediately backs away. The other strays retreat.

Byvaly has saved Trison and Gorokh.

Trison is grateful, but even more deeply impressed by his friend's moral strength. Although Byvaly has suffered abandonment, he has not surrendered to hatred.

He still believes that loyalty matters.

Back home, Irina treats the injured dogs. Trison's ear is wounded, and Gorokh has suffered an injury to his leg.

The Labrador lies awake thinking about the animals he encountered.

Why do humans so readily abandon creatures whose entire lives are built around trust?

And why do some abandoned dogs become cruel while others, like Byvaly, continue to protect those around them?

Before falling asleep, Trison silently hopes that Byvaly's owners will return.

The New Year celebrations bring another burst of comedy.

While the adults enjoy the holiday, Trison, Gorokh and Chita discover a delicious roasted duck in the kitchen.

Their efforts to obtain a share turn into a disastrous chase.

Gorokh pursues Chita, overturning the Christmas tree and furniture. Dishes crash to the floor, the festive table is ruined, and the room looks as though a small hurricane has passed through it.

Instead of becoming furious, the adults burst into laughter.

The animals are briefly locked in a storeroom as punishment, where they manage to create even more confusion among boxes, jars and household supplies.

The chaotic episode ends without tragedy.

For Trison, it becomes a reminder that kindness sometimes means choosing humor and forgiveness over anger.

Then, on the last evening before his departure, something extraordinary happens.

During a walk through the courtyard, Trison meets Byvaly and Astra once again.

They exchange farewells. Byvaly praises Trison's courage, and the Labrador thanks him for saving his life.

The black dog repeats a simple belief: animals must help one another because they are brothers.

At that moment a taxi stops nearby.

An elderly, gray-haired man gets out, carrying a bag and leaning on a walking stick.

Byvaly freezes.

For several seconds he cannot move.

Then he rushes toward the stranger with such force that he knocks him into a snowdrift.

Trison initially fears an attack.

But when he approaches, he sees the great black dog licking the man's face with uncontrollable joy.

The stranger is Grigory.

Byvaly's owner has returned.

The man explains why he disappeared. He had originally planned to leave for the mainland for only a couple of weeks, but shortly after arriving he was involved in a serious accident.

He spent six months in hospital, much of it recovering from life-threatening injuries.

During his hospitalization, he promised himself that if he survived, he would return for his dog — even if he had to crawl.

His wife had stayed in contact with former neighbors and knew Byvaly was still waiting near their old apartment.

Grigory was discharged only a week earlier.

He has come back for his friend.

Trison watches the reunion through tears.

The loyal dog whose story seemed destined to end in abandonment has finally received the answer to his faith.

His patience was not meaningless.

His hope was not foolish.

The animal who saved others even while waiting for his own rescue is going home.

For Trison, the scene becomes the true emotional climax of his Arctic journey.

The final departure follows shortly afterward.

At the airport, Trison is astonished by the number of people and animals who have come to say goodbye.

There are students and teachers from Chukotka College, police officers, airport employees, the rescued boy Zhenya and his family, the Makarovs, Vladimir and Woods, Alma and her blind musician, Astra, Byvaly with his returned owner, and Irina with the irrepressible Gorokh.

The once-anxious Labrador who feared the Arctic cold is now surrounded by friends.

He has rescued a polar bear cub, won a sled race, protected a child from a blizzard, helped uncover a criminal gang and survived an encounter with violent stray dogs.

But the greatest treasures of his journey are not trophies or public recognition.

They are the friendships he has formed and the lessons he has learned from the people and animals of the Far North.

The book closes on a warm, hopeful note.

Chukotka, initially imagined as a place of danger and unbearable cold, has revealed itself as a land of extraordinary beauty, courage, hospitality and human connection.

The title Trishka in the North captures the affectionate contrast between the Labrador's dignified professional identity and the almost childish wonder with which he experiences this unfamiliar world.

Through Trison's humorous and compassionate narration, Mikhail Samarsky presents an adventure in which the harshness of nature repeatedly reveals the warmth of living hearts.

The central meaning of the novel emerges most powerfully through Byvaly's reunion with Grigory.

Even when circumstances seem hopeless, loyalty, compassion and the refusal to surrender can bring people and animals back to one another.

In a land covered with snow, Trison discovers that the most important source of warmth is not the sun or a fire.

It is the capacity to love, to protect and to keep believing.