Lev 1

In the City of Thieves everything is in Lev's point of view, everything he sees we see. Lev Beniov is a 17 year old boy living in Piter, Russia during World War II. At the beginning of the war Lev had no one but his neighbors to keep him company. His father was killed by soldiers years before for being a poet, all poets, authors, and teachers were pt to death because it was believed that they had great influence on many people. Lev's mother and sister left the city as the war was beginning. They wanted him to come with them, but he refused because the wanted to serve his country to prove he was a man. At this time Lev was not old enough to become a soldier, you needed to be 18, so he acted as a firefighter for his apartment block. One night while on duty Lev and his friends spotted a fallen German soldier and decided to see if he was still alive. When they discovered that he wasn't they took his weapons and alcohol. They all sat around the dead body while they passed around the bottle of cognac, as they were enjoying their beverage the GAZ showed up. Lev was arrested when he was trying to save his friend and secret crush Vera. He was put into a jailhouse called the crosses, which was described as dark, empty, and quiet. While there he met another boy, who was there for robbing someone, named Kolya. After a couple of days in jail the colonel chose them for a very important task, to find eggs for his daughter's wedding cake.