"Our Brothers" nomination: Svetlana, an SMO participant and National Guard servicewoman, evacuated the compassionate goose from the danger zone and entrusted her to the staff of the Loga Landscape Park.
Animals, just like humans, can be merciful. A striking example of this is the touching story of the goose Gusenka, who cared for two piglets. It began in the Belgorod Region, where a National Guard unit was stationed, and gained widespread public resonance in the spring of 2026.
Servicewoman Svetlana, who arrived at the position on another rotation, saw a goose in the farm area. Two small piglets lived in a dilapidated barn together with Gusenka, as she started calling the bird. "The winter was harsh; by all laws of nature, the trio should have frozen to death, but a miracle happened," KP Rostov-na-Donu reported.
During severe frosts, two mini-pigs took shelter under the goose's wings. "Apparently, in search of warmth, the miniature piglets climbed under the goose's wings, huddled against her sides, and that is how they stayed warm. And she didn't chase them away, beat her wings at them, hiss at them, or peck them. It was very cold; Gusenka probably got frostbite on one of her webbed feet and started limping," Svetlana noted.
That is how this unusual trio spent the winter, huddled together in the dilapidated shed. Fed on military rations, the mini-pigs grew bigger. At the beginning of spring, even though the snow had not yet melted, the sweet trio began going out for walks. Later on, the piglets were taken to a private homestead in Belgorod. The goose was left all alone.
"I was away for a few days. When I found out the piglets had been given away, I went to visit Gusenka, but I couldn't find her at first. I asked my fellow soldiers about her. They said the goose should be in the shed," the SMO participant said.
Sveta found Gusenka in a dark corner of the outbuilding, with her head buried in the straw. The bird looked sick, exhausted, and paid no attention to anyone. "I started calling her, but she didn't react. When she finally raised her head, I was deeply struck by the fact that tears were running down her face — she was crying," Svetlana noted.
Gradually, the servicewoman brought the goose out of her stupor. At first, the winged pet hissed at her and tried to peck her. However, Svetlana did not despair. She gave her water and fed her with grains, porridge, and other food, treating her with grass she found and picked beneath the melting snow. "Gusya-Gusenka, Blue Eyes, my girl," Sveta would affectionately call her waterfowl friend. Thanks to human care, the blue-eyed goose began to show an interest in life once again, happily responding to the voice of her rescuer, and became so attached to Svetlana that she followed her everywhere like a loyal dog.
"I grew up in the countryside, but I have never seen such incredibly blue eyes on a goose before," the servicewoman shared.
Sometimes, even at night, Gusenka would call for help, crying out loudly when rats scurried in the barn or when shelling rumbled outside. And Sveta would run to comfort her frightened friend.
In March, the deployment was coming to an end. Svetlana decided to take her protégé with her. According to her, the goose had become like a member of the family to her.
Gusenka endured the trip in the "Ural" truck resiliently, traveling in a boiler box. She pecked at the grains scattered on the bottom and drank water that Svetlana gave her in a cut-off plastic bottle through a window cut into the cardboard box.
"I would go to her even at night, bringing her water. As soon as I approached, she would start calling out upon hearing my voice. We could only give her water once or twice a day during the stops," the SMO participant said.
They arrived in the DPR three days later. The servicewoman carried Gusenka up to the third floor of the apartment she was renting. First things first came the water procedures. The goose happily splashed in a bathtub full of water, preening her feathers. "To make Gusya dry faster, I wiped her down with a towel and dried her a bit with a hairdryer," Svetlana shared. The feathered friend not only endured everything patiently but also continued grooming herself throughout the night.
After staying the night, they headed home to the Rostov Region. The snow-white beauty was put into a bag, loaded into the car, and they set off. At home, Gusenka settled in quickly, inspecting all the rooms and the yard. She settled down to sleep on a blanket spread on the floor right next to Svetlana. And at 6 a.m., she woke her up with a nudge to the back—as if to say, "Stop sleeping, it's time to get up."
The goose loved living in her new home. However, Svetlana had another deployment coming up, and there was no one to care for the bird. So, she made a difficult decision: to entrust her blue-eyed pet to the care of professionals.
"While still on the road, I was typing up appeals to various organizations on my phone. I wanted to hand her over to a bird park located 40 kilometers from my house, but they turned me down," Sveta said. A positive response came from the Loga Landscape and Theme Park, which houses 120 animal species in conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat.
The parting was difficult, with both Svetlana and Gusenka taking it hard. However, for the goose, this was a chance at a happy, peaceful life among her own kind.
As the park's veterinarian, Sergey Bondar, reported, Gusenka moved to their facility on March 22. Upon her arrival, she underwent a mandatory quarantine and is now being kept together with a pair of geese that residents of Volgograd had handed over to the park two years ago.
"Right after arriving, Gusenka became very attached to our park's keepers who fed her. She wasn't introduced to the pair of geese, Borya and Ksyusha, right away, but only after completing her quarantine. While she was alone, the keepers walked her daily on a grassy lawn. Just like a little dog, she always followed them around. She memorized the path to the duck pond by her second visit and would confidently walk behind the staff," Sergey Bondar noted.
Meeting her own kind helped the goose settle in quickly. She became especially good friends with Borya the gander. They spend a lot of time together, and Gusenka herself feels calm and peaceful among her friends.
"Today, she has completely adapted to life in the park, remains under the constant supervision of specialists, and receives all the necessary care and attention. For us, it is deeply important to see that a bird that survived such severe hardships has finally found peace, safety, and her new home," the veterinarian emphasized.
Svetlana plans to visit her blue-eyed favorite. According to her, she will come on leave in August or September. 'I will definitely visit Gusenka. I am looking forward to this meeting and hope that she recognizes me,' Sveta said.
Photos from the personal archive of Svetlana and the 'Loga' park.