The Talab Islands, situated approximately 25 kilometers from the Estonian border and equidistant from Pskov, comprise three islands. Two of these, formerly known as Talabsk and Verkhniy, were renamed Zalit and Belov during the Soviet era to honor Red Army soldiers who tragically drowned in 1918 while attempting to establish Soviet power on the islands. In the past, Zalit was home to a thriving fishing collective farm, attracting local residents who had been engaging in lake-related activities for decades. However, contemporary bureaucratic challenges have hindered fishing activities, leading to a shift in the islands' economic focus towards tourism. Pilgrims now frequent the islands to visit the grave of Nikolai Guryanov, the former rector of the local church. Despite the islands' historical significance and tourism potential, they face challenges in terms of infrastructure and services. A paramedic provides medical assistance, and there is a primary school, but children typically move to the mainland for further education after completing their initial studies on the islands.

Rinat Sadykov lived all his life in the village of Oimur in Buryatia on the shores of Lake Baikal. He says that his wife wanted to move to the city, but he insisted on living in the village. Their children went to school in Oimura. After the divorce, the ex-wife moved to the city. Lately, Sadykov worked as a lumberjack, and went to work in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, because there was no work in the village. For the same reason, Sadykov advised his youngest son Vyacheslav, when he joined the army on conscription, to sign a contract and remain in military service. The last time the son came to the village to his father from the military unit for the new year 2022 to meet him together, and after that he went to the exercises in Belarus. After the start of the war on February 24, people from the military registration and enlistment office came to Sadykov's house and reported that Vyacheslav had died. They waited a month for a funeral, and then Sadykov signed a contract and volunteered to go to war.