The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 left a deep imprint in the soul of every person who took part in it. She brought a terrible grief to every family, left nothing incurable spiritual wounds. Mother was distressed by questions about why her son should die. Why should an enemy bullet deprive her of a happy and peaceful life of her blood? How hard it is to let go of your loved ones, not knowing if you’ll see them again… But they let go, blessing them during the terrible years of battles. Love for the Motherland, patriotism of Russian people were the main weapon in the fight against a foreign invader. I was very fortunate that I was able to learn about some facts of the bloodiest period of the history of the Soviet Union, not from the pages of the textbook, but from the mouth of my grandfather, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. His memories help me imagine those terrible years, feel the spirit of dedication that was inherent in the fighters. Grandfather told me how
he lost his best friend. It was like this: my grandfather, at the time a young and handsome guy named Nikolai, and his friend were about to warm up the canned food while they were resting in the dug-out. But suddenly explosions of shells were heard. The comrade went out to find out the situation, promising to return. It takes half an hour, an hour, but it’s all gone. Nikolay came out and saw a deceased friend lying twenty meters from the dugout. The whole nightmare and horror of war can not be conveyed in words. It seems that the entire course of the war is controlled by some higher forces. And faith in God, and faith in the love of loved ones helps to survive. Among the terrible pictures of war, the ray of light contained invaluable letters from home. They gave hope for a quick return home. Great events in the life of our country remain not only in the grateful memory of people and in the pages of textbooks, but also in poetic lines, the sounds of music, in marble and paints. In those unforgettable years there were wonderful songs that made the soldiers go into battle. They sang with love in the harsh days of the
war, they know and sing now. How many of them are beautiful, unforgettable! These songs depict the tragic and happy pages of heroic years, the legendary courage and spiritual courage, the optimism of the Russian soldier, are preserved for generations to come. They, like the echoes of distant terrible years, sound today, shaking hearts. My grandfather likes to listen to these songs. They give birth to a lot of memories in his soul. He remembers how the soldiers, sitting on wooden chests with a simple military belongings, smoking, suddenly got up when they heard the Holy War, they extinguished cigarettes and, in the silence that came, they listened to the song. And with what warmth the grandfather remembers about the song “In the dugout”, so sincere and human. Why is this song dear to veterans? Perhaps, because in a terrible, bloody battle this song helped warriors survive, save a person in themselves, not allowing to forget about the amazing, truly ineradicable feeling of love. 60 years from the Victory Day. Bread was slaughtered on the earth torn to pieces by the fascists, the forest revived. Bright cities rose from the ruins. But the years will never be forgotten in the memory of the military. How many of them, unforgettable days of war. Here is just one page of history. The Hitler ring around Stalingrad was shrinking. It seemed that nothing alive was left in the fire. But every house became an impregnable fortress for the fascists. One of these houses still stands in the city. His name is Pavlov’s house. 140 days and nights soldiers fought on Mamayev Hill. Now, from the battlefield, he became a place of memory. From the Volga, the Alley of Heroes leads to the city center, which during the Great Patriotic War won the Battle of Stalingrad.
