Visiting veterans
This is the second part of the visit of the group "Military Review" in the city of Borisoglebsk. After visiting the museum at the Air Force Training Center, we went to a home for disabled people and veterans.
We went there with a strange feeling. Imagination painted different pictures, not the most optimistic. It was with what, to be honest. Let's just say that taking care of veterans and disabled people is not the strongest side of the Voronezh authorities.
And indeed, when it was already outside the city, in the forest, a rather unpresentable brick house appeared, we were depressed. Not for long. Once inside, we really stunned by what he saw. But more about that later, because we start immediately with those to whom we, in fact, went. With veterans.
In general, we initially did not plan something epoch-making, we thought just to talk privately, to talk for life. But the administration of the house decided a little differently, and we got to drink tea with all sorts of goodies like pies and cookies. Well, we didn’t hit the face either, took a couple of cakes with us. So they did not come to the table empty-handed.
In total in this house there was one participant of the war and seven participants of the labor front. The director of the house told us that last year there were five war veterans ... Sad statistics.
The doctor, who strictly monitored the wards, limited us a little in time, and generally recommended not to try, how and what. In order not to irritate the elderly. But we really didn’t intend to do that, and for the first half hour we were just engaged in talking about life. When the people relaxed, the conversation went, only had time to record.
Admittedly, the impression was not joyful. No matter how hard it is to talk about it, but most of our interlocutors are no longer here. Age, illness, hard life. Memory fails. Yes, and the nerves do not give much to remember.
The exception was the only participant in the war, Alexey Ivanovich Stepygin 1922 year of birth. He was quite sociable. But only the years again took their toll, and his story literally had to be assembled like a puzzle. He often jumped from one topic to another, but we managed.
Alexey Ivanovich, an artilleryman, more precisely, a spotter, passed from Moscow to Berlin through Stalingrad. He was never injured (confirmed by his personal card), but was contused twice. He was awarded THREE (!!!) orders of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War of both degrees, 12 medals, including 2 "For Courage" and one "For Military Merit." I saw in his personal file these order books.
- Alexey Ivanovich, how did you start the war?
- And just. I am a Siberian, from Krasnoyarsk. He served urgent in Omsk. Year already served. So I say, rattled pears. We were then built, they said that the war began with the German. Then they gave everyone carbines, led to the shooting range. Said, "Shoot." Well, I shot well, a team was formed from us and sent under Saratov. There still materiel trained, and everything, to the front.
- And then?
- And then where we were sent, went there. Shot, then drove again. Damn it, yes. And again they drove, shot. All war so.
“Do you remember the cities you passed through?”
- I don’t remember almost anything. I remember Moscow, I remember Stalingrad, it was scary there. And then everything merges into one. Berlin remember. We stood under the city, but after the victory, we sort of showed how we were taken.
- How was your performance?
- I was very even. This is for those who have guns, there is not easy. The projectile weighs a lot, and even charge it. Shit ... And I was too small, the most important thing for me is to find a place on the front end. Height to be seen. And there prizhuhatsya. We worked two by one, one looks, the second amendment gives. And orem ...
- And how was the connection?
- Yes, there was a bad connection. This is when, when the radio went ... Phone, phone ... And the wire will kill somewhere, while the telephonist there will fix, and the regiment beats, you need to specify where to beat ...
“Didn’t the Germans shoot you?”
- Yes, how can they not shoot? Hans, he is also not a fool, if there is a height, then someone should sit there. They quickly understood this business. It is good, when there are a lot of heights, and when one - wait, there will be a dope from them. I was so contused for the first time. And piled with Seryoga. We were dug up for a long time. But dug up.
- And the second time how?
- And the second time. Only we were sitting in a house on the edge of the city. So it exploded that half of my teeth flew out. And the month did not hear anything.
- What are you awarded orders?
- During the war ... We shot at the Germans, they shot at us. For this and gave. We did not chase after them, they found us themselves. We had a general, he rewarded ... I do not remember already, for what. Years how many ... It was then I was a junior sergeant, but now what? Now live a bit more, but you can already die.
- Do you remember the victory?
- Yes, our general came to us, he said that everything, Khan to Hitler. And we were taken to the house of Hitler, show. There everything was dug up by craters, maybe we shot. I already had a PPSh, I shot all the bullets, which were. Shouted, sang, there was joy. What a joy it was ... Now, if I now give a hundred, and I should show you the harmony, what joy it was ...
So it was not possible to properly photograph the narrator.
Aleksey Ivanovich really broke up, and a clear signal came from the doctor and director who was watching all this: enough. Of course, we did not insist. Sadly, of course, there is an understanding that soon our veterans will no longer be left at all. It is good that at least some islands of memory still exist.
We talked with other participants in our meeting, there will definitely be more stories about the labor front.
I would like to say a few words about the place where we met. I wrote at the beginning of the material that we were surprised. And pleasantly surprised. Instead of a dark almshouse - quite a modern rest home. With absolutely modern medical technology. The director told us that doctors from the district hospital come light, use all local equipment. And then he showed us photos of 2009 of the year. Here was just a shock. It is even worse than we imagined. Stable, in a word.
But in five years a great and noble work has been done. And we saw that everything: a modern comfortable home for disabled people and veterans. And this is a great merit of its director, Anatoly Vasilyevich Kasyanov. Former track and field coach.
Dental office. Quite modern.
Procedural room.
Chamber for four.
Cabinet ultrasound (and still some thing there).
Nursing room.
Gym. On 4 places. Plus a massage room for two.
And this is what the house of veterans looks like outside.
The conditions in which veterans and disabled people are located are impressive. One can only be glad for them. But as a fly in the ointment, it’s painful to understand that if such an attitude towards them was not now, but twenty years ago, most likely, we would have a completely different picture now. In quantitative terms, in qualitative. One could just help them live more than one year. A thousand times it is a pity that such a thaw began only in recent years.
We once again express our gratitude to Anatoly Vasilyevich and all the staff of the house of veterans, both for organizing the meeting and for the tremendous work done.
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