May 9, 1945 is a beginning of new era, new life under the peaceful sky. People who had achieved the Victory for us had to undergo severe ordeals of the war and hardships after the war. Now they are elderly people, live slowly and quietly. But at that time they were handsome young men and women, some people were even teenagers. They had to go to the war, which took away their health and youth.

Our veterans shared their recollections. During the war, Dmitriy Emelyanovich Kolesnikov and Alexander Petrovich Torkin were younger than their grand children now, "We achieved the Victory through suffering, enduring all difficulties because we knew we were doing our duty. We were telling ourselves that we should save our country". And they really did it!

Lyudmila Ilyinichna Vorobyova, "We remember a lot. But most tragedies have faded in our memories because life is going on. We are happy to see our children and grandchildren growing up. However, sometimes when I hear a melody, a song from that time, I understand that this sorrow is not gone from my heart, it still holds me prisoner".

What hardships women and children had to endure during the war at the home front!? "Everything is for the front!" This approach did not spare neither children nor elderlies. Lyubov Leibovna Monastyrskaya worked at the factory and at the rail way, Elena Alexandrovna Veitsman in the hospital, Natalya Savelyevna Vishnevskaya and Sofya Borisovna Olhovich on agricultural fields. It is amazing how they preserved their souls despite of all the hardships. They are very grateful, appreciate kindness, and love life. Very few of them still live among us. They remind us that we should be grateful to the veterans that we can live and enjoy life!

We wanted to make this holiday joyous and comfortable for members of our Hesed. We started getting ready to the holiday well in advance. We have made holiday cards, prepared ribbons, learned poems about the war and the Victory. We visited all veterans who were not able to come to Hesed and congratulated them at home. Our sponsors made a great contribution, their financial support enabled us to prepare decent gifts for all the veterans.

Children planted trees near our common home - Hesed. I would like to say a few words about our children. Frankly speaking, the elder generation very mach cares what kind of people their successors will be, whether they will be able to understand and appreciate what had been done for them. What these words could mean to our children, "Thank you for life! Thank you for the Victory!"? You should have seen how our children and youth were eager to participate in the events, exhibitions and concerts, devoted to the great holiday! How proud David Levin was when he was telling me about the event devoted to honoring veterans where he acted as Vanya Solntsev in the performance "Son of the Regiment" by Valentin Katayev: "I was real Vanya, I was even given a gun!".

Our children are able to empathize. What a real horror was in their eyes when they were watching photographs and listening to excerpts from description of the one of most dreadful massacres happened in September of 1941 in Babiy Yar near Kiev. There were more than 33,000 Jews killed there. Thousands of adults and children were killed in Minsk, Riga, and Vilnius in horrible concentration camps. It is scary… Should we look at these photographs to remember the past? I think so. Our children should know and respect history of our people.

We are all, who are living now in the XXI century, are infinitely grateful to the known and unknown veterans of the Great Patriot War.

Lyudmila Tsymbalyuk