It has become a good tradition in Karaganda to invite veterans of the Great Patriot War and those who served on the home front. We were born and grew up during peaceful time. We never heard sirens, did not see destroyed by bombs buildings. For us it is hard to believe that life can be easily stopped as a morning dream.

On this holiday day Hesed Miriam is visited by people who lived during the war. Solders recollect fights, seizures of cities and villages. Grigoriy Vladimirovich Neiman told about the bloody Stalingrad fight, about the difficulties of the military life, about coming back home where nothing was left from his house. Marks Borisovich Ostrovskiy told us about fights for Sevastopol.

Those who were not at the front recollect evacuation, how they arrived in Kazakhstan with legs swollen because of starvation. Evacuated families were given shelter by unknown people who shared everything with the evacuated. Dmirtriy Grigoryevich Sapol did not fight in the front. He educated solders in the rear, but recollections of the war are not less tragic and pain in his heart never stops.

Everybody had his/her own war. Children had to do the work of adults working at factories, fields, and hospitals. They all have hard memories full of pain and bitterness. Children had to grow up very quickly, at 10-12 years their childhood ended forever.

Our dear veterans and those who worked at the home front, your memories are a valuable material that needs to be transferred to future generations. As long as we remember, people who were killed at the fights and who did not live to this day, live in our memory.

On this day, Children’s Center Perurim and Youth Center Shatil, prepared a concert. Denis Rakhmatulayev, Adelya Ishkinyaeva, Alina Zolotukhina, Yana Zhidkikh, Stella Sukhorukova, and Alina Dzesa sang well known songs about the war and the Victory, recited poems. Our guest, Valentina Kovtun, also participated in the concert by signing the song "Jewish Saturday". She specially came to congratulate her father, Veteran Grigoriy Kovtun, with the Victory Day.

At the end of the holiday all guests received presents and holiday cards. Those who could not attend the event were visited and congratulated at their homes. "Veterans never get old in their soles, veterans of the World War II".

Larisa Brodskaya