"Good afternoon! I am writing to a distant native land. Greetings to you, dear father, mother, sister, aunt, and nephews from your son and brother-in-law veteran Valentine. I write hurriedly, under the whistle of German bullets and exploding shells and bombs, under the hum, noise and groan of wounded comrades. First, I inform you that I entered the battle on the 22nd at 8 o'clock in the morning, and the battle began at 4 o'clock, and, thus, we managed to take the full brunt of the initial blow of the German fascists. Despite this, we left in perfect order until June 24... On the 25th, we, with my gun and squad, had to repel the onslaught of tanks, where we destroyed about 10 of them, but the 11th did not have time, and artillery fire was opened on our gun, and our gun was broken, and three of my comrades were wounded. I personally had to take them to a safe place from the tanks... I dressed my wounds and with great difficulty managed to send them to the rear, but now I don't know where they are. Now I am completely cut off from all my relatives and acquaintances, and after my gun was smashed, I had to join a rifle company that was on the defensive in the fight against airborne troops, and we are now operating in the area of the city of Mogilev... While... there is no danger to life. I fully understand how much trouble it took for you to find out about me, and how many tears were shed, but don't worry prematurely. I am alive and I feel quite healthy and strong... I kiss you all and shake your hands. Goodbye. Valentin. P.S. Frontline handwriting, if only sorted out. June 30, 1941". These two checkered notebooks, hastily and thickly written in plain pencil, are the first and last message that Valentin Yakovlevich Andreev sent from the front to Udmurtia. He was a cadet of the training battery of the 4th separate artillery anti-tank division. On the morning of June 22, this division, commanded by Captain Glazkov, received a combat mission. Cadet Andreyev, who was appoint ... Читать далее