A family from Kazakhstan traveled about four thousand kilometers to visit their grandfather's grave, whose fate they had been trying to learn about for 70 years

Nuraly Kulumbeov was drafted into the front lines in August 1942. His wife, three sons, and a daughter remained in his native village of Kyzyl-Oktyabr (Kazakh SSR). The front lines led the soldier to Belarus. He died near Surazh in the winter of 1943, liberating the Vitebsk region from the Nazi invaders as part of the 306th Rifle Division.

Nuraly Kulumbeov was drafted into the front lines in August 1942. His wife, three sons, and a daughter remained in his native village of Kyzyl-Oktyabr (Kazakh SSR). The front lines led the soldier to Belarus. He died near Surazh in the winter of 1943, liberating the Vitebsk region from the Nazi invaders as part of the 306th Rifle Division. The private soldier from a distant Kazakh village found his final resting place in a mass grave near the village of Mikhailovo (now part of the Vymnyansky village council). The names of 524 soldiers and officers buried here are known. The identities of the soldiers who died liberating the region were mainly established from their personal identification tags.

— For many years, my grandmother, her sons, and then her grandchildren tried to find out anything about my grandfather's fate, — says Gulnara Nuralieva, who, along with her cousins, visited the mass grave in Mikhailovo. — The death notice stated that he went missing in action. Using the Internet, I found the project "At the Cost of Life", which is posted on the official website of the Vymno Kindergarten-Secondary School vymno.of.by. I wrote a letter and soon received a reply from Vyacheslav Morozov, a teacher from this school, who told me the exact location where our grandfather rests (Vyacheslav Nikolaevich and his young students have been engaged in search work for over three years to establish and immortalize the memory of soldiers considered missing in action). I called my brothers, and we decided to visit our grandfather's grave. It's our first time in Belarus. We are pleasantly impressed by the care for the memory of the liberators, which your people sacredly cherish by improving the mass graves. And Belarusians themselves are kind, sensitive, and friendly. We received a warm welcome, and we met and befriended interesting people. In Minsk, we rented a car to learn more about the country during our trip, for the liberation of which our grandfather gave his life. All the way to Vitebsk, we admired the Belarusian nature and the cleanliness of the cities. Your city is especially beautiful. It's a pity that we have to get ready for the return journey soon. We think we will come here on May 9 next year.

Yeraly, Nurken, Malik, and Gulnara Nuraliev are not the only ones who have overcome a long journey to pay tribute to their relatives who were not spared by the war. Every year since 1980, Nelly Nikolaevna from the city of Lipetsk, the daughter of Nikolai Stolypin, a commander of a rifle company, visits her father's grave. She was born during the war, but thanks to her father's front-line letters, she knows a lot about his combat path.

— After numerous wounds, my father was sent to serve at headquarters, — says Nelly Nikolaevna. — But he flatly refused, preferring to fight on the front lines. It was there that he laid down his life.

Vitebsk resident Valery Ivanov put a lot of effort into the improvement of the fraternal burial site. Thanks to his initiative, with the support of other relatives and friends of the fallen soldiers, the military burial site has been reconstructed. Valery Ivanovich showed a photograph of how this place, sacred to many, looked before. Today, the memorial is unrecognizable. The work on its renovation is not yet completed. In the future, they plan to even install lighting for the burial site. In winter, when the village streetlights are turned on in the evening, the memorial will also be illuminated.

Kazakhs, Russians, Belarusians, who yesterday did not know each other, communicated at the memorial as if they were old friends, sharing family stories and cherished memories. The meeting took place on July 3, Belarus Independence Day. The grief brought by the war and the undying memory of the price of victory united different generations from different countries. Saying goodbye, the children and grandchildren of the fallen victors assured that they would definitely meet at this place again.

The Nuraliyevs took a handful of soil with them to Kazakhstan, for which their grandfather died fighting. They promised to tell their story in the local newspaper. They are confident that their story will help some of their compatriots learn about the fate of their relatives.

Andrey ZAKHAROV, "Vitbichi"