The remains of 27 fallen soldiers were reburied at the military cemetery in the village of Kholomerie, Gorodok district.
A significant event took place at military cemetery No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerie, Virovlyansky сельсовет, Gorodok district – the reburial of the remains of 27 fallen soldiers. This important event reminded us of the invaluable contribution of those who gave their lives for the sake of peace and freedom. The Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, took part in the event.
Local residents, regional and district leadership, leaders of public associations and organizations gathered at the military cemetery to express their gratitude and appreciation for the self-sacrifice and bravery of those who sacrificed their lives for our safety. A minute of silence in honor of the fallen filled the air with bitter nostalgia and immense pride.
In his address to the event participants, Vladimir Terentyev noted: "We are here to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom and peace. These soldiers, unknown to us, left an invaluable legacy – peace and freedom. Civilians, children, and the elderly fell victim to fascist oppression, but their sacrifice was not in vain, as we will certainly preserve the peace bequeathed to us."
In the mass grave No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerie, 1491 servicemen are buried, including 14 partisans. In 1971, a monument was erected on the mass grave, and the remains of fallen soldiers from 41 nearby settlements were reburied. The reburial of the remains was carried out with military honors and great reverence for the fallen as a symbol of deep gratitude and respect for those who sacrificed their future for the independence of the Motherland.
Vladimir Terentyev emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the fallen and their sacrifices so that future generations can inherit the virtues of peace and freedom. His words, "the memory of their valor must always be with us," sounded like a call to preserve and pass on this spirit to descendants in the future.
At the request of the administration of the Republic of Mari El of the Russian Federation, the remains of Guards Senior Sergeant Moskvichev S. F. were transferred to his homeland for reburial. The ceremony was attended by relatives of Moskvichev S. F. (nephew Evgeny Vitalievich Moskvichev from Yoshkar-Ola, Republic of Mari El), to whom the remains and personal belongings were handed over.
Guards Senior Sergeant of the 3rd Mortar Company Moskvichev S.F. was nominated for the medal "For Courage" in August 1943 for demonstrating courage and bravery in battles against the German fascist invaders. In a battle for the village of Vetrovo (Oryol region), the crew commanded by Comrade Moskvichev destroyed 3 enemy machine-gun nests and up to 10 German soldiers and officers. Moskvichev S. F. died on the third day of the Gorodok Offensive Operation (13.12.1943 – 31.12.1943). From the combat log of the 83rd Guards Rifle Division for 15-16.12.1943: "The 83rd Guards Rifle Division broke the enemy's resistance and, within a day on December 15, captured 14 settlements in the Gorodok district, reaching the Obol River. On the night of December 15-16, the enemy, with forces of 200 men and 13 tanks, counterattacked the 248th Guards Rifle Regiment (in which Moskvichev S. F. fought), as a result of which they pushed it back to the western edge of the forest, 1 km west of the village of Laptevka."
On the same day, the remains of 6 Red Army servicemen, recovered during search operations in the vicinity of Petrovо village (formerly Kholyavki village) of Bychikha rural settlement, were reburied at military cemetery No. 4372 in Mekhovoye village, Bychikha rural settlement. The names of two Red Army soldiers remained unknown; the presumed names of three fallen soldiers have been identified. During the excavation, a medallion was found belonging to Red Army soldier Pyotr Vasilyevich Ilyin, a native of Yaroslavl region. Red Army soldier Ilyin P.V., a gunner of the 556th mortar regiment of the 4th Shock Army, died in offensive battles on December 16, 1943, at the beginning of the Gorodok offensive operation, and was initially buried in Kholyavki village, then part of Mekhovsky district. His comrades Anvar Suleymanov, Vasily Timofeyevich Bayanov, and Fyodor Andreevich Agafontsev died with him on that day. It is presumed they were all buried together in a mass grave. Their names are immortalized on the memorial plaques of military burial No. 4372 in Mekhovoye village, Bychikha rural settlement.
"We have gathered here to honor the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and security," said the head of the regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, in his address to the ceremony participants. "These soldiers have left us an incredible legacy – the freedom and peace that we have the honor to experience and preserve today."
A total of 815 servicemen are buried at the military cemetery in Mekhovoye village, including two Heroes of the Soviet Union: Captain Ivan Nikolaevich Antonov, commander of a tank company (died 16.12.1943), and Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Martynovich Rudyk, commander of a tank company (died 16.12.1943). In 1959, a monument was erected at the cemetery, and the remains of fallen soldiers from 59 nearby villages were reburied there. The cemetery underwent reconstruction in 1989.
Search operations in the village of Petrovo (Kholyavki) were conducted by representatives of the Vitebsk Regional Historical and Patriotic Search Club "Plamya" (Chairman Lykholat M.A.), students of the search and research-patriotic detachment "Poisk" of Secondary School No. 1 of Polotsk, cadets of the Polotsk Cadet School, and Ruslan Stel'makh, a student of the Bychikha Secondary School named after I. Antonov. All participants in the search operations will take part in the ceremony and will be awarded letters of gratitude from the Chairman of the Gorodok District Executive Committee.
