The memory of Tatarstan soldiers who defended Belarus during the war has been immortalized in the Vitebsk region

November 10, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. A memorial sign in honor of Tatarstan soldiers who defended Belarus from the Nazi invaders and died on its territory was solemnly opened today in the village of Kopty, Vitebsk region, a BELTA correspondent reports. "The opening of this monument is a sign of respect for the people of Tatarstan who gave their lives for the Great Victory," said Ravil Muratov, head of the official delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan and First Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, at the solemn rally. During the Great Patriotic War, four out of seven rifle divisions formed in Tatarstan fought against the fascists on the territory of Belarus. Soldiers of the 86th Rifle Division named after the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the TASSR fought in the Grodno region. In July 1941, the 18th Kazan Rifle Division had to engage in battle on the Dnieper. In 1944, the 334th Rifle Division was awarded the honorary title "Vitebsk," and the 352nd Rifle Division was awarded the honorary title "Orsha." Both of them were also formed in Tatarstan. The burial sites of 12,000 people from Tatarstan who died during the Great Patriotic War are known on the territory of Belarus. The monument erected in the Vitebsk region also perpetuates the memory of the soldiers of the Volga-Tatar Legion (Idel-Ural Legion) – a Wehrmacht unit consisting of representatives of the Volga peoples of the USSR: Tatars, Bashkirs, Mari, Mordvins, Chuvash, Udmurts. The legion's battalions did not show high combat effectiveness, as some soldiers recruited against their will deserted or went over to the side of the Soviet Army. The first successful attempt was made in February 1943 in the 825th Volga-Tatar battalion, which was performing guard duty in the Vitebsk region. A underground group had been operating in this battalion since 1942, and Vitebsk underground fighters established contact with it. Underground fighters and partisans took an active part in organizing the transfer of the battalion's personnel to the partisans' side. As a result, on February 23, 1943, over 800 people, along with 6 anti-tank guns, 100 machine guns, and other weapons, went over to the side of a partisan brigade. Historians have so far managed to establish the names of 175 patriots. The delegation from Tatarstan includes more than 50 people: veterans of the Great Patriotic War, relatives of fallen soldiers, and officials. They came to pay tribute to their fellow countrymen. The initiative to perpetuate the memory of Tatarstan soldiers belongs to the Republic of Tatarstan. -0-