World War II veteran Elizaveta Melnikova from Vitebsk was awarded a commemorative medal for the 80th anniversary of Victory
– On the eve of the Great Victory Day, we thank the veterans for their selfless work during the Great Patriotic War, for restoring the country in the post-war years, and for continuing to raise children. Thanks to their heroic feat, we can live in a peaceful and independent country, – noted the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Dmitry Demidov, and wished the veteran good health, longevity, and happiness.
Elizaveta Melnikova was born in 1926 in the Russian village of Popkovo, Ivanovo region. She learned to sew thanks to her mother. When the Great Patriotic War began, her older brothers went to the front, and 15-year-old Liza and 750 other teenagers were sent to a vocational school at a textile factory. The children sewed uniforms for the soldiers: greatcoats, mittens, and uniforms. When the enemy approached, the youth were involved in defensive work – they dug trenches.
– May you always have a peaceful sky! – said Elizaveta Melnikova, accepting the congratulations.
After the war, Elizaveta Maksimovna returned to her home in Ivanovo. For several years, she worked at the spinning mill of the Teikovsky Cotton Combine. Then she fulfilled her dream: she entered medical school. She worked as a workshop therapist at the Lenin Komsomol Factory all her life. She only moved to Vitebsk to her daughter in 2005 after her husband's death. By the way, her daughter, granddaughter, and nephews continued the medical dynasty.