In the Vitebsk region, 78 Great Patriotic War veterans have passed the century mark

September 25, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo – BELTA /. In the Vitebsk region, 78 veterans of the Great Patriotic War, including 72 women, have passed the century mark. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Gennady Gerasimovich, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of the Veterans Public Association. The most venerable veteran is 116-year-old Adelya Ivanovna Barkovskaya from the Tolochin district. Today, the ranks of centenarian veterans have grown. The community, youth, and authorities of the town of Ruba congratulated Ivan Vasilyevich Leonov, a participant of the Great Patriotic War, on his centenary. He fought, experienced the hardships of German captivity, and in the post-war years worked as a blacksmith in a village and in forestry – such is the veteran's biography. Despite his advanced age, he has not lost his healthy optimism and high spirits. "My secret to longevity is not to drink, not to smoke, and to love women," jokes Ivan Vasilyevich. As of September 1, there are 6,553 war veterans living in the region, of whom 5,282 are participants of the Great Patriotic War. As Gennady Gerasimovich noted, twice a year, authorities, together with social services and veterans' councils, conduct surveys of the socio-living conditions of veterans. Local authorities provide assistance in procuring fuel and vegetables for the winter. Their health status is surveyed annually. -0-