Chestnuts are blossoming again

Chestnuts are blossoming again,   

The Dnieper wave beats ...

(from a song about Kiev)

On February 24, 2022, by the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Russian Armed Forces launched a special military operation aimed at protection of the Donbass population, demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. For the last 8 years, the Ukrainian topic has been in the spotlight for the Russian public. The veterans of the Great Patriotic War (WW2) could not stand by on the side either.  On February 27th 2022 we recorded an interview with our veterans for the use on Internet. For these veterans the Ukraine is not only their small homeland with a cherry orchard next to the house, but also the pain of the endured losses, the death of comrades on the fields of bloody battles which took place in Ukraine in 1941-1944. In the last 20 years, WW2 veterans have been greatly lamenting watching how the compradors of the Ukrainian elite, together with the collective West, have been strenuously destroying the unified Russian-Ukrainian nation, the economy, transport links, family ties, reformatting the Ukrainian people, making the country anti-Russia, waged an eight-year war against the Russian population of Donbass and preparing a bridgehead for deployment of NATO with its troops and weapons in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders.

Due to the fact that the civilized West blocked the Internet platforms for posting videos from Russia, an interview transcript was prepared to portrait the veterans’ point of view in regards to the latest events in Ukraine.  The speech style of the WW2 soldiers was preserved.

Nikolay Konstantinovich IMCHUK, was born in 1930 in Uman, the Kiev region of the USSR and was participant of the anti–fascist underground movement at the age of 11, then the prisoner of war at the German concentration camp for the Soviet prisoners of war (POW) known as ‘the Uman pit’ and other camps (POW from Aug.1941 - March 1943). He volunteered for the military service in the Red Army in March 1944, as a boy soldier of 328th of ‘Katyusha’ MLRS Regiment, 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. His unit took part in the liberation of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Austria.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nikolay Konstantinovich Imchuk, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). I found myself on the front line when I joined an encircled Red Army unit in Aug. 1941. I was only 11 years old then – a boy soldier, who served in the 328th Guard of ‘Katyusha’ MLRS Regiment, which participated in the battles of   2nd and 3rd Ukrainian front. My unit and my regiment liberated the territory of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria. I welcomed the Victory Day in Austria, near the Vienna. During the Great Patriotic War, as the boy soldier, I had to experience all the hardships of a soldier's life. In 1941, I was wounded, then captured together with our soldiers. Finally, I managed to escape from the German concentration camp. I did get in touch with the underground resistance and was the liaison person for the partisan detachment. After the liberation of my town (Uman in the USSR), where I lived, I begged a Russian officer to let me go back to the war, and so before the end of the war I took part in the military operations of the Guards MLRS Regiment. I experienced all the horrors of the war that took place on the territory of Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia together with our soldiers.

Now, when the territory of Ukraine, is occupied by Banderas (neo-Nazis), I believe that in this case, these heartless people staged the genocide in Donetsk and Lugansk regions against our brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, the Europe, which was signatory to the Minsk agreement on Donbass – Germany and France –  still don't realize what the Banderas and their followers have done to the Ukrainian land. It is strange, very strange...

Strange, because Germany, the country that started the Second World War, unfortunately does not fully understand what the genocide is. But these are the following generation, these young Germans, should remember their history when they staged a genocide of our people on the territory of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the German Chancellor (O. Scholz) did not understand, and does not believe that there was genocide in Donbass. Probably, because he just couldn't see it. Perhaps because he lives very far away from this territory, from the Ukraine. But he should have looked at it. However, the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky knows the history of the genocide very well. He grew up in Ukraine. He should know the whole history of Ukraine, the history of the occupation of the Ukraine. It is not clear why he still does not understand it or is he so dependent on Banderas that this prevents him to understand?

He failed to fulfill the Minsk agreements (on Donbass) which was signed. And thereby failed to stop the bloodshed. Eight years, the whole eight years this land suffered. I would have told this president what it means when we say in Russian that "the patience has burst" and if if he does not understand it in Russian, then I would tell him in Ukrainian: "the patience has broken through and through" Mr. President! We can no longer tolerate these atrocities against our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people by their origin are a very sensitive and vulnerable people who understand the situation very well. I am sure that many of the Ukrainians understand and share the actions which the President of our country, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, had to take. I am amazed at the level of the patience, the endurance and the tolerance (which is now a fashionable word) of our president to enable the Ukrainian authorities to solve the problem of Lugansk and Donetsk peacefully, but they did not take the advantage of this

I am sure that there those in Ukraine, those forces who remember Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, who remember the Great Patriotic War, who participated in partisan units lead by Sidor Kovpak and in other partisan detachments that expelled Nazis from their territory. I remember these people, the Ukrainians, who helped our Red Army soldiers when they were in need of help and in trouble. I remember it all.  I experienced it all by myself. Therefore, I consider the decision of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to free and stop the mockery of the Lugansk and Donetsk people to be correct and timely. I would even go as far as to say that I would have willingly started it earlier. Because there are and there were huge losses of lives there.

As a veteran of the Great Patriotic War (WW2), I fully share the policy of our Government and the deeds of our president. We, the veteran of the Great Patriotic War, fully agree with the President's decision to send troops to this territory. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, fully support your decisions, we consider them necessary. And most importantly, do not stop. No need to start twice. We must go to the bitter end to expel this evil sect from our native Ukraine! So that this country would be a flourishing country, as it was before.  And that's how it should be!".

Colonel Ivan Petrovich LYTKIN, born in 1926 in the Tyumen region, Western Siberia, the USSR. He was deployed in April 1944 – May 1945, as a regimental scout, 43rd Rifle Division, Leningrad and then 3rd Baltic Front.

"The war has come to our home, to our doorstep! I know what the war is … Let me introduce myself: I am a Siberian man from Taiga, Ivan Petrovich Lytkin.  During the war, I was a soldier, a front–line scout. I penetrated behind the enemy lines, capturing German soldiers. At the age of 18, I helped my people to defeat Nazism, while receiving three combat wounds. Today I say: I belong to that generation of the Soviet youth who celebrated their birthdays in trenches, who took the first flowers in our lives in order to lay them on the graves of the fallen comrades. The life met us with blood and death. Not only shoulder straps, but also the fate of our Motherland fell on our youthful shoulders. They trusted in us with the fate of Russia, and it looks like we did not let them down.

Today, the policy of the leadership of the United States of America and many European states reminds us of the methods and forms of communication with Russia that Hitler once used when he conquered many European countries, subjugation their armies and all the weapons before attacking the Soviet Union and going to Russia. This method is used today. Hitler's method is used by the US leadership. We must help our fellow Ukrainians to live freely and peacefully, in our neighborhood. Therefore, we decided to help, using the   armed means – to deploy troops into the territory of these two free Ukrainian regions (Donetsk and Lugansk regions). I fully agree with the decision of our leadership and this is what I am telling you, my friends!

My forty-year-long Army service has taken me through two wars. I appeal to you, to those who are going to the action today, first of all, defend our country. Defeat this evil that constantly is shelling and destroying our fraternal people. Why has America reached our borders? What does it want here? I'll tell you – you, overseas leaders, we will get you wherever you are, we will get you! Come to your senses and think, why are you here? We have a kind of weapon that you don't have! The time will come, and you will also have this weapon, but then we will not stand still. We will improve and update our weapons. I am quoting from the speech of our president. Our president said: "You may one day have it (the weapon), but you do not have such officers and soldiers that we have and will never have!". I totally agree with the above.  Therefore, I appeal to my friends, the Russian army, with a single plea: Please understand the inevitability of these fights You protect our homeland, you protect us! I am convinced, I am deeply convinced that you will defeat these evil spirits – Banderas, Nazis, and other dirty criminals that have settled there in Ukraine, and you will return home with the glory and victory. I wish you this Victory!"

P.S. The Spring is coming. I am sure the chestnut trees in Kiev will blossom again with a renewed vigor!

Recorded by Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Alexander Goncharov, Secretary of the organisation of the Russian Great Patriotic War Veterans and the group of volunteers.

1st March 2022                      Moscow