The Russian Ministry of Defense has launched the project "On distant frontiers, with the Motherland in the heart"
MOSCOW, Feb 15 – RIA Novosti. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has launched a new multimedia historical project "On distant Frontiers, with the Motherland in the heart" for the Day of Remembrance of Russians who performed their official duties outside the Fatherland. The project published archival documents on the work of the Soviet military in Korea, Germany, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
"The project published documents from the funds of the Central Archive of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Among them are award materials of Soviet soldiers, operational maps, combat orders and reports. These documents highlight issues of military and humanitarian assistance to friendly nations, tell about the exploits of our compatriots in Korea, Germany, Vietnam and Afghanistan," the ministry noted.
The Day of Remembrance of Russians who performed official duties outside the Fatherland was approved in 2010 and is celebrated annually on February 15 – on this day in 1989, the last unit of Soviet troops returned from Afghanistan.
As the ministry emphasizes, in the post-war years of the 20th century, our compatriots, risking their lives, showing courage and heroism, continued to defend the interests of the Motherland outside the country. "They fought in the skies over the Korean Peninsula, preserved post-war peace on the Elbe and Oder, participated in repelling the US aggression against Vietnam, and helped the Afghan people restore peaceful life. With their selfless service, they have become a model for today's generation of defenders of the Fatherland, who, continuing their traditions, carry out combat missions abroad," the Ministry of Defense notes.
The section contains orders, memos of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, award lists, diagrams, maps.
In particular, the order of the commander of the 40th Army dated July 2, 1986 on the establishment of patronage over orphanages in Afghanistan was published. As indicated in the document, a network of orphanages of the Watan system was created in Afghanistan at that time to educate the younger generation of local residents. The order prescribes to assign orphanages to the relevant units, divisions and institutions of the Soviet army.
Another order for the 40th army tells about the fight against gangs, negotiations with tribes, sending convoys with material assistance.
Award lists are given, telling about the exploits of Soviet soldiers during the Afghan war. In particular, the award list of Lieutenant Sergei Amosov was published, who on May 16, 1983 in Kunar province, leading a group of 16 fighters, covered the passage of his battalion through the gorge. Amosov's platoon killed up to 70 rebels. All of the platoon died, with the exception of the wounded Private Prokhorenko, who was saved by Amosov.
The documents on the Korean war, which lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, tell about the struggle of Soviet anti-aircraft gunners and pilots with the assault and fighter aircraft of the United States.
Thus, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 10, 1951, eight Soviet pilots were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. One of the most effective was Guard Captain Sergei Kramarenko. There are also descriptions of combat episodes during which anti-aircraft units of the Soviet Army destroyed American aircraft.
The section contains award lists for the pilot and navigator of the Yak-28P fighter-interceptor Boris Kapustin and Yuri Yanov from the Group of Soviet Troops in Germany. At the cost of their lives, they took the crashed plane away from the residential buildings of Berlin.
According to the document, on April 6, 1966, they flew from Finov airfield to Keten airfield. In flight at an altitude of 4000 meters, the Yak-28P aircraft's engine failed, and it began to fall on a densely populated area of west Berlin.
"Captain Kapustin B. V. and Senior Lieutenant Yanov V. N. had the opportunity to leave the plane and land on parachutes. However, they did not do this, with great effort they turned the plane towards the lake, where they themselves died. Captain Kapustin B.V. and Senior Lieutenant Yanov Yu.N. deliberately sacrificed their lives to prevent the possible death of residents of West Berlin, while showing courage and bravery," according to a memo from the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Matvey Zakharov.
The documents on the Vietnam War tell about the role played by Soviet citizens in the victory of the Vietnamese people. In particular, the memorandum of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko, dated April 13, 1968, testifies: "Military specialists located in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam provide great assistance to the command of the Vietnamese People's Army in mastering military equipment supplied by the Soviet Union, take a direct and active part in repelling American air raids on the facilities of the DRV… With the direct participation of Soviet military specialists, 1,066 American aircraft were shot down in 1967 alone."
The Soviet people were proud that they had provided so much assistance to Vietnam and wanted to sign up as volunteers. The section contains a report dated April 12, 1965 by the Chief of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy. "In connection with the aggressive actions of the United States in Vietnam and the protests of the Soviet people against the atrocities of American imperialism on Vietnamese soil, military personnel of our Armed Forces are receiving requests to send them as volunteers to Vietnam to help the people of this country … In total, 76,884 people expressed a desire to go to Vietnam as volunteers," the document says.
As noted in the Ministry of Defense, it was not always possible to protect the interests of the Motherland only through diplomacy: In different regions of the world, numerous local wars and armed conflicts were fomented by ideological opponents, to which the country's leadership was forced to respond.
"By helping fraternal peoples to repel aggression, forcing the parties to peace, Soviet servicemen fulfilled their international duty while in Asia, Europe and Africa. Their traditions in the conditions of the modern military-political situation are carried by today's defenders of the Fatherland, who continue to carry out tasks at the farthest and hottest borders selflessly defending the interests of their country," the ministry noted.