The remains of 27 fallen soldiers were reburied at the military cemetery in the village of Kholomerie, Gorodok District

At military cemetery No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerye of Viravlyanka rural council of the Horadok district, a landmark event took place – the reburial of the remains of 27 fallen soldiers.

This important event reminded us of the invaluable contribution of those who gave their lives in the name of peace and freedom. The Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, participated in the event.

Local residents, regional and district authorities, leaders of public associations and organizations gathered at the military cemetery to express their gratitude and appreciation for the self-sacrifice and courage of those who gave their lives in the name of our security. A minute of silence in honor of the fallen filled the air with bitter nostalgia and boundless pride.

In his address to the participants of the event, Vladimir Terentyev noted: “We are here to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the name of our freedom and peace. These soldiers, unknown to us, left an invaluable legacy – peace and freedom. Civilians, children, and the elderly fell victim to fascist oppression, but their sacrifice was not in vain, as we will certainly preserve the peace bequeathed to us.”

In mass grave No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerye, 1,491 servicemen are buried, including 14 partisans. In 1971, a monument was erected at the mass grave, and the remains of fallen warriors from 41 nearby settlements were reburied. The reburial of the remains was carried out with military honors and great respect for the fallen as a symbol of deep gratitude and respect for those who sacrificed their future so that the Motherland would be independent.

Vladimir Terentyev emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the fallen and their sacrifices, so that future generations could inherit the virtues of peace and freedom. His words that “the memory of their valor should always be with us” resonated as a call to preserve and pass on this spirit to future generations.

At the request of the Administration of the Republic of Mordovia of the Russian Federation, the remains of Guards Senior Sergeant Moskvichev S.F. were repatriated for reburial. Relatives of Moskvichev S.F. (nephew Evgeny Vitalievich Moskvichev from Yoshkar-Ola, Republic of Mordovia) participated in the ceremony, to whom the remains and personal belongings were handed over.

Guards Senior Sergeant of the 3rd Mortar Company Moskvichev S.F. was recommended for the award of the Medal “For Courage” in August 1943 for displaying courage and bravery in battles against the German-fascist invaders. In the battle for the village of Vetrovo (Oryol region), the crew commanded by Comrade Moskvichev destroyed 3 machine gun positions and up to 10 German soldiers and officers. Moskvichev S.F. died on the third day of the Gorodok offensive operation (12.13.1943 – 12.31.1943). From the combat log of the 83rd Guards Rifle Division for December 15–16, 1943: “The 83rd Guards Rifle Division broke the enemy’s resistance and during the day of December 15 captured 14 settlements of the Gorodok district, reaching the Obol River line. During the night of December 15–16, the enemy, with forces of 200 men and 13 tanks, counterattacked the 248th Guards Rifle Regiment (in which Moskvichev S.F. fought), resulting in pushing it back to the western edge of the forest, 1 km west of the village of Laptevka.”

On the same day, the remains of 6 Red Army soldiers were reburied at military cemetery No. 4372 in the village of Mekhovoye of Bykhichinsky Selsoviet. The remains were exhumed during search operations in the area of the village of Petrovo (formerly the village of Kholyavki) of Bykhichinsky Selsoviet. The names of two Red Army soldiers remain unknown, while approximate names have been established for three of the fallen. During the excavation, a dog tag bearing the name of Red Army soldier Pyotr Vasilyevich Ilyin, a native of the Yaroslavl region, was found. Red Army soldier Pyotr V. Ilyin, a gunner of the 556th Mortar Regiment of the 4th Shock Army, died in offensive battles on December 16, 1943, at the beginning of the Gorodok offensive operation, and was initially buried in the village of Kholyavki, then part of Mekhovoye District. Along with him, his comrades Anvar Suleymanov and Vasily Timofeyevich Bayanov, and Fyodor Andreyevich Agafontsev, died on that day. It is assumed that they were all buried together in a common grave. Their names are immortalized on the memorial stones of military burial site No. 4372 in the village of Mekhovoye of Bykhichinsky Selsoviet.

— We have gathered here to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the name of our freedom and security, said the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev in his address to the ceremony participants. — These soldiers left us an incredible legacy – freedom and peace, which we have the honor to experience and preserve today.

At the military cemetery in Mekhoevo village, 815 servicemen are buried, including two Heroes of the Soviet Union: Captain Ivan Nikolaevich Antonov, commander of a tank company (killed on 16.12.1943), and Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Martynovich Rudyk, commander of a tank company (killed on 16.12.1943). In 1959, a monument was erected at the cemetery, and the remains of fallen soldiers from 59 nearby villages were reburied. In 1989, the cemetery underwent reconstruction.

Search operations in Petrovo (Kholyavki) village were conducted by representatives of the Vitebsk Regional Historical-Patriotic Search Club "Plamya" (chairman Lykholat M. A.), students of the search, research, and patriotic detachment "Poisk" from Secondary School No. 1 in Polotsk, cadets of the Polotsk Cadet School, and Ruslan Stelmakh, a student of Bychikhina Secondary School named after I. Antonov. All participants of the search operations will take part in the ceremony and will be awarded certificates of appreciation from the Chairman of the Gorodok District Executive Committee.

Relatives of Pyotr Ilyin have been found; they reside in the city of Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Federation. The grandson and great-grandson of the Red Army soldier participated in the reburial ceremony of the remains. They were handed the medallion of their deceased relative.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by