February 15 is the day of remembrance of the soldiers of the internationalists history. Remembrance Day of Internationalist Warriors (February 15) in Russia
In the 20th century there were many so-called local conflicts. Our soldiers were participants in the events near Lake Khasan (1938), near the Khalkhin-Gol River (1939), the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-40)
The Second World War and the Great Patriotic War were not the last in which the Soviet Union and then Russia had to take part.
Almost immediately after the end of World War II, one after another, armed conflicts began around the world: the Civil War in China, then Korea, the crisis in Hungary. And then our soldiers were almost everywhere: Laos, Vietnam, Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Mozambique, Angola, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, the Soviet-Chinese conflict on Damansky Island (March 1969) - it seemed that there were no places on the world map where it was impossible meet our soldiers.
Since 1979, the Afghan war has become the most terrible for our country after the Great Patriotic War.
From 1979 to 1989, about 850 thousand citizens of the USSR took part in the hostilities on the territory of the Republic of Afghanistan. Privates, officers, generals with honor, and often at the cost of their own lives, carried out the order of the Motherland. On the territory of Afghanistan, our servicemen and civilian specialists not only fought, but also built roads, schools, hospitals, provided humanitarian and medical assistance to the local population. We remember the feat of the soldiers who, despite the mortal danger, sought to bring peace and tranquility to the Afghan land.
After 21 years, this day, already in a completely different country, became the Day of Remembrance for Russians who performed their duty outside the Fatherland.
The era of wars and conflicts did not end after the collapse of the USSR: Yugoslavia, Tajikistan, Chechnya, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Syria... Again and again the blood of our guys was shed.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, since 1946, more than one and a half million Soviet and Russian citizens have taken part in more than 30 armed conflicts in Asia, Africa, Latin America, 25,000 Russians have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Every time, remembering the oath and obeying the duty, our soldiers and officers found themselves and find themselves where they are needed.
Hot spots showed that our guys are worthy of the heroism of their fathers and grandfathers who defeated fascism during the Great Patriotic War.
In these February days, we pay tribute to those who honorably fulfilled their military duty far from their homeland. We bow our heads before the blessed memory of those whose lives were cut short in "hot spots", before the courage of those who survived.
Today we highly appreciate the role of internationalist soldiers in strengthening harmony in society, educating the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, steadfastness and service to the Fatherland.
We thank you for your courage and steadfastness, your principled and responsible civic position, for everything you are doing today for the benefit of our great country - Russia.
This day is remembered to us forever,
Tears roll though sometimes.
Glory to the dead and glory to the living!
You are our pride, an example to young people!
As long as we remember the past, we have a future
Russians celebrate this date every year - February 15, the day of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. IN 1989 the government of the Soviet Union finally withdrew a limited contingent of troops from the territory of this state. This terrible war, which was silent at first, brought grief and pain to many families.
Almost a decade
The Afghan war for the Soviet people lasted ten years. For our military, it began in December 25, 1979 I when the first soldiers were thrown into Afghanistan. Then the newspapers did not write about it, and the soldiers serving in Afghanistan were forbidden to tell their relatives where they were and what they were doing. And only in 1989, on February 15, did the Soviet troops finally leave the territory of this eastern country. It was a real holiday for our country.
In a terrible and bloody war, a bold point was put. And in the Soviet Union, and later in the Russian Federation and the states - the former republics of the Land of Soviets, they began to celebrate February 15th. The day of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is not only an occasion to pay tribute to the memory of those who died in that terrible war. This is also a sign that it is necessary to take care of those who went through a senseless and useless war that lasted almost 3 thousand 340 days. Longer than the Great Patriotic War.
Our losses
Since then, every year on February 15 - the Day of Remembrance of the soldiers who died in the Afghan war, is celebrated at the state level in all the republics of the former Soviet Union, whose citizens died in Afghanistan. And the losses in this senseless battle were considerable. Cargo-200 has become familiar to many cities of the Soviet Union. More 15 thousand our guys in the prime of their lives died in Afghanistan. At the same time, the Soviet Army suffered the greatest losses. Died on the fronts and went missing 14 427 Human. Also listed as dead 576 people who served in the State Security Committee and 28 employees of the Ministry of the Interior. February 15 is the Day of Remembrance for these guys, about those who met their last hour in the distant Afghan land, who did not have time to say goodbye to their mothers and loved ones.
Many servicemen returned from that war with poor health. According to official statistics, more than53 thousandHuman. They celebrate February 15 every year. The Day of the Internationalist Warrior is an opportunity to meet with fellow soldiers, with those with whom they shared the soldier's rations and hid from heavy fire in the gorges, with whom they went on reconnaissance and fought against the "spirits".
Hundreds of thousands of missing Afghans
The inhabitants of Afghanistan also suffered huge losses during this war. There are still no official statistics on this matter. But, as the Afghans themselves say, during the hostilities, hundreds of thousands of their compatriots died from bullets and shells, many went missing. But the worst thing is that huge losses among the civilian population happened precisely after our troops left. Today in this country there are about 800 thousand disabled people who were injured during the Afghan war.
Difficulties of care
February 15, the Day of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, is celebrated as a public holiday in Russia and other former Soviet republics. Still, for mothers and fathers, there was nothing better than knowing that their son would not be sent to serve in Afghanistan. However, in 1989, when the troops were withdrawn, the military leadership experienced great difficulties. On the one hand, the Mujahideen resisted in every possible way. Knowing that February 15 (the day of the withdrawal of Soviet troops) is the final date, they stepped up military operations. They wanted to show the whole world how Soviet soldiers flee, how they leave their wounded and dead. They fired indiscriminately to prove their superiority.
On the other hand, the Kabul leadership was well aware that without the help of the Soviet army, the country would have a very difficult time, and also prevented the withdrawal of troops by certain actions. Some public figures in the Soviet Union itself reacted ambiguously to the idea of withdrawing troops. They believed that after so many years of war it was impossible to capitulate and leave without victory. It equated to defeat. But only those who never hid from bullets, never lost comrades, could argue like that.
As Boris Gromov, commander of the 40th Army in Afghanistan, recalls, no one needed this war. It gave absolutely nothing to our country, except for colossal human losses and great grief. This date - February 15, the Day of Afghanistan, has become truly tragic for our country. But at the same time, on this February day, the final point was put in this senseless ten-year war.
Holiday with tears
February 15, Day of the Afghan - solemn and sad, he always passes with tears in his eyes and with pain in his heart. The mothers of those who did not return from the Afghan war are still alive. Standing in the parade are men who were boys in those years and did not understand at all what they were fighting for. Many remained of those who returned from that war not only with crippled souls, but also with inverted destinies.
Our people sacredly honor the feat of those who carried out the state order, risking their lives and health. This war is our pain and our tragedy. Every year, February 15 is a day of remembrance for those who gave their military duty without betraying the oath. Eternal memory to the fallen Heroes of the Afghan war!
Our compatriots are internationalist soldiers who fell in battle
In memory of our fallen compatriots
We light the extinguished candles.
Let them straighten their dim light
All participants tired shoulders.
A generation that did not know the war,
We accept your pain as our own.
So that there is no more trouble
We light a candle today.
Gastratov Gastrat Magomedovich- private, gunner-operator of the BMP.
Born on April 19, 1965 in Makhachkala, Dagestan ASSR. Studied at the Saratov Law Institute. He was drafted into the Armed Forces of the USSR on July 1, 1984 by the Oktyabrsky RVC of Saratov. He served in the Republic of Afghanistan from December 1984. Participated in 8 military operations. In a combat situation, he acted bravely and confidently.
Killed in action January 29, 1986. For courage and courage he was awarded the Order of the Red Star (posthumously). Buried in the village. Kulzeb Kizilyurt district of the Republic of Dagestan.
Shaposhnikov Alexander Vladimirovich- private, mechanic-repairman of the department of the engineering-airfield battalion.
Born on July 18, 1966 in the city of Kizilyurt, Dagestan ASSR. He studied at the North Caucasian Mining and Metallurgical Institute in Ordzhonikidze. He was drafted into the Armed Forces of the USSR on October 26, 1984 by the Industrial RVC Ordzhonikidze. He served in the Republic of Afghanistan from February 1985.
Press service of the administration of Kizilyurt
February 15 - Day of Remembrance for Russians who performed their duty outside the Fatherland is an official historical memorial date in the Russian Federation, designed to honor the memory of internationalist soldiers who performed their international duty outside the borders of their Motherland. Another name for the holiday is the Day of Remembrance of the Internationalist Warriors.
On February 15, 1989, the last column of Soviet troops was withdrawn from Afghanistan. It was on this day that the commander of the 40th Army, Lieutenant General B.V. Gromov was the last of the limited contingent of Soviet troops to cross the bridge over the Amu Darya, which separated the USSR and Afghanistan. The war, which lasted more than 9 years, through which more than 700 thousand Soviet military personnel went through, ended.
Unfortunately, Russia lost more than fourteen thousand officers and soldiers in this military conflict. Thousands of servicemen of Russia and the Soviet Union died in armed conflicts in other countries.
The war broke the lives of many young men. But, in spite of everything, they honestly fulfilled their civic duty given to the fatherland, remained faithful to the oath to the end. "Hot spots" proudly showed that our guys are worthy of the heroism of their fathers and grandfathers, who defeated fascism during the Great Patriotic War.
We share all the pain of loss with those who lost their relatives and friends, their husbands and children in this war, and we also pay tribute to all the participants in those events.
Afghan war 1979-1989
The war of the communist government of Afghanistan and the Soviet troops invading the country against Islamic rebels. After the Second World War, Afghanistan, which had the status of a neutral state, was actually in the sphere of Soviet influence. Cooperation with the USSR was very close. A large number of Soviet specialists were constantly in the country, and many Afghans studied at Soviet universities.
In 1973, the monarchy was overthrown in Afghanistan. As a result of the coup, the brother of the last king, Zakir Shah, Mohammed Daud, came to power, establishing a presidential dictatorship. The regime change had no effect on relations with the USSR. But the overthrow and murder of Daoud during the coup on April 27-28, 1978 by military units loyal to the pro-communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) became the prologue to the many years of bloody war that continues in Afghanistan to this day. The Soviet side did not directly participate in the coup, but the military advisers who were in the country knew about its preparation, but did not receive orders to warn Daoud. On the contrary, the KGB representatives made it clear to the leaders of the coup that, if successful, recognition and assistance were guaranteed. The PDPA was a small party of the intelligentsia. In addition, it split into two warring factions: Khalq (People) and Parcham (Banner). Hyp poet Mohammed Taraki, the leader of Khalq, who became president, began intensive transformations in the country. Islam ceased to be the state religion, women were allowed to take off their veils and were admitted to education.
A campaign to eliminate illiteracy, agrarian reform, and the beginning of collectivization were proclaimed. All this caused discontent among the Muslim clergy and nobility. Afghan society, with the exception of a thin layer of townspeople, remained essentially feudal and was not ready for radical transformations. Among the main population - the Pashtuns, the tribal structure was still preserved, and the leaders of the tribes were especially influential. Islam was declared a religion reflecting only the interests of the "exploiting classes", terror was unleashed against the clergy.
>It was no better for the Pashtun tribes, whom they tried to disarm (traditionally, all Pashtuns carried weapons), and deprive the tribal elite of power and even destroy it. The peasants refused the land allotments they were given, because they did not have the means to cultivate them, and the state was not able to provide these funds. Since the summer of 1978, supporters of Islamic fundamentalism, who had fought against Daoud, began to offer armed resistance to the new government. They were joined by the militias of the Pashtun tribes. By that time, Taraki's relations with the Parchamists had escalated, many of whom were executed. On December 5, 1978, the Soviet-Afghan Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation was concluded, providing for mutual assistance of the parties in repelling an external threat. Gradually, the Taraki administration, despite the terror, increasingly lost control over the country. There are about 2 million Afghan refugees in neighboring Pakistan. In connection with the failures, relations between the president and the second person in the Khalq faction, Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin, who enjoyed influence in the army, sharply worsened.
Amin was a more decisive leader and tried to strengthen the weakening power by looking for allies among various social and ethnic groups (both Amin and Taraki were Pashtuns).
But Moscow decided to bet on Taraki and advised him to eliminate the opponent. The Kremlin hoped to find in Afghanistan a springboard for a rush to the Indian Ocean. Pashtun and Baluch tribes related to the Afghans lived in neighboring Pakistan, and the leaders of the PDPA made territorial claims to their neighbor, hoping to occupy most of Pakistani territory with the support of the USSR. General D.A. Volkogonov recalled that on September 8, 1978, in the presidential palace, Taraki's guards tried to kill Amin, but only his bodyguard died. Amin survived, raised the faithful units of the Kabul garrison and removed Taraki. Soon the unlucky president was strangled. Amin stepped up the terror, but did not reach the goal. They decided to remove him. Both Taraki and Amin repeatedly turned to the USSR with a request to send troops to Afghanistan.
It was about small units, designed, in particular, to provide protection for Afghan leaders and help conduct operations against Mujahideen rebels. The Kremlin decided otherwise. On December 12, 1979, the Politburo approved the elimination of Amin and the subsequent entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. KGB agents slipped poison into Amin's food. An unsuspecting Soviet doctor pulled the dictator literally from the other world.
Then a special group of the KGB "Alpha" went into action. Its fighters, along with the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate, freely arrived in the Afghan capital, allegedly to protect Amin, and on the night of December 27, 1979, stormed the presidential palace on the outskirts of Kabul, destroying Amin along with his family, close associates and several dozen guards. Later, TASS announced that the dictator had been killed by "healthy forces of the Afghan revolution."
The next morning, Soviet troops began to arrive in Kabul. Their arrival was justified by external aggression against Afghanistan, expressed in the support of Afghan rebels by Pakistan, Iran, China and the United States, and urgent requests from the "legitimate Afghan authorities." There is a problem with the legality. After all, before the Soviet invasion, the "legitimate power" was Amin, who was posthumously declared a CIA agent. It turned out that he himself invited his death, and besides, he was "not quite legal", since he had to be eliminated and urgently replaced by the leader of the Parcham faction, Babrak Karmal, who returned in the convoy of Soviet troops. Soviet propaganda was never able to clearly explain to the world community who exactly invited our "limited contingent", whose number at times reached 120 thousand people. On the other hand, rumors spread in the USSR that Soviet soldiers were only a few hours ahead of the American landing force, which was supposed to land in Kabul (although there were no US troops or bases a thousand miles from Afghanistan) In connection with the entry of Soviet Army units into Afghanistan in Moscow an anecdote was born. "What should the Tatar-Mongol yoke be called now? - The introduction of a limited contingent of Tatar-Mongolian troops into Rus' to protect against the Lithuanian threat." The limited contingent could not change the situation in the country, although by the beginning of 1980 there were 50 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers in the country, and in the second half of the year the contingent reached its maximum strength.
The majority of the population perceived Karmal as a puppet sitting on Soviet bayonets. The Afghan government army, melting from desertion, held only the capital and provincial centers with Soviet support. The rebels controlled the countryside, which was mountainous and inaccessible. The Mujahideen received help from the Pashtun tribes of Pakistan, and it was almost impossible to block the Afghan-Pakistani border, which was a conditional line on rough terrain with many mountain paths. Fleeing from the war, more than 4 million refugees went to Pakistan and Iran. As a rule, the Mujahideen did not succeed and disappeared into the mountains. The Soviet 40th Army suffered losses. The rebels fired on Soviet transports, attacked small detachments and garrisons. Some groups, in particular, the army of the Tajik field commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, which was concentrating in the Panjshir Valley, fought successfully against entire Soviet divisions, which repeatedly tried to destroy the "Panjshir lion".
By the mid-1980s, the futility of the Soviet military presence in Afghanistan became obvious. In 1985, after the arrival of Gorbachev, Karmal was replaced by the former head of the security service, Dr. Najibullah, who had a reputation as a cruel but sly man, representing the larger Khalq faction. He tried to find support for the regime both among part of the Pashtun tribes and among the peoples of the north.
Here, however, he could rely only on the Uzbek division of General Rashid Dostum. The Kabul government was completely dependent on Soviet military and food aid. The United States stepped up assistance to the rebels by supplying them with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Several planes and helicopters were shot down and absolute Soviet air supremacy was called into question.
It became clear that it was necessary to leave Afghanistan On April 14, 1988, an agreement was signed in Geneva between Afghanistan, Pakistan, the USSR and the USA on a political settlement. It was announced that the Soviet troops would leave the country.
On February 15, 1989, the commander of a limited contingent, General Boris Gromov, was the last to cross the Pyanj border river. According to official figures, the losses of Soviet troops in Afghanistan amounted to 14,433 military personnel and 20 civilians dead, 298 missing, 54,000 wounded and 416,000 sick.
There are also higher estimates of Soviet losses of 35, 50, 70 and 140 thousand dead. Afghan casualties, mostly among the civilian population, were much higher. Many villages were razed to the ground by aircraft, and the inhabitants were shot as hostages for the actions of partisans. Sometimes they talk about a million dead Afghans, but no one accurately counted the Afghan losses. After the withdrawal of troops, the Soviet side continued to provide massive military assistance to Najibul-le Gorbachev said: “It is important that this regime and all its cadres are not swept to the ground .. We cannot be brought before the world in panties or even without them..." After the August putsch and the collapse of the USSR, the denouement came. In March 1992, Dostum rebelled against Najibullah, who had lost Soviet support, and occupied Kabul.
The former dictator took refuge in the UN mission. A war began in Afghanistan between various ethnic and political groups, previously united by the struggle against the pro-Soviet regime. It continues to this day. In 1996, the Taliban, led by madrasah students and relying on the Pashtun population, occupied Kabul. Najibullah was captured in the mission premises and hanged. In early 2000, the Taliban controlled 90 percent of the territory of Afghanistan, with the exception of the Panjshir Valley and some areas adjacent to it with a predominantly Tajik population. In an offensive launched in the fall of 2000, the Taliban took control of virtually the entire country, with the exception of a few interior enclaves and a narrow border strip in some northern areas.
In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a solemn meeting dedicated to the "Day of Remembrance of the Internationalist Warriors", where he said the following:
“Everything was tested in the Afghan war - everything that a person is capable of, that he is able to withstand. Our “Afghans” know and remember this: they had to take a sip of suffering, and grief, and despair, and difficulties. They fought in a foreign country, and their own people knew practically nothing about the causes of this war, or about its goals, or even about the courage and exploits of our soldiers and officers. Moreover, many who returned from that war were sometimes met in their homeland with misunderstanding, indifference, and even condemnation. And, of course, people asked: why? Few really cared about the crippled fate of our "Afghans", their physical wounds and mental anguish. And most often they themselves had to find a place for themselves in life - politicians were busy with their own affairs ... to everyone who went through Afghanistan, to everyone who went through the trials of Afghanistan, I want to wish you and your families health, success and prosperity.”
Over the course of a long history, the soldiers of our country have repeatedly had to enter the territory of various countries. Such operations differed in purpose and scale, but the fighters confidently carried out the tasks assigned to them. Most people do not know the names of the internationalist warriors who defended the interests of the state in different parts of the world, many of them never managed to return home. Therefore, there is a special day when citizens pay tribute to the courage of these warriors. It is celebrated on the fifteenth of February.
history of the holiday
Over 14,000 Soviet soldiers died on foreign soil, 6,000 subsequently died from wounds and diseases, and 311 people went missing. These were the biggest losses of the Soviet Army since the Great Patriotic War. Time separates us from those events. A mighty power, whose interests were defended in distant Afghanistan by thousands of Belarusians, has disappeared. However, the memory of the war still echoes with pain in the hearts of mothers, fathers, widows, children of those guys who were returning home with "cargo-200".
The date of the holiday is timed to coincide with the departure of Soviet troops from the territory of Afghanistan. It was on this day in 1989 that Lieutenant General Boris Gromov, head of the 40th Army, crossed the Amu Darya River. Thanks to his initiative, this memorable date appeared. Afghanistan became the country where the USSR suffered heavy losses.
The date acquired official status in 2010 after the release of the relevant law, although they began to celebrate it almost immediately after the Soviet troops returned home. This day unites the soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and participants in three dozen armed conflicts that took place after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The fighters bravely maintained order in Korea, Vietnam, Angola, Syria and many other states.
The Day of Remembrance of Russians who performed their official duties outside the Fatherland is celebrated annually on February 15. It was on this day, February 15, 1989, that the last column of Soviet troops left Afghanistan.
Afghanistan... This is 10 years of survival in harsh conditions, leaving for life the pain of loss, names that no one will respond to, and sadness that they are afraid to break with memories. This is another unhealed wound in the heart of people and our land.
The Afghan war became a fact of biography and an unforgettable echo of memories for my interlocutor Sergei Khomutov, who in the summer of 1979, by special recruitment, got into service in the city of Chirchik, which is located near Tashkent, in a separate airborne assault battalion of the special forces of the Airborne Forces. A tall, strong young fellow, he, like no one else, was suitable for such a service. There was not a single countryman with him, but there were many guys from Smolensk, Kursk, Astrakhan, Samara.
After 4 months in training on the night of November 15, their battalion was alerted and urgently transported by helicopter to Turkmenistan, the village. Sandykachi. Upon arrival, the soldiers saw endless sands with saxaul growing everywhere and the “Afghan” constantly blowing dry, baking wind, which did not allow breathing, clogging the lungs with sandy dust. Here they stayed until the new year, and on January 2, 1980, at 4 o'clock in the morning, a colonel from Moscow flew to them and read out an order before the formation - to go to Afghanistan. Little did they know then that their political leader Hafizullah Amim had been assassinated shortly before, and the Russian government had decided to send a limited contingent of troops into Afghanistan. Helicopters with three companies of paratroopers flew over Salang, a strategic pass in the Hindu Kush mountains, and landed in the city of Shindand.
“I was one of the first Soviet soldiers who entered the Afghan land,- recalls Sergei. - To be honest, we had no idea where we were and what we had to do. Perhaps that is why there was no fear. Soon we were transferred straight to Kandahar, where there were already several Russian advisers. The foreign land greeted us unkindly, pouring heavy rain with a biting wind, which was a common occurrence here for this time of year. Almost instantly we were soaked to the skin, and were very happy to check into tents, though not very comfortable, but sheltering from bad weather. Briefly explained the main task - to protect the airfield. A couple of days later, the first large planes began to land there, which brought diesel fuel, technical equipment, but the food left much to be desired. At the end of February, it became warm, everything turned green, but, not having time to enjoy the surrounding beauty, we, as part of the capture group, were transferred to the highlands, where, after a pleasant warmth, we were literally burned by a fifteen-degree frost. They settled, one might say, in a “box”, where there was nothing but walls, they slept on the cement floor, covered with existing uniforms. At night in the mountains we had to make our way to the touch, it was dark, cold and very dangerous, because there were constant skirmishes with dushmans. On March 15, I celebrated my birthday here, and after 5 days we again ended up in Kandahar, where we saw a completely scorched earth.”
It was here that our hero stayed until the end of his service, and during this time he managed to go through a lot. Any war brings death, losses, and it was very painful when the guys with whom you had already become related during the service left. Sergei will never forget the "black" date - February 6, 1981, which is etched into his memory forever. On that ill-fated day in the area of the city of Nagahan, they blocked the gang of spirits and began combing. But the enemy, who outnumbered them by one and a half times, and having a huge arsenal of weapons, fiercely resisted. Three times the battalion tried to knock out the dushmans from their familiar point, showing desperate courage, but the forces were not equal. And already during the retreat to the base, our guys literally fell under a flurry of fire. A battle began again, in which many soldiers and five officers died at once, including the commander of Sergei's company, who was mortally wounded. It seemed that the commanders had just directed the battle, and now their lifeless bodies were lying on the ground. Everyone was shocked, but the bandits did not go unpunished, a little later, when reinforcements arrived, the soldiers poured out all their anger on the enemies, destroying them with merciless mortar fire.
War always shows in people both the best qualities and the dark side of the soul. To be honest, different people came across in those years in the army, including those who held leadership positions, but there were still more good people. Sergey will never forget his battalion commander Ivan Selivanov who was like a father to him. He will always cheer up, inquire about health, about the house, give practical advice, and, at times, save him from a stray bullet. “In general, in war, nothing is more valued than friendship, - says Sergey . - Guys from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus served with me, and we all really became related. There was no hazing, on the contrary, they always felt each other's elbow, knew that in a dangerous situation, any of them would come to the rescue.
Sergey often flew on an airplane, at the helm of which a real ace in his field worked - a pilot from God. He caused wild fear among the spirits, who immediately recognized him by the "handwriting" of the flight and, seeing him from afar, fled in horror in different directions. To be honest, they could be understood, because the pilot was planning so low above the ground that there were no more than four meters left before it, and the paratroopers almost point-blank shot at the caravans of bandits, leaving no chance for salvation. Soon, the virtuoso pilot was transferred to Ethiopia, where some kind of turmoil also began, and they did not see each other again, but Sergey still remembers this man. As, however, about other comrades-in-arms, who still dream of him in a dream. He does not regret at all that he had to go through Afghanistan, and if even now he were told again: "Necessary!" he would answer: "Eat"!
After serving in the army, Sergei, after graduating from the institute, worked as a veterinarian in Zhuravlevka, chief livestock specialist, and later as deputy director of the state selection experimental station, now he works for IP Vizitiv. He has a strong friendly family, two children and three grandchildren, and this, according to Sergey, is the greatest happiness. Every year on February 15, he meets with his countryman Vasily Krivorotov, who also visited the Afghan hell to honor the memory of all the internationalist soldiers who at different times happened to fulfill their military duty.
A conversation with Sergei Khomutov once again showed that the heroes are ordinary people whom the war taught to appreciate life, and they try to live this life with dignity. These are the heroes of our time. There are many of them, and they are with us. It's worth taking a look.