The same night my uncles Dmitry, Ivan and Petr
came to say good bye to us. The next day, June 23, 1941 they were leaving the
village to join the military training and then join the acting Soviet army.
In the morning two of my uncles had to go for registration
and have their small bag (with some food and clothes) ready.
All the men were told that they
would leave the village immediately for military training.
We had simple dinner together, and my uncles
hugged my brother and me and told me to grow big.
They left at midnight.
My brother told me secretly that he would go to
army too.
In the morning my father and my brother went to
register in the army.
The place where the registration was full of
people, everyone from our village came, even very old people, everyone wanted
to join the army.
My uncles already signed up and were waiting
for the truck to go to the train station.
My mother’s brother Dmitry (uncle Mitia) went
to the war in June 1941.
My father’s brothers Ivan and Petr (uncle Vania
and uncle Petia) went in June 1941.
My father was signed for the forest army
division.
My brother Sasha was too young to go to the
army, he was not 18 years old yet.
All young men from 18 to 35 years old were
taken for military training. Only older men joined the labor military
divisions.
Many young women wanted to go too, but only
women with medical degree or any technical degree were allowed to join the
army.
