Since 1964, the Day of the Young Anti-Fascist Hero has been celebrated around the world. It was approved by the UN International Assembly in honor of the guys who died at an anti-fascist rally in 1962: fifteen-year-old Parisian Daniel Feri and Iraqi fighter against violence in his country Fadil Jamal, who died from torture in a prison in Baghdad in 1963.
Both boys died on February 8, one year apart. And 21 years earlier, similar tragedies occurred in different countries of the world on this very day. In France, five brave underground boys from Paris were tortured. In the Soviet Union, participants in the Krasnodon organization Young Guard were shot
It was these fateful coincidences that served as the day on February 8 and became Memorial Day for the young anti-fascist hero.
Memorial Day of the young anti-fascist hero (February 8)
The war has a childish face - everyone knows that. But how many know how many times children and war intersected?
On February 8, Russia recalls Soviet boys and girls who, shoulder to shoulder with adults, defended the country during the Great Patriotic War.
There were so many of these young heroes that memory could not save all the names. Famous and unknown little heroes of the Great War, they fought in thousands and died on the fronts and in the occupation. They fired from one trench: adult soldiers and yesterday's schoolchildren. They blew up bridges, columns with fascist armored vehicles, covered their comrades with their breasts.
They became fearless underground, committing dangerous sabotage and helping to shelter wounded soldiers. Every day they risked their lives, and not everyone managed to survive in a meat grinder of a terrible war.
And on land, and at sea, and above the clouds ...
Pioneers and Komsomol members, urban and rural, these boys and girls all over the world glorified the heroism and unbending courage of the Soviet people. Young patriots smashed the enemy both on land, and at sea, and in the air.
Twelve-year-old Boris Kuleshin since 1942 fought in the Black Sea Fleet, in the destroyer "Tashkent". During air raids, the boy brought shells to the guns, and during the lull he looked after the wounded.
Arkady Kamanin - the famous "flyer", at the age of 14 he was appointed to the post of pilot of the 423rd air squadron. He fought on the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, on the Kalinin front. Before reaching adulthood, the young warrior was twice awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Red Banner.
Leonid Golikov, scout of the partisan detachment, which operated in the Pskov and Novgorod regions, participated in more than 20 battles, and was awarded many orders and medals for courage and bravery. Lenya received the highest distinction posthumously, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Little heroes of the big war
It is impossible to list all of our early adult soldiers of World War II. But at the mere thought of what they accomplished in the name of victory in their 12-17 years, pride for the country that raised such "eagles" is overwhelming.
Bitterness burns our hearts from the awareness of how short their lives were, how absurd to die at the age of 14, and not having time to grow up. It seems that nowhere in world history has such a mass heroism of children and adolescents been recorded as in Soviet Russia during the Great Patriotic War.
On February 8, the feast of the young anti-fascist hero, the whole world will freeze in a single sigh about the heroically dead boys and girls. They lived in different countries, spoke different languages, but performed the same feat - they fought for the liberation of their land.
To remember ...
In order that new children who do not know the horrors of war, do not forget about the great deeds of their peers, schools widely cover this day. In order to educate patriotism, love and pride for their people, teachers on this day try to convey to the children the whole truth about past events. They strive to provide as much historical information as possible about the days of the great battles and the unparalleled courage of the little heroes of the great war.
In schools, teachers spend a class hour on the topic “Memorial Day of the Young Anti-Fascist Hero”, prepare and think out a lesson plan in advance, prepare the necessary material. Children learn about how they lived, fought and died in the name of freedom and independence, those who went to fight the enemy, not finishing the 5th grade.
Students learn the names and surnames of their peers who died on the battlefields. They learn about young partisan scouts tortured in the occupation, who even went to execution with their heads held high.
To the sensation
Such events contribute to the upbringing of feelings among the younger generation, introduce the history of the country and the events of the past war, as well as nurture compassion, a sense of justice, responsibility for everything that happens in the world. Using the example of young heroes, children learn that they must be able to sacrifice their interests, and sometimes their lives, in order to save the one who is nearby.
To break through indifference and make children empathize with young heroes, admire their exploit - this is the main task for events such as Memorial Day of the young anti-fascist hero. The school’s library organizes various thematic exhibitions dedicated to memorable dates. The library, with its atmosphere of silence, disciplines children, makes them listen with interest to events and tipping points in the history of our country.
Lessons to Know by Heart
Memorial Day of the young anti-fascist hero must remain one of the most important and at the same time the most sad days in the history of our country. Knowing your history well means not making mistakes of the past in the future.
Every person, adult or child, must know when the Day of Remembrance of the young anti-fascist hero began to be honored by the whole world. We must not forget this date - February 8th. This is a salute to the past to all known and unknown heroes, this is a bell for the tragically dead boys and girls from different countries.
Our memory is a tribute that we must bring to all the children of the “war”, who shoulder the burden of children. Those who have completely fulfilled their duty to protect the country from the deadly fascist infection. Those who did not give up, did not back down, did not let go of the machine. This is a day of remembrance of the heroes and victims of a monstrous crime, whose name is war.
The music of forgotten voices and unforgettable names
We live in peacetime, absorbed in our petty daily worries and problems. We never seriously allow the thought of the possibility of a repetition of the catastrophe of the 40s.
It seems to us that the world has matured over these decades and wiser that the world community will not allow new military upheavals. Although, who knows ... It seems that people tend to forget history, and this is always fraught with repetition. History has such a rule - until you remember the lesson by heart, you will repeat it again and again.
Memorial Day of the young anti-fascist hero is a constant reminder to all living things about what once happened, as well as a warning that this should never happen again. This is the lesson we all need to know by heart.
Thousands of boys and girls perished and went into immortality in the name of peace on earth. On Memorial Day of the young anti-fascist hero of boys and girls who sacrificed their lives for a common victory, we honor our blessed memory. Somewhere in the infinite height the sounds of children's voices had long ceased, but their names remained on the earth. They are quiet music of the past days in the hearts of those who remember ...
Do not forget these names: Alexander Matrosov, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, Oleg Koshevoi, Zina Portnova, Marat Kazei, Volodya Dubinin, Leonid Golikov, Valentin Kotik, Lyubov Shevtsova, Utah Bondarovskaya and thousands and thousands of other names. And each of them is a reminder and a mandate for all living.