February 15 marks the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan

On this day, our country commemorates the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. This was the last war in which Belarusians participated alongside servicemen from other union republics.

To convey to modern youth the memory of this war, the tragedy of families and fates, the heroic past, and the attitude towards military duty of our young men – this is the main goal. Continuity of generations. The understanding by young people of the essence of personal responsibility, responsibility to their loved ones, society, and the state, through the example of specific individuals, will be the inner core of a personality, protecting them from wrongful actions and encroachments.

This is the belief of Anton Volkov, Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the Vitebsk Region, whose father died in Afghanistan in February 1980 at the age of 24, fulfilling his international military duty.

“My grandfather, Nikolay Volkov, my father’s father, fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, returned alive to the joy of his family. Now his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Russia participate in the “Immortal Regiment” procession every year on May 9th in memory of their grandfather. Our family particularly honors the memory of my father, Viktor Volkov, in Belarus on February 15th.”

When Anton Volkov’s father died, his mother was left with a two-year-old son, thousands of kilometers away from her relatives (the family’s homeland is Tomsk). However, she did not give up, working for decades as a laborer in a demanding shoe factory, and raised a worthy person – an officer of the prosecutor’s office of the Vitebsk Region. In 20 years of service, Anton Volkov has made a significant contribution to the protection of people’s rights – he has investigated criminal cases of particularly serious crimes, secured fair sentences in court for bandits, rapists, and murderers, and for the last five years, he has been involved in protecting children’s rights. A happy family man, he and his wife are raising a son and a daughter.

On these memorable days, Anton Volkov met with high school students of the educational institution “Secondary School No. 44 in Vitebsk”. The story of his family aroused genuine interest among the students, and he believes it will contribute to fostering a sense of responsibility and patriotism in them. A similar meeting will be held with the cadets of the Vitebsk Cadet School.

Supervisory Group for the Enforcement of Legislation on Minors and Youth of the Regional Prosecutor's Office