Vladimir Yurgevich congratulated Nadezhda Nikolaevna Ignatova, a participant of the Great Patriotic War, from Liozno district

– We carried the wounded from the battlefield under the whistling of shells so that you could simply walk under a peaceful sky today. Children, appreciate what you have, take care of our Belarus – it is the most precious thing in the world. I have lived a long life and I know for sure: as long as we remember the past, trouble will not return, – these words of Nadezhda Ignatova today sound like the main commandment for all generations of Belarusians.

On the eve of the sacred holiday – Victory Day – Vladimir Yurgievich, Aide to the President – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, and Ivan Fedorov, Chairman of the Liozno District Executive Committee, visited Nadezhda Ignatova, a participant of the Great Patriotic War. Such visits have long been not just a protocol, but a heartfelt need – to thank those who gave us the right to life.

– It is our direct duty to visit every veteran, to hear their mood, to remember the severe trials they went through, – noted Vladimir Yurgievich. – As the Head of State recently said, we really need these people. They are a bridge between generations. Peace is the foundation for the development of a sovereign state, and we have no right to erase historical memory, because without the past there is no future.

Nadezhda Ignatova was born in 1927 in the village of Trinivki, Surazhsky District. The war broke into her life when Nadezhda was only 15. The girl joined the partisans: she washed clothes, cooked, and went on reconnaissance. And in moments of lull, she supported the fighting spirit of her comrades with songs and dances – her cheerful character helped her survive in inhuman conditions.

Nadezhda participated in the liberation of Liozno. Then, under fire and explosions, carrying wounded soldiers from the battlefield on her fragile girlish shoulders, she had no idea that the Liozno region would become her second homeland. After Victory, she exchanged her rifle for construction tools: she restored railway tracks and built houses in the destroyed Vitebsk. It was here that she met her destiny – her husband Vasily. Later, the family moved to the village of Kryнки, where they managed a large household together and raised three children.

Today, Nadezhda Nikolaevna is 98 years old, but her optimism is something that young people can envy. Her eyes light up when guests appear at the doorstep, and the house is always filled with the warmth of a large family: she has three children, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Ivan Fyodorov, congratulating the veteran, did not hide his emotions:
– You are our pride! We look up to you. We wish you strong health and many more years of life. Thank you for everything you have done for our country.

Despite her venerable age, Nadezhda Nikolaevna is cheerful. She admits that she is happy to live in modern Belarus and see how her native land is becoming more beautiful.

Vitebskiye Vesti