The childhood under bombardment got

Kobrin → Materials about Kobrin district → Kobrin district in the years of war

War in a cruel blindness connects unjoinable – and even light and pure children's images hand in hand go with sufferings and with death. Occupation, the front, evacuation, losses, searches, meetings in years. Destinies of those whom war overtook in infancy is a panorama of war with children in the foreground.

To understand all depth and tragic element of the incident, we will address Yakov Lifanov's publication "The wood malenk_kh bl_znit", printed in the Kamun_stychnaya Pratsa newspaper for May 13, 1965. It is carefully stored in a library stock of the Kobrin military and historical museum. We provide the publication completely.

"It happened during the first hours wars, in the morning on June 22, 1941. Fascist bombers made several raids on the former military camp which was placed then in a Kobrin, and destroyed it. In the town there lived many families of the military personnel. So there is a lot of innocent victims. Families of officers were generally evacuated. In the territory of the town there were seriously wounded, and also corpses of children and women.

And here G. S. Vakurov and two soldiers of team on evacuation of families bypassed ruins of the destroyed houses and service premises to establish who else can be evacuated. Suddenly in one half-ruined house, on the second floor, noticed two kids, by sight they were no more than 5-6 months old from the birth. One child lay in a crib, and another, wrapped in a children's blanket, – on a floor. They were so similar one to another that there were no doubts: twins. In a hurry did not understand, these are girls or boys. They were urgently taken out to the country, on the way to Pruzhana. In 13-15 kilometers from Kobrin, on one of farms, handed over twins to a family (it was similar that it is the husband and the wife) where kids were fed with milk, and they fell asleep. Promised owners to return at night for children, but the situation became complicated on this site of military operations, and children and remained on the farm.

"Where you, dear kids?"

After the end of war G. S. Vakurov tried to find children or their parents, but unsuccessfully. On some fractional information it was possible to assume that the major from a staff – the area of aviation basing was a father of twins. But who exactly – it is unknown.

We placed in the newspaper the letter of the companion from Kostroma under the title "Where you, dear kids?" (see "Kamun_stychnuyu to prayets" for April 8 of this year). And here in several days to us two women – elderly, Anastasia Andreevna Bratanchuk, and her daughter-in-law Maria Tikhonovna came to edition. It they together with the head of the family, now old Ignatiy Maksimovich Bratanchuk, accepted from hands of the Soviet military personnel in 1941 twins as it appeared, boys.

They also, certainly, knew nothing about parents of the deserted kids. Just in case, to avoid possible troubles in the conditions of fascist occupation, Bratanchuki incurred children in Kobrin to christen in church. In the city Nikolay Lukyanovich Kachanko with the wife met it kobrinchanin. Having learned in what business, they asked Bratanchukov:

- Give us one on education. We have no children. For the native son will be.

Thought Bratanchuki and alienate one boy, having first convinced of good intentions of a kobrinchanin. Brothers were christened and gave them new names (nobody knew the presents): the adopted son Bratanchukov became Nikolay, and Kachangko – Leonid.

… War terminated. Parents of twins sent inquiry behind inquiry, but did not receive consolatory answers. Then in 1947 arrived to Kobrin. It were Vitaly Ivanovich and Sofya Ivanovna Polyakov from the city of Dzerzhinsk of Gorky area. V. I. Polyakov is the former pilot, the major. Works in Dzerzhinsk at plant now. Asking many people from the villages, next to Kobrin, they found the boys and their kind saviors who replaced the father and mother.

Kolya (his real name was Valentin) went with parents to Dzerzhinsk. Now he on an active service in army on Chukotka, will come back home soon. And Leonid (he was named after the birth Herman) remained with adoptive parents at their request and with the consent of Polyakov. Leonid-Herman Kachanko left in to Kobrina secondary school No. 2 and music school, then the Brest music college. Now he is a student of the Belarusian conservatory in Minsk.

Twin brothers conduct continuous correspondence among themselves, and also with the parents who lost them and with those who brought up them. Also correspondence of parents Polyakov with roditelyami-Bratanchukami does not stop. They now for the rest of life the closest people: Russian and Belarusian brotherly families.

As it was

How, however, it happened what mother of children is live-is healthy, and helpless twins remained after fascist bombardment one? Such question, of course, will arise at many readers. And business was here is how. The father, the pilot Polyakov, was just in official journey in Moscow. Sofya Ivanovna Polyakova remained in the town one with three children. Yes, yes, with three: it had one more son, starshenky. During bombing and destruction of the house the become puzzled and stunned woman in horror rushed to children. However she could not seize three at once. Then it with the senior jumped out on the street to ask for somebody the help, and here the next explosion …

One of teams on evacuation of families of officers hardly dug out the woman with the child who is filled up with sand and fragments of buildings. In an unconsciousness shipped it in a hurry on the car and sent to the Birch. On the road the woman recovered consciousness and began to tear the hair:

- Let me! Where you carry me?! There my children remained …

But it was impossible to come back. The woman oppressed by a grief was calmed, said that other team on evacuation will send children here, to the Birch. She waited. But did not wait".

Grew worthy people

Everything that here is told, was and happened on our native Kobrin earth. Time flies promptly, and already the new 21st century strings decades on a historical tape of time. Our little heroes are living witnesses of history, grew up worthy and famous people.

Leonid Nikolaevich Kachanko lives in Minsk now, it has two sons and three grandsons. He is full of vital forces and optimism, and also new creative plans, having already reached in the field of literature and art of well-deserved rewards, honor and respect. From 1981 to 1989 Leonid Nikolaevich worked as the senior editor of Republican television in the main edition of programs for children. Created 16 original television cycles for the Kalykhanka program (including "Ded-Boroded"); author and editor of a cycle of telecasts "700 years to Kobrin". Since 2001 – the editor of editions of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The author of literary works – stories, stories, fairy tales, and also numerous articles in the republican press; editor-in-chief and originator of the first Belarusian Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar (1993-1994), editor and author of his subsequent releases. Leonid Nikolaevich is the kind friend of our city and the museum. The books and magazines presented to them considerably enriched our library stock among which the fine literary and art edition "Sacred Pisanne for Dzyatsy" with comments and Leonid Kachanko's explanations. Recently Leonid Nikolaevich brought to gift to the museum valuable local history materials, our unforgettable meeting conversation took place.

… We are afraid to breathe, listening to his memoirs. From time to time our interlocutor interrupts the story as avaricious man's tears intercept breath. And we understand that the famous statement "all the time treats" truly not always. Leonid Nikolaevich tells us as father and mother Polyakov carried him to themselves home to Russia as visited together all relatives, – however he decided to remain on the Belarusian earth. Kobrin district for the Russian boy became the real homeland. The feeling of gratitude to adoptive parents who in the most difficult years of the childhood surrounded it with such care, kindness and attention appeared above all. However in heart always there lives the understanding that he is a son of two mothers, and it is so important to offend nobody.

Nikolay (Valentin) graduated from elementary school in the village Lutsevichi, average in Dzerzhinsk (Russia), art school in Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod now). Served in the Soviet Army, graduated from the All-Union institute of cinematography (the VGIK, Moscow). "Mosfilm" worked as the art director at a film studio. Member of the Union of artists of the Russian Federation, honourable cinematographer of Russia. Has the daughter, the son and the grandson, lives in Moscow.

Long ago the last volleys of war died down, however sincere wounds of those whom it singed the terrible ominous breath and on whose life its black trace lasts and now still disturb.

Lidiya KURASHOVA,
librarian of the Kobrin military and historical museum of A. V. Suvorov.
On a photo: brothers Valentin (Nikolay) and Leonid (on the right) in the city of Gorbatov on Oka; Leonid Nikolaevich Kachanko; Polyakov at Bratanchukov; Polyakov and Kachanko's family.

Kurashova, L. Popalo the childhood under bombardment / Lydia Kurashova//Kobrynsk_ vesn_k. – 2015. – May 2. – Page 4. About one of episodes of the first days of war in Kobrin district. 

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