Story of a man who was once shot

In the village Chelyuschevichi Petrikov district of the Gomel region of Belarus are unlikely to know who his grandfather, Kazimierz. A grandfather's house bones show immediately. Early in the morning, had just begun working day, the old man is waiting for us, picking something in the garage, where his old car "Oka".

Constantine Kolyada will soon be 90, but he remembers everything and is ready to live up to 100 years. Today, our protagonist - a real Poleski guerrillas. Here is his story -hronika nearly extinct generation.

Konstantin Kolyada - the same age as the worst era in the history of the country. He was born January 21, 1924, the day of Lenin's death and the collapse of the Union of cheerful hope. Kolyada lived under Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, with all subsequent transient general secretary. He lived under Gorbachev, when Lukashenko. "With him, - he jokes - and die."

- I was born in dire poverty. Father caught a cold and died young, we've got seven children and mother - starts Konstantin story. - I lived on the farm until the Soviet authorities did not say to move into the village. My childhood was difficult. We had to get dressed in something, to go to school. But there was nothing. The mother survived this was said kazachina. Put on me - I went. I go to class, I pull this sheepskin coat. Children again - come and laugh. And lived.

We had to somehow help, went to the distillery in Chelyuschevichah. There fattened cattle, worked cattleman. Kopeika was.

Then they started to send young people to work in Minsk, to the factory. Nobody wanted! Such were the times. Gathered all the meeting, they say - it is necessary. I was, two of my friends. We were persuaded to go. I was 16 years old. In Minsk, we went in the fall of 1940.

In Stepyanka wanted to build an aircraft factory, on the construction site and was sent us. What was there then Minsk? Not now. Dolgobrodskaya first, second Dolgobrodskaya ... beautifully. We went to the dance. It was, yes. They lived in dugouts. They gave us such hostel in the ground, with windows. Nothing is normal. It worked well, Soviet-style. I had a great team leader, on Shkut name. From Khoiniki area.

Winter wintered. And then - the war.

- Then you think: who will win the Soviet Union? We heard on the radio this morning that the Germans were treacherously attacked Brest, and went to work. We started something even do. And then the elder said: "Guys, do not try very little like it to come out ..."

And on the 23rd the Germans bombed Minsk. We realized that we should get together and go home. All dissolved. We took the papers and went on foot through villages, forests to the Gomel region. Germans did not exist, had cars on the roads, the troops. The bombings were. For two days and two nights without a break, come down. Then fear not experienced. How were we to know what war is.

Peasants have all, so far we got mobilized. We did not have: the young.

I remember how, in the village of Germans appeared. We've got a complex, next to the cemetery. Our soldiers sat down at the cemetery with machine guns, the Germans were a chain. There was a skirmish. Where there have - silischa ...

The Germans have hardly stood. And policemen immediately ran up wanting. These bastards were worse than the Germans. I remember such a case. The older brother had a bike. And here comes a skunk, by Drone name - a policeman. He says: "You Kolyada?" - "Yes." - "Constantine?" - "Yes, Constantine." - "Give your bike to an hour standing in the street!" And the matches in the hands of holding "And then burn the whole house, and you along with him." I did not want to give away, but her mother persuaded her late: let him choke.

- All around were guerrillas. We heard that the troops are in the woods - there, there, everywhere. And we have created: a detachment of 125 Brigade Shirts №50 polis'ky connection. So it was called.

All young and old who remained took to the guerrillas. Had different jobs, went to the bombings in exploration ... I have a rifle, who with a gun. Were injured by shrapnel mines scratched a leg ... When the Germans began to press, they are brutalized. I'll tell you. How many were rounded up, no longer count. Together with us, the guerrillas were hiding in the forests of civilians. They were caught and killed. I remember very well the day ...

Detachment said - to find in the forest inhabitants of one village, transfer to a safe place. We sent four on the case. In exploration.

At night, find people, some even with the cows were hiding. Senior group says: "Kolyada, you better know the area, take them to a safe place, and we're back - in the squad." Good.

The night stayed, settled. I spent the night in the bush. In the morning I think - go, perekushu. Rifle left. Only reached the camp - the Germans on horseback. One boy, 10 years old, frightened, jumped, ran and killed his turn.

They took us all gathered lead. Like a flock. The convoy, all on horseback. Then pull up the two, the title of senior, stopped column. One shows me: "Get in here." I went. It took me 10 meters to palpate carefully searched. Shows - go and be free. What to do? I went. Only I heard the German rear pulls out a gun. Then, abruptly - a shot. So shoot me.

- It was in February 1944. Frost was not strong. I do not know how long I lay in the snow, in a pool of blood - lost consciousness. Then he woke up and thought: this is I'm still alive! Povorushilsya, I can move. I crawled up, grabbed the some stump. I sat. I found a stick, crawled somehow along the way. Where people can be. And I noticed. Bandaged grandmother. So I survived.

Then all the doctors who looked talked - a miracle. The bullet went through her head and out through the nose. In Minsk, I do the operation. I remember one researcher showed me colleagues, said: "Here, look, this is a very happy man, Konstantin Kolyada. Survived at such a wound! "

In the army I was not taken away: given disability. I have an excellent memory. Maybe there were any consequences, but, see, I live. - When the war ended, I was in Khoiniki area. There has been a driving school, I was in it. I get your hands on "intern" - a document to an internship in a car, went to Kobrin. I remember getting sent to the machine, "Chevrolet" American trucks. Gave 10 liters of petrol, as there will be enough? Hitched to one another, empty, faded out. Standing on the road, stopped the car. Nobody wanted to share petrol. But still we bought dovezli trucks.

I and now the car - "Oka". I have rights. Cars on the move.

- It is his car better than I look - laughing wife of Konstantin Mikhailovich.

Grandfather Kolyada shows us the law. And then lays neatly in the same place where I got.

- I was foreman, collected taxes, worked as a financial agent, inspector, work taught in the school, was the manager of the farm, studied and graduated from college. He worked as an agronomist. Money some have always been. And I've always worked on the conscience, no one did not ask.

He married. It was necessary to build a house, and the land did not give. Where I live now, rye was. Gave land here. He built their own house. All by myself.

I have four children, and grandchildren. I, of course, a happy man.

Constantine Kolyada tired to speak, silence. And we think. In Belarus, in living a little more than 20 thousand war veterans. State could they get rich if desired. The state will have to think twice when veterans would not, on which to build their ideology, in which the victory of the 45th - still one of the cornerstones.

But Kolyada says that he does not have gold as the Turkish beaches: he and so everything is there. In the house, behind the stove, the old man holds a portrait of the president. He writes "Sovetskaya Belorussia". Each year, before May 9, he was given honor and gratitude. Are invited to the school, where he happily talks about his war children. Pension at it - 3, 5 million, together with his wife out of 6 million.

- We do not need so much, more than half of grandchildren pay, - says the veteran. - At the store to go - enough for petrol - enough. Chickens own. Apples. At lunch and dinner, 50 grams sip - no more. And this is enough. Normal we, the veterans, life.

If there were no children, grandchildren, how to know - whether to Konstantin shared their "surplus" to the state. How lonely Gomel pensioner Maria Sazonenkova who donated millions to build in Minsk Museum of the war and wanted to give as much at the plant, but did not have time ... Their generation has not learned to live for themselves, and their children could not teach it. And now they're gone, almost gone.

... Once Konstantin was bad - I felt a pain in my heart. The doctor did not call, started their "Oka", he went to the clinic. There Petrikov was sent to the hospital. He in any: first, he said, the car will drive in place, put in the garage, then - please. So it went: he "Oka", followed by "ambulance". The pensioner hospital immediately put into intensive care.

- On Sunday, I think it is necessary to once again leave my people: to see how people live, - he tells us goodbye man-era Constantine Kolyada. - I'll go slowly, to see everything, not to miss anything.