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A significant event took place at the military cemetery No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerie, Virovlyansky rural council, Gorodok district – the reburial of the remains of 27 fallen soldiers.

This important event reminded us of the invaluable contribution of those who gave their lives for peace and freedom. The event was attended by Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies.

Local residents, regional and district leadership, leaders of public associations and organizations gathered at the military cemetery to express their gratitude and appreciation for the self-sacrifice and courage of those who sacrificed their lives for our safety. A minute of silence in honor of the fallen filled the air with bitter nostalgia and immense pride.

In his address to the event participants, Vladimir Terentyev noted: "We are here to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom and peace. These soldiers, unknown to us, left an invaluable legacy – peace and freedom. Civilians, children, and the elderly fell victim to fascist oppression, but their sacrifice was not in vain, as we will certainly preserve the peace bequeathed to us."

In the mass grave No. 2406 in the village of Kholomerie, 1491 servicemen are buried, including 14 partisans. In 1971, a monument was erected on the mass grave, and the remains of fallen soldiers from 41 nearby settlements were reburied. The reburial of the remains was carried out with military honors and great respect for the fallen as a symbol of deep gratitude and respect for those who sacrificed their future for the independence of the Motherland.

Vladimir Terentyev emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the fallen and their sacrifices so that future generations can inherit the virtues of peace and freedom. His words, "the memory of their valor must always be with us," sounded like a call to preserve and pass on this spirit to future generations.

At the request of the administration of the Republic of Mari El, Russian Federation, the remains of Guards Senior Sergeant Moskvitchev S.F. were transferred to his homeland for reburial. Relatives of Moskvitchev S.F. (nephew Evgeny Vitalievich Moskvitchev from Yoshkar-Ola, Republic of Mari El) participated in the ceremony, to whom the remains and personal belongings were handed over.

Sergeant Major of the 3rd Mortar Company, Moskvitchev S.F., was nominated for the Medal "For Courage" in August 1943 for demonstrating bravery and valor in battles against the German-fascist invaders. In the battle for the village of Vetrovo (Oryol Oblast), the crew commanded by Comrade Moskvitchev destroyed 3 enemy machine-gun nests and up to 10 German soldiers and officers. Moskvitchev S.F. perished on the third day of the Gorodok Offensive Operation (13.12.1943 – 31.12.1943). From the combat log of the 83rd Guards Rifle Division for 15-16.12.1943: "The 83rd Guards Rifle Division broke through enemy resistance and, within December 15th, captured 14 settlements in the Gorodok district, reaching the Obel River line. On the night of December 15th-16th, the enemy, with forces of 200 men and 13 tanks, counterattacked the 248th Guards Rifle Regiment (in which Moskvitchev S.F. fought), pushing it back to the western edge of the forest, 1 km west of the village of Laptevka."

On the same day, at the military cemetery No. 4372 in the village of Mekhovoye, Bychikha rural settlement, the remains of 6 Red Army servicemen were reburied. These remains were exhumed during search operations in the area of the village of Petrovo (formerly the village of Kholyavki), Bychikha rural settlement. The names of two Red Army soldiers remained unknown; the presumed names of three fallen soldiers were identified. During the excavation, a medallion was found belonging to Red Army soldier Pyotr Vasilyevich Ilyin, a native of Yaroslavl Oblast. Red Army soldier Ilyin P.V., a mortarman of the 556th Mortar Regiment of the 4th Shock Army, perished in offensive battles on December 16, 1943, at the beginning of the Gorodok Offensive Operation, and was initially buried in the village of Kholyavki, then part of the Mekhovsky district. His comrades Anvar Suleymanov, Vasily Timofeyevich Bayanov, and Fyodor Andreyevich Agafontsev also perished on this day. It is presumed they were all buried together in a mass grave. Their names are immortalized on the memorial plaques of the military burial site No. 4372 in the village of Mekhovoye, Bychikha rural settlement.

— We have gathered here to honor the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and security, — said the head of the regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentyev, in his address to the ceremony participants. — These soldiers have left us an incredible legacy – the freedom and peace that we have the honor to experience and preserve today.

At the military cemetery in the village of Mekhovoye, 815 servicemen are buried, including two Heroes of the Soviet Union: Captain Ivan Nikolaevich Antonov, commander of a tank company (died December 16, 1943), and Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Martynovich Rudyuk, commander of a tank company (died December 16, 1943). In 1959, a monument was erected at the cemetery, and the remains of fallen soldiers from 59 nearby villages were reburied. In 1989, the cemetery underwent reconstruction.

Search operations in the village of Petrovo (Kholyavki) were conducted by representatives of the Vitebsk Regional Historical and Patriotic Search Club "Plamya" (Chairman Lykholat M.A.), students of the search research and patriotic detachment "Poisk" of Polotsk Secondary School No. 1, cadets of the Polotsk Cadet School, and Ruslan Stel'makh, a student of the I. Antonov Bychikha Secondary School. All participants in the search operations will take part in the ceremony and will be awarded letters of gratitude from the Chairman of the Horadok District Executive Committee.

Relatives of Pyotr Ilyin have been found; they reside in the city of Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Federation. The grandson and great-grandson of the Red Army soldier participated in the ceremony of reburial of the remains. They were presented with the medallion of their fallen relative.