History:_x000D_ My great-grandfather Shavkat Maskaev was a participant of the Great Patriotic War. I do not know all the details of his biography, and I wrote the essay based on my grandfather's memoirs._x000D_ About the Great Patriotic War great-grandfather spoke rarely and reluctantly, never mentioning details. Shavkat was born on February 10, 1924 in the village of Orde (Urde) in the West Kazakhstan Region. A difficult childhood fell to his lot. After finishing eight classes in a rural school in 1938, the fourteen-year-old went to work on a collective farm. He was known as a hardworking and trouble-free person._x000D_ The Great Patriotic War began for my great-grandfather on September 15, 1942, when he was called to the front by order of the District Military Commissariat of the Ordinskiy District of the West Kazakhstan Region. Shavkat was the Commander of a Machine-gun Platoon of the 2nd Rifle Battalion, 1311th Rifle Regiment, 337th Rifle Division from 5.6.1943._x000D_ More than once fate tested my great-grandfather: he was wounded twice, on 10.08.1943 lightly and heavily on 01.10.43 (sent to a hospital located in the city of Tashkent)._x000D_ His award list includes many medals, for example: the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree, the Medal For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the Medal For the Capture of Berlin._x000D_ The unit in which Shavkat served remained in Germany until 1947, and it was there that their son, Valery Mulyakaev, was born on 8.04.1947 in the city of Halle._x000D_ On April 17, 1948, Shavkat was dismissed to the reserve, and together with his family returned to the village of Urdu (Ordu) in the West Kazakhstan Region. He lived quietly a short time, on 01.01.1957 he died, the last years of his life, diseases received due to injuries, tormented him._x000D_ Everything written above is the little that in such a short story could convey about the heroic exploits of Shavkat Mulyakaev._x000D_ We can't bring back the past, but it remains in our memory, on our lips, in our photographs. It is the memories and the memory can bring us all together for real. Being able to feel the connection between generations is the main feature of a happy, great country. The heart of each of us is filled with love and respect for veterans, when the memory of them continues to live.