Branch of troops: Communications troops _x000D_ A short autobiography of grandfather and grandmother from a personal diary on March 1, 2004: _x000D_ “I, Ilya Ivanovich Tolstolutsky, was born on July 28, 1923, in a family of five children, in the village of Medvezhye, Melovatsky District. I graduated from 4th grades in Medvezhye, and then 7 grades at Yasenovskaya school. In 1938 I graduated from the FZO school (factory training at the plant named after Dzerzhinsky) for the repair of steam locomotives in the city of Voronezh. I worked as a fitter repairing fittings on steam locomotives. _x000D_ In September 1941 I was drafted into the active army. I served and fought in communications units (telephone communications), at first, at the Western front, and in 1942 I was transported to the Far East. In 1945 I took part in the war with Japan. After the end of the war with Japan, I was sent to the workers' battalion in Vladivostok. I worked on loading and unloading ships. In April 1947 I was demobilized. Thus, I returned to my native village Medvezhye only 6 years later. I worked in kolkhoz in various agricultural jobs. In 1948 I met a girl named Ulyana from the village of Yasenovka. _x000D_ Belovolova Ulyana Vasilievna was born on June 20, 1928. In November 1948 we got married. In 1950, our daughter Galya was born. Since 13 years old, Ulya had worked in the kolkhoz at all jobs: she grazed, fed and rode bulls, horses, was a milkmaid, a pig shepherd, a cook, a watchman, a loader in all agricultural work, graduated from 3 classes of school. _x000D_ We settled in the village of Yasenovka. I began to work in kolkhoz. I rode horses and bulls. I was a foreman of a field-crop team, head of a grain warehouse, head of a poultry farm, a foreman of a vegetable garden team. _x000D_ Since 1958 I have been working as an accountant of a tractor team until my retirement in 1983. For health reasons, Ulyana Vasilievna from 1976 until her retirement in 1983 worked at home, in a vegetable garden of 0.52 hectares, we grew all vegetables for themselves and sold the surplus to other villages and the city of Kalach. The farm had a cow, sheep, pigs, geese, chickens, ducks, goats. Ulyana's mother, Dunya, who was disabled, provided great help with the household chores. She nursed not only her granddaughter Galya, but also her great-grandchildren Seryozha and Tanya. She lived for 83 years. _x000D_ In 1959, our Tolstolutskys family dismantled their old house and built a new one, rebuilt a barn, a basement, made a kitchen of stone and clay, dug a well in the courtyard, led water into the courtyard and a vegetable garden. All work was done by hand. In the kolkhoz labor was paid poorly, and very little bread was given. We made extra from the garden, and went to the Rostov Region for grain. We baked plain black bread. There were high taxes, as well as mandatory surrender to the state of meat, eggs, milk, wool, animal skins, and everything for nothing. _x000D_ Until 1960, no money was paid for work at all, only workdays. Already retired, in 1986 we sold the house, moved to Kalach, bought a new house and installed gas pipes. _x000D_ “Perhaps this is all, if God prolongs life, then I will add something else ... ”_x000D_ For such labors, my whole life passed. In the kolkhoz, the Tolstolutsky family was respected, they were called godfathers, there were 12 gods and 46 godfathers. We lived in peace with Ulyana Vasilievna, 63 years old, who passed away in 2011. They raised their daughter Galya, grandchildren Seryozha and Tanya, and help raise six great-grandchildren. Family relationships are a model for grandchildren and great-grandchildren.