Yakov Aleksandrovich's maternal grandfather has an unusual and tragic fate. Shortly before the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union, Yakov served in the army in Belarus. As part of a military unit, young untrained fighters were sent to exercises near the city of Brest. At that moment, when the fascist troops were already marching along the country roads of Belarus, the fighters, armed only with training rifles, remained unaware of the true situation. The meeting with the fascists was a real blow for them. Splitting into small groups, the soldiers began a disorderly retreat, unable to conduct at least some kind of defense. Many died without firing a single shot, since there were no ammunition. Yakov was seriously wounded by shrapnel from a shell burst, but he was still lucky: he and a group of comrades were able to hide in the woods. They walked at night, occasionally going into the villages, trying to get hold of at least some food. _x000D_ There was a legend in our family: in one village they were captured by local policemen. One of the women begged her fellow villager not to hand over the young boy to the Nazis, who was very weak. She gave the policeman expensive antique earrings, and he agreed to leave the dying man in her hut. The woman left Yakov in her house, and, having got stronger, he went to the partisans. _x000D_ And here is what Viktor Viktorovich Pashkin, the grandson of the eldest son of Yakov Aleksandrovich, told: “Yakov Aleksandrovich was friends with Nikolai Tsygankov. They were in the same partisan detachment, which was located in the forests near the city of Orsha. Nikolai was from the village of Ledeshnya (Dribinsky District, Mogilev Region) When they came to the village of Ledeshnya in December 1941 for a visit (there were no Germans and policemen in the village), Yakov Aleksandrovich met Nadezhda Vasilyevna Sulimova, my grandmother. In the spring, when the snow melted, he and Nikolai went to the detachment in the forest. My father Viktor Yakovlevich was born in October 1942. In the winter of 1942-43 my father was baptized in Christianity, the godfather was Nikolai Tsygankov, who was killed very soon. _x000D_ In 1944, Nikolai's son was born to Nikolai Tsygankov. We know that Nikolai Nikolaevich used to live in the city Vitebsk, we did not maintain a relationship.” For almost the entire war, Yakov fought in a partisan detachment, and when this territory was liberated, he was demobilized by injury. After demobilization, Yakov Aleksandrovich came to the town of Malmyzh in the Kirov Region, married my grandmother Tamara Sergeevna and worked as a boat Captain at the Sosnovsky Shipyard (his grandson, my brother Kostya, followed in his footsteps and became a Captain). Yakov Alexandrovich left us early: severe wounds received in battles shortened his life. Still, he managed to raise four children and saw the first granddaughter. A bitter feeling does not leave our family: our grandfather and great-grandfather fought in good faith for the Motherland, was seriously wounded, and was awarded medals and orders. But after the end of the war, the fact that he was surrounded, almost in captivity, played against him: all his awards were taken away. A few years later, he was honored as a veteran, awarded with anniversary medals, but the military awards had never been returned.