Nikolai Fedorovich Tselinsky drafted into the Red Army in August 1941. Nikolai was eighteen years old. Before the war, he graduated eight classes and entered the Ordzhonikidze technical school of communications. Drafted into the army. Firstly he served in the rear, and after completing the courses for junior command personnel, he got into the company of machine gunners of the 1116th rifle regiment, which was part of the 9-10th army. In May 1942 he participated in heavy battles near Kharkov on the Izyumo-Barvenkovo direction. Then there was a difficult path of retreat.