My great-grandfather, Nikolai Bredikhin was born on February 12, 1919 in the village of Durnevo, Gubkinsky District, Belgorod Region. He was the eldest child in the family. He had three other brothers and three sisters. He was a graduate of the 1st year of the Artillery School. He was a veteranof the war, had many awards and orders. He is a veteran of the 7th Breakthrough Artillery Division of the Top Command Reserve. The first battle of the division was on December 16, 1942 near Astakhov-Kamenka at North-Western sector of the Battle of Stalingrad. It was a part of the 3rd Guards Army of the South-Western Front. My great-grandfather went from the walls of Stalingrad to the Austrian Alps through the Don, Seversky Donets, Dnieper, Southern Bug, Svir, Dniester, Prut, Tissa and Danube rivers. The military exploits of artillery soldiers and the personal contribution of each to the cause of Victory have always lived in the memory and hearts of grateful generations, in the bronze of monuments, in the marble of obelisks, in books and songs. The battle banner of the 7th Zaporozhye and four banners of its brigades covered with glory of Victories and today continue to serve our Motherland faithfully. N. Bredikhin met the victory at the walls of Berlin. After the end of the war, he returned to his native village. He married my great-grandmother Nina In 1947. They lived together for 28 years. After marriage, he continued his service in the city of Gaisin, Vinnytsia Region of Ukraine. They changed more than one place of residence while the great-grandfather was serving. Everywhere they found friends who helped them and did not leave them in trouble. Together they walked hand in hand, supporting each other. On September 28, 1948, their son Viktor was born, and seven years later, on February 28, 1955, their daughter Lyuba, my grandmother, was born. My great-grandfather was demobilized n 1960. The family returned to the Belgorod Region and decided to settle in the city of Stary Oskol. Nikolay worked as a Director of a brick factory, and Nina was a dispatcher. It seemed that life went in the right direction, but there was trouble. On the evening of May 3, 1975, Nikolay became ill with a heart condition. When the ambulance arrived, he was already dead. It was a heavy loss for the family, as the great-grandfather was the real head of a large and friendly family. Many friends, relatives and friends came to see him off on his last journey. But life went on and one had to learn to live without him. They say time heals, no it does not heal, but only dulls the pain of loss. Great-grandmother lived another 32 years, saw the appearance of two grandchildren and two granddaughters, even waited for great-grandchildren, but the bright memory of her husband never left her. Remembering her husband, life after the war, and the difficult times of her life when there was nothing to eat brought tears to her eyes. We her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren tried to support our beloved old lady. She died on October 5, 2006. Now we often go to their graves, remember what they were, we are proud of and admire our ancestors, whose exploits will live forever, and their names are immortal.