LAST name: Popov first NAME: Vasily PATRONYMIC: Andreevich CITY: Tula region, Bogoroditsky district, d. Stepanovka DATE of BIRTH: 02.04.1919 DATE of DEATH: 20.09.1985 HISTORY: My grandfather, Vasily Andreevich Popov, was born on April 2 (or April 14), 1919 (different documents indicate different dates), in the village of Stepanovka, Bogoroditsky uyezd, Tula province (now Bogoroditsky district, Tula region). He was drafted into the Red Army in 1939. Got to serve in the 99th rifle division. The war found him on the Polish border in the town of Przemysl, on the San river. According to my grandfather, Przemysl changed hands several times! In the morning it was with the Germans, and in the evening it was with our troops. They held their Outpost for several weeks. The commander decided to retreat to the East to his own, in small groups. He opened warehouses, forced them to put on military clothing in several layers, and forced them to sew food and bread into their overcoats. (Then my grandfather was grateful to the experienced commander for this decision). The soldiers were dissatisfied with his order, not realizing that they would need all this in the environment! It was the month of July, the heat — and so they went towards the front line. As it turned out, the Germans have already gone far into our country. Vasily Popov was captured somewhere near Uman. He said that when he was brought to the temporary detention camp, the German who searched him found food in his overcoat, but pretended to other Germans that everything was "clean"! He ran, but failed. And so it was several times. He told another amazing story, how he was saved from the gallows by the headman's daughter Malanya. It was in the village of Devitsa, ostrogozhsky district, Voronezh region. The Germans sentenced him for escaping. When the noose was thrown around her neck, this brave girl shouted that it was her husband. Grandfather was released. Be a partisan. After captivity, he served in the 219th rifle division. In November 1943, he was wounded in the spine and operated on in the field. He spent five months being treated in a hospital in the city of Velikiye Luki, after which he was sent on vacation to his homeland. When he got home and met his own mother, he started a conversation with her. Can you imagine!? His own mother did not recognize him — he had changed so much from the moment they parted in 1939 to March 1944. After vacation, he was assigned to the 2nd training regiment, where he studied to be a driver. From March 1944 to October 1945, he served in this regiment. After the war, our beloved and dear grandfather married and had three daughters. He worked hard all his life and loved his big family very much. You will meet a kinder and more modest person, but very rarely! Our family loves, remembers and is proud of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather!!!