Grigory Petrovich Balakhtin
Type of troops: Artillery during the great Patriotic war, my grandfather, Grigory Petrovich Balakhtin, was a tank driver, he was born and studied at school No. 6 in our city – Kolchugino. My grandmother and mother told me about how he fought. We have a lot of military photos of my great-grandfather Grisha in our family album. My grandfather ran away to the front in 1942, when he was just 16 years old. His service began in a tank brigade. As a tank driver, he went all the way to Berlin. Three times, together with the brigade, he burned in a tank. In 1944, the crew of my grandfather's tank was killed. He accidentally survived, the tank commander sent him to get a part for the tank, and at this time the bombing began. When the grandfather returned, there was a crater in the place of the tank, and the remains of his comrades lay around. He dug a grave and buried the remains of his comrades. I was particularly impressed by the story about the liberation of children from a concentration camp by a Panzer division in which my great-grandfather fought. Hungry and exhausted, they were carried out by Soviet soldiers. They tried to feed them and provide some help. Many were very weak and died in the hands of the soldiers. Grandfather reached Berlin alone from his carriage. He finished fighting only in 1946 in Western Ukraine. Several times he visited the grave of his comrades. I love listening to my grandparents talk about my grandfather's war years. Great-grandfather was a very kind person. All my relatives gather at his grave on may 9, Victory Day, my great-grandfather's favorite holiday, and say a lot of good words about him. I am proud of my grandfather and that I am his descendant. My grandfather's brother, Nikolay Petrovich, was a professional military pilot. He devoted his entire life to flying and died defending his Homeland from enemies. A monument is erected on his grave in Western Ukraine. He was awarded the Order of the red Star posthumously. Unfortunately, neither his parents nor we were able to get to his grave. I am proud of the actions of my descendants.
Grigory Petrovich Balakhtin
Type of troops: Artillery during the great Patriotic war, my grandfather, Grigory Petrovich Balakhtin, was a tank driver, he was born and studied at school No. 6 in our city – Kolchugino. My grandmother and mother told me about how he fought. We have a lot of military photos of my great-grandfather Grisha in our family album. My grandfather ran away to the front in 1942, when he was just 16 years old. His service began in a tank brigade. As a tank driver, he went all the way to Berlin. Three times, together with the brigade, he burned in a tank. In 1944, the crew of my grandfather's tank was killed. He accidentally survived, the tank commander sent him to get a part for the tank, and at this time the bombing began. When the grandfather returned, there was a crater in the place of the tank, and the remains of his comrades lay around. He dug a grave and buried the remains of his comrades. I was particularly impressed by the story about the liberation of children from a concentration camp by a Panzer division in which my great-grandfather fought. Hungry and exhausted, they were carried out by Soviet soldiers. They tried to feed them and provide some help. Many were very weak and died in the hands of the soldiers. Grandfather reached Berlin alone from his carriage. He finished fighting only in 1946 in Western Ukraine. Several times he visited the grave of his comrades. I love listening to my grandparents talk about my grandfather's war years. Great-grandfather was a very kind person. All my relatives gather at his grave on may 9, Victory Day, my great-grandfather's favorite holiday, and say a lot of good words about him. I am proud of my grandfather and that I am his descendant. My grandfather's brother, Nikolay Petrovich, was a professional military pilot. He devoted his entire life to flying and died defending his Homeland from enemies. A monument is erected on his grave in Western Ukraine. He was awarded the Order of the red Star posthumously. Unfortunately, neither his parents nor we were able to get to his grave. I am proud of the actions of my descendants.
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