9 May in Volodarske: remembering a grandfather
The Kovalev family marked Victory Day in Volodarske — where Vladimir’s father lives and where his grandfather and grandmother spent their lives.
9 May is a day that means a great deal to the family of the foundation’s founder. This year they marked it together: with his wife Valeria, their daughters and his father — in the village of Volodarske near Mariupol.
Vladimir Kovalev’s grandfather, Alexey Konstantinovich, was born on 7 April 1925 in the village of Temryuk. He was 17 when the occupation began. Twice they tried to deport him for forced labour in Germany — and twice he escaped from the train.
In September 1943, at the age of 18, he was called up, fought his first battle on the Molochna river in the Zaporizhzhia region, and took part in the liberation of Ukraine and Belarus with the 24th Guards Division, 70th Guards Rifle Regiment, as commander of a mortar platoon. He was wounded twice. He was awarded the medals “For the Victory over Germany” and “For Combat Merit”, and the Order of the Red Star, which was presented as a gift to the local museum.
After the war he graduated from the Mariupol Teacher Training College and devoted his life to children: from 1967 until the end of his days he was head teacher of Volodarske School No. 1 — the very school the foundation supports today.
“You stand at the memorial and you understand: everything we have rests on their courage. Every peaceful day is owed to them. We remember. We are proud. We will not forget.”
The project continues
More than 600 pupils. The school’s boiler house has reached the end of its service life — the foundation is running a project to rebuild it, so that the children can learn in the warmth.
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