Echo of the war near Polotsk: searchers and divers more than 70 years looking for a Soviet bomber at the bottom of the lake

While some try to forget the affairs of days gone by like a terrible dream, others continue to search. Evidence of the Great Patriotic War is hidden under the thickness of the earth, and sometimes water. The wreckage of the supposed bomber is pulled and stretched, but cannot be pulled near Polotsk. An amphibious plane surrounded by mysteries. The crew is still not returning from the mission. The search was joined by the descendants of the once-legendary Soviet pilot rescued pupils of the Polotsk orphanage.

Another fragment. Now there is no doubt: somewhere near the water is a plane. But what? The more time passes, the more mysterious the story becomes. Lake Beard 20 kilometers from Polotsk. Locals assure: in the war, the downed aircraft went under water.

As we make our way through the branches, we find a place where volunteer searchers found small details. They're all from the tail. Old-timers recall that the military searched for the plane in 1954, then in the 60s. They even tried to pull it out. The old steel cable remained in the grass on the shore.

A hydrolocation scan of the bottom shows an anomaly. To help searchers come divers OSVOD from Polotsk. Victor Kravtsov is from these places. He was 10 years old when uniformed men tried to get a plane for the first time.

Victor Kravtsov, a resident of Voronich: “The divers came down from there.” We kids were given pump pumps to give the divers air. Pulled from the chassis wheel, engine, machine gun pulled, pistol and tablet. Something so huge was being pulled.”.

From what part were those soldiers, no one knows. But if they found the engine and the weapons, they could also identify the crew members. But there is no mention of the pilots killed here anywhere.

Grandmother Antonina says that in 1941, the year saw the air battle. It was July 4.

Antonina Kimstach, resident of Voronichi: We play outside. I see two planes flying in the sky. One towards the other. And then machine guns thundered. One plane caught fire and flew. They found the pilot of the deceased and buried him without any honors.”.

Memories of eyewitnesses and found debris at least help searchers understand what they are looking for.

Vladimir Balashov, head of the search team Aviapoisk Borisov: We are dealing with a long-range bomber DB-3. This direction in Voronichy, like Braslav, is located in a rather tense area of the region of Lithuania and Latvia. Our bomber units flew there, bombarded airfields, railway junctions. Therefore, on the way back, they were often intercepted by fighters. Most likely, they were from combat work, that is, they got rid of the bomb load, bombed successfully. That is, they were intercepted on the way back.”.

The crew of the long-range bomber consisted of 3-4 people, depending on the modification. The body of one of the pilots, which surfaced immediately after the plane crashed, was buried nearby. Some say that after the war he was reburied in this mass grave in the middle of the village, others claim that he rests nearby, 50 meters on a slide. There is no official confirmation, but a memorial monument was put here in Soviet times.

Pavel Rudenok, head of military-patriotic education of Voronich Base School of Polotsk district: “If we find, the burial of pilots will be exactly at this place, where the monument now stands.” And it's going to be a very similar place, there's a church next to it.

Finding the wreckage of the plane and the remains of the crew for the Brill brothers is a matter of honor. Their parents are on shore. And they're not here by accident. In the family to the heroes-aviators – especially reverent attitude.

Pavel Brill: It seems bad. With the lantern, you can see literally half a meter. I waved my hand or my flipper, I can't see anything at all.”.

Paul and his brother are descendants of one of the children rescued by Soviet pilot Alexander Mamkin. In April 1944, on a small plane R-5, he evacuated from the German rear pupils of the Polotsk orphanage. The famous partisan operation "Star".

Boris Ryasov, chairman of the council of the Polotsk district organization of the public association “Belarusian Union of Officers”: “From under the nose of the Germans to take 200-plus people at night, and children from 3 to 10 years old.” The last flight was 9 children and 2 adults, and 2 more guerrillas. All the guerrillas were on external pendants. The children were stuck in the fuselage, they heard nothing more than noise, because the planes were 3-4-seat.

When Mamkin was on the last flight, the plane was attacked by German fighters.

Sergei Kopyl, military historian: The plane was on fire, it was impossible to abandon it. And the pilot did what they fought for, the pilots of the Civil Air Fleet. It provided for the lives of civilians. The plane made a hard landing. The burnt belts could not withstand, and the pilot was thrown on the ice. Unfortunately, the pilot died of his injuries.”.

This is the place where the orphanage stood. Today there is a children's clinic. Lyudmila is one of his students.

Lyudmila Sverbilova: Sofia Cathedral, I remember this episode. We were baptized there. We had to donate blood for the German soldiers. To have holy blood. What if we were communist children and unbaptized.

With Mamkin then flew her sister. And even got on the footage of the chronicle. This episode was depicted on a local monument. Lyudmila was evacuated by another pilot.

And although the plane at the bottom of the lake in Voronichy has nothing to do with the feat of Alexander Mamkin, the Briley family thus pays its debt to all those who did not return from the flight during the war. And that among the silt and logs of the ship will be found, the searchers do not doubt. And the unknown heroes will get names. Experience with archives is enormous. About a month ago, a missing crew was found near Bobruisk. We got both the pilot and the shooter. They found their relatives in Russia and Ukraine. Recently, the remains of the pilots solemnly reburied in the Bobruisk district. Personal items were transferred to the museum and loved ones.

A married couple from the search party “Aviapoisk Borisov” returned from oblivion dozens of crews. Tatiana says that inspired their book “Two Captains” about the polar pilot Sanya Grigoriev. The prototype of the hero - Samuel Klebanov - our countryman from Orsha. In 1942 Klebanov died in an air battle near Vitebsk. His plane was never found. But the searchers managed to find some traces. Sooner or later, another heroic story will end.