“Rejoice every day and do good”: veteran of the great Patriotic war Lydia Volkova – 102 years

The oldest resident of the Partizan district, veteran of the Great Patriotic War Lidia Kondratievna Volkova on October 10 congratulated on the 102nd anniversary, reports the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

The head of the administration of the Partizan district Nikolai Strok, deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vadim Gigin, as well as members of the Belarusian Union of Women and the Belarusian Public Association of Veterans came to congratulate the woman. The participants wished the birthday girl good health, prosperity and long life.

- In the Partizan district there are 21 participants of the Great Patriotic War. Today is a special holiday – we came to congratulate the oldest resident of the district, respected Lidia Kondratievna, who turns 102 years old. Caring for veterans is our primary task, and the most important thing for people of this generation is attention and calm, Strok said. Support for the generation of winners is sacred for all of Belarus. These are the people who laid the foundation of our country and gave us the most precious thing – peace and a clear sky above our heads.

Lidia Volkova took part in the Great Patriotic War from the first day until its end. On the frontline path of a woman, and then a 16-year-old girl, fell severe trials. Before the war, she managed to graduate from nursing school, so during the war she saved the wounded – she traveled from Western Ukraine to Berlin, and met the long-awaited Victory on the doorstep of the Reichstag.

- The main gift on this day is communication and attention. When you are remembered, visited and supported, you know that you are needed. A huge thank you to everyone for this warmth, shared her emotions. I don’t have any secrets about longevity. My main advice to the younger generation is to be happy, appreciate your work, enjoy every day you live and do good. Good health and well-being at home.

In Belarus, care for veterans is fixed at the state level. In addition to annual one-time payments to the Victory Day, as social protection measures, they are provided with state social benefits in the field of health care, transportation, and housing.

The Minsk city organization “Belarusian Women’s Union” pays special attention to supporting veterans of the Great Patriotic War, former prisoners of fascist concentration camps and residents of besieged Leningrad. We annually connect to large-scale republican and city events, such as “From the bottom of our hearts”, visit residents both at home and in social boarding houses, said Alesya Gireeva, chief specialist for working with the media of the Minsk city organization “Belarusian Women’s Union”. Today, for the elderly, the most valuable thing is human warmth, attention and the opportunity to communicate. At the same time, our support is not limited to calendar holidays: the activists of the organization are always ready to provide targeted domestic assistance - to help with cleaning in the house or in the yard, to solve everyday issues.

Photo by Sergei Mitsevich