The author is Alexandra Gorbatenko, a student of the Institute of Graphic Design of Ƶ.
My story is about the city of Tashkent during the Great Patriotic War. My grandfather, Yuri Gorbatenko, was one of the millions of heroes of that time. He was a young guy when the war started — only 21 years old, but that didn't stop him from becoming a very important person in his community. Yura learned that tens of thousands of children had lost their parents in bombing or major military battles. He decided that he had to do everything possible to help them. So, he began transporting orphaned children from rural regions to Tashkent.
One day, during another transportation, he decided that this was not enough. He began to look for new families for the orphans so that they could receive the love and care they truly deserved. That's how our story begins. I want to tell you about the Samatov family, whom he met. They also transported children to further search for their parents. This is the family of a blacksmith who made a great contribution to the history of Tashkent. During the war, the blacksmith Shamakhmudov Samatov, together with his wife, raised thirteen orphaned children evacuated from the front line, and after the war they sheltered several more. My grandfather told me that in those years it was quite common to meet orphaned children without a roof over their heads on the streets.
The Uzbek people are famous for their hospitality and friendliness, such a sight broke everyone's heart. Yura, my grandfather, helped to accommodate orphaned children from all over the USSR. He communicated with his friends and acquaintances, and also wrote to newspapers and magazines to find new parents for these children. It was very difficult, but Yura did not give up. His perseverance and perseverance did not go without result — most of the children brought found a new home where they could grow and develop. Samatov said that he even had to sell clothes and use the money to feed the children, the story turned out to be so heartwarming that my grandfather and his colleagues also undertook to help. The city has rallied into one big family. No one divided the children into "friends" and "strangers", everyone was treated equally — with awe and love.
I heard this story as a child, when my grandfather and I were sitting in the evening discussing everything in the world. It was a terrible and great impression, preserved in my memory for many years. I saw with what enthusiasm her grandfather Yura told me, it was very important for him to convey those emotions and solidarity of people in such a difficult time, so that little me from childhood understood how strong our people are.
Grandfather Yura continued his work until the end of the war, saving thousands of lives. At the end of the war, he returned to Tashkent and continued his "service" as a conscientious citizen of his city. His colleagues remembered Grandpa as a reliable and kind-hearted guy.
My grandfather is very old and ill now, but his legacy lives on to this day. His example and work helped not only save many lives, but also inspire people to fight for their dreams. I am proud of my grandfather and all those who worked for the benefit of society during the difficult times of the Great Patriotic War.
According to the stories of Alexandra's grandfather Yuri Vladimirovich Gorbatenko