Seventeen-year-old Henry Nemchinov brykalski from the village (Izhemsky district of the Komi Republic) withdrew his own project about the war. He recorded and posted it on its youtube channel a video with the stories of villagers whose childhood fell on the Great Patriotic war. And on the Komi language with Russian subtitles.
– I was then ten years. I stood in line, got a loaf of bread, grabbed it with both hands and went to her aunt through the woods, – says Elena Smetanina. – Feel for me someone’s watching. Not afraid, then go. See, I’m catching up two unfamiliar boy. Caught up and began to ask my loaf of bread. And I grabbed it and not give up. Then they pushed me into the snow and broke off a piece of the loaf. I roared and went to my aunt. The rest of the loaf weighed. Poor, only two hundred grams of broken off… still regret that so few took it.
Papa took the front, and we have nothing left, – says Pavel Filippov. – My mom got sick. Brother Ivan died of hunger. Of products nothing happened, and we ate moss and starch. Then began to give the bread slices: on the way home again I will nibble some crumbs will remain.
In the project “Children of war” – thirteen testimonies of elderly residents of Bregalnica. That they sound on the Komi language, is not surprising. Most of the inhabitants of this remote village on the banks of the Pechora, the Komi-Zyrians. To speak in their native language for them is easier and more familiar than in Russian. Komi here studying in schools, it is spoken in families, chatting in the stores. And the author of the project, eleventh-grader Henry Nemchinov passionate about the preservation of folk culture and calls himself Komi blogger. His youtube channel consists mostly of edited into the detailed shots about the life of his pripechora: harsh drivers who commute to the “mainland” winter, traditional hunting, the arrival of spring.
– the idea of the project “Children of war” I told mom, says Henry. – Preserving the memory of the great feat is really important. The stories of the villagers – this is the story of my village. After many years, life will change, but the videos will remain, then it will continue and memory. In the cities, the memories of the war remain, this work established. But it is these entries – from the residents of the villages of Komi, and even in their native language – I have never met. Specially for Russian-speaking audience I’m writing a subtitle.
For the modern teenager, the memories of the villagers about the war time steel shock. Like most of his peers, Henry bright, optimistic and, of course, against any violence. In his picture of the world does not fit the story about how insignificant is human life, when it comes to the fight for a piece of bread.
– What toys did you have? – naively asks his interviewees the young man.
the Remains of a lumber Yes broken crockery – that was our toy��! – laugh in response, they.
What will happen with the project “Children of war” on, is still unknown. But it is clear that this unique material must be preserved and may continue.
– Each story unique. Everyone to tears. It turned out that previously I did not imagine the life of the village in 1941-1945, admits Henry. – I have great respect for the children of war. I’m sorry that their childhood has turned into survival. And I’m glad I undertook this project. The story of the heroic past, the power of the spirit, that you can cope with any difficulties. Aries Col, voz rams live, to live!
Rosa Philippova, a resident of Bregalnica, 90:
– My brother Andrew went into the army, promised to buy me new shoes when I get back. Waiting for him, waiting… But because of the war he never came. Poor, into the Inferno hit. Then dad went to the front. He was Chairman of the village Council, and his office did not call. “All fight, what should I do here?” dad said and also went. Reindeer – other transport here. We – my brother and sister were left alone. The old uncle took us to the neighboring village Nyashabozh. There, together with 70-year-old aunt worked at the farm. Once went down to the river for the remains of hay for the cow and found barley seeds – somebody has spilled out of the bag. All the find was collected from aunt and planted in the yard. One bucket of seeds gave a yield of eighteen sheaves. We have seen enough of for a whole year… My aunt is the bread stood in the queue. The people were so hungry that not noticed how crushed it. His head had been split.
I was left alone. I had to go to study in delaur. There was in a completely different world. We all provided: clothes and food. Gave 700 grams of bread a day! Rations carried under an overcoat and changed things.
the end of the war declared one woman. “The war is over!” – shouted from the street through the open window. The farm slaughtered the largest bull and a soup. I also got a large plate. In the morning our river school was a lot of people. All rejoiced and ate. And the chief foreman sat quietly and did not eat enough for everybody.
