A terrible war ended seventy years ago. It is called the Great Patriotic War, because our entire Fatherland, that is, the entire country, fought against the enemy. This our victory over the strong and ruthless enemies that attacked us, the fascists, ended. The war lasted four whole years. For four years our country lived a harsh and terrible military life. All who could became soldiers and went to fight. And those who could not fight, tried their best to help the soldiers: they sewed greatcoats for them, made weapons.
Imagine that your dads, dads of your friends and all older brothers, many mothers, even many older sisters suddenly put on military uniforms, take.
Imagine that for four whole years you will not know exactly how they are there, what is with them, whether they are alive. After all, then it was not that mobile phones and the Internet were not in sight, even simple mail worked with difficulty, because almost half of the country became a battlefield. And many cities were captured by the enemy for a long time. Imagine that strangers, armed to the teeth, arrogant soldiers who speak an incomprehensible language suddenly burst into your city or your village, enter your house, do whatever they want, and there is no one to protect you. That everything you are used to suddenly disappears, there is no food, not at all, not at all. Tap water does not flow, the radio does not work (there were no TVs then), buses and trolleybuses do not travel.
If you suddenly get sick, there are no doctors either, not even dentists. And there is no one to help you. And all this lasts for long, long four years. It’s scary to even imagine this and I don’t want to, but if you don’t imagine it, it’s not clear what kind of holiday we are celebrating on May 9. Indeed, it was on this day seventy years ago across the country that people heard the announcement on the radio that Victory Day had come. The Nazis defeated and surrendered. Now all the surviving parents and children can be together again and not part. Dads will come back and kiss moms, and moms - finally! - will be able to put on their beautiful dresses again. In the shops it will again be possible to buy bread and milk, and sweets, and even ice cream. And no one will shoot anymore, and instead of tanks, normal cars will drive through the streets. It won't be scary and cold anymore. Children will be able to live and not die. Can you imagine how everyone who heard this then rejoiced? How they hugged, laughed, congratulated each other. And they cried. Many cried, because in almost every family someone did not survive, did not live to see this holiday. That's what Victory Day is. That is why all of us, citizens of the victorious country, celebrate it today.
