Valentina

During World War II many stories happened. All were different: brave, famous, mean, great and unknown.
Many of them aren’t published anywhere because people who made them weren’t famous. But they really were great, deserving attention. These stories are kept in the memories of those who did it or who heard about it. Here is one of them.

My great grandmother Valentina Andrianova was just starting her
education in medical university in Leningrad (St.Petersburg). She had
studied about 3 months, when the war begun. Of course, in those
conditions nobody thought about her education ending. Even her
friend who didn’t pass entrance exams to the university 




went to the war. Everybody knew that any help is better than no help
at all. So my great grandmother Valentina had a choice to go to
war as a nurse. She went. 

During the war she was at an aerodrome hospital. She treated pilots and soldiers. She even carried wounded people on her back, saving their lives.
Before she went to war she lived in a small village right near Leningrad. Fascists occupied this village and lived in Russian people’s houses. Once, a few Russian partisans ran into her house and asked for shelter. She indicated them a right way to the forest where they could hide. She saved them. A minute later three German soldiers knocked on her door. She opened it. One of the soldiers took aim at her head and asked, where the Russian soldiers were. Otherwise they will kill her. In a moment her dark hair became white. It happens if people feel death. But she didn’t tell them anything. The Germans did not have enough time, so they walked away. She was alive. She saved a few lives.

By the end of the war she was awarded with many medals. Now she lives at a that small village in Russia and she has big
health problems. She almost can’t walk, see and hear. Every year she gets a card from the President of Russia with sincere thanks and congratulations.

The War taught us many things. First and most importantly - to gain together when the world starts to crash.
We can see it, reading historical books about parents who gave their last piece of bread to their child to survive Leningrad’s blockade. Or in many battles that happened during this fearful war. Undoubtedly all countries who participated and fought, showed great strength and will. And here is a second thing - we must learn, for our safety. For peace, not for a war. We have to know something about those heroes, who lived that time.

Valentina Andrianova. Interviewed January 2006.