Oleg Valenchuk: Honor, glory and a low bow to all the heroes, living and fallen

      Correspondence competitions have long been an integral part of the festival, which is chaired by State Duma deputy Oleg Valenchuk. This season, the competition is dedicated to a significant date – the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It brought together 5,742 participants from 76 regions of the country.

      Each month, the jury summed up the results and determined the winners who would continue to compete for the titles of laureates. And the other day, the authors of the best works by the end of April became known. Leonid Koffe from Vorkuta became the undisputed favorite in the opinion of all the jury members. For him, the Great Patriotic War is not a story from school textbooks, or even stories from his parents. This is something that has been experienced and that it is simply impossible to forget.

      The life of Leonid Yakovlevich Koffe is a vivid example of how personal history is intertwined with the history of the country, how experienced events shape character and inspire creativity. Born on October 28, 1932 in Kharkov, he was confronted with the horrors of war as a child. In the autumn of 1941, together with his family, he was evacuated to Stalingrad, becoming an unwitting witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War. Ten-year-old Leonid, who forever retained in his memory the sounds of explosions, the vision of a destroyed city and human grief, unwittingly became part of a tragic but heroic era. This childhood experience certainly had a profound impact on his later life and worldview.

      On a well-deserved vacation, Leonid Yakovlevich led an active life, was a welcome guest at city events. His poetic and creative talent, which has always been inherent in him, has been marked by victories in many competitions. In the last years of his life, he released a musical collection of songs, marches, and waltzes about Vorkuta and its heroic people, "We are Vorkutans."

      In February 2025, shortly before his death, he took part in the filming of the video for his Victory march "Immortal Regiment", submitting it to the All-Russian contest "How the Motherland begins". This work, full of patriotism and deep respect for the memory of the ancestors, became the last creative testament of the author. Unfortunately, Leonid Yakovlevich did not have time to learn about the deserved victory. On April 1, he passed away. The Organizing Committee of the festival expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends. May his memory live on in the hearts of those who knew him, and in the lyrics and sounds of his songs.

      - It is our sacred duty to know our history, to learn from it, to preserve the memory and connection of time and pass it on to the younger generation. This is especially true now, when our guys are defending the interests of our Homeland in the SVO zone, Oleg Valenchuk noted. - May the example of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers give strength to our soldiers! To all the heroes, living and fallen– honor, glory and low obeisance.

      The full list of March graduates and their works can be found here. Very soon, on the eve of Victory Day, the names of the winners of the correspondence competition will be announced.