Oleg Valenchuk awarded the Kirov search enthusiasts

      Let us remind you that the museum dedicated to twice Hero of the Soviet Union, our distinguished compatriot Marshal Konev, was opened in Kirov in 2006 at the initiative of Oleg Valenchuk. In 2022, the exposition was completely updated. Last spring, a unique project, "Konev – Marshal of Victory," was launched at the museum, where schoolchildren conduct tours for their peers. Over the course of a year and three months, 55 guides were trained, 170 excursions were conducted, and nearly 4,500 students visited. These figures alone speak to the project's success and the keen interest of young Kirov residents in the history of the Great Patriotic War.

      It is remarkable that today the museum is becoming truly popular, receiving new exhibits as gifts. Items recovered from the battlefields were handed over to the museum by members of the "Dolg" search teams from School-Internat No.1 and the "Fakel" search team. Gennady Sofronov, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, organized a personal exhibition here. Students from School No. 53 brought their drawings dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory to the museum.

      A large number of artifacts found on the battlefields were donated to the Konev Museum by the commander of the "Risk" search team, Ilya Livatov. These items became the basis for the renovated museum exhibit. Once again, the search commander arrived not empty-handed — he gifted the museum a command star from the Neva Picket.

      The very name of this tiny plot of land, just a few hundred meters long and wide, on the left bank of the Neva, evokes reverence and sorrow. It symbolizes hope, forged in the crucible of the Leningrad blockade at the cost of incredible sacrifices. From 1941 to 1943, Soviet troops held this piece of land at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. It became a crucial stronghold for the January 1943 offensive operation, which weakened the enemy encirclement and laid the groundwork for subsequent successful attacks. Kirov searchers annually visit this sacred place for all Russians.

      – By delving into the past, children sometimes uncover pages of their own family history, – said Ilya Livatov. – Many students proudly share that their great-grandfather participated in the very events we discussed.

      Behind each artifact displayed in the museum is its own story. The commander of the "Risk" search team gladly shared some of these stories with the children and answered their numerous questions.

      Oleg Valenchuk expressed his gratitude to the search teams for their cooperation, their hard, meticulous, and very important work in preserving historical memory.

      – Our sacred duty is to know and honor heroes, to do everything so that their goals and ideals find worthy continuation in the present, become a foundation for the future, – the politician noted. – Perhaps for some of the young guides, the story of the search movement will serve as a call to action. They will feel inspired to not only participate in excavations at battle sites under the guidance of experienced mentors but also learn to restore found artifacts or dedicate their free time to historical research and studying the biographies of their ancestors.

      Oleg Valenchuk presented Ilya Livatov with a letter of appreciation from a State Duma deputy and a metal detector, which will surely be useful in their search work.