The other day, an exhibit from the front was donated to the funds of the Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”. It is noteworthy that on the surface the thing itself is absolutely peaceful, every day, non-military and could be constructive, if it were not for its destructive essence, content and call for the destruction of the Ukrainian people.
A copy of the newspaper “Krasnaya Zvezda” is one of the finds discovered by sappers of the engineering support group of the 60th separate Ingulets infantry [1] brigade during countless outings on the contact line with the russian occupiers in the north of the Kherson region. In July 2022, preparations continued for the liberation of the village of Vysokopillya, the district center of the Kherson region, which had been under the control of the russian invaders for more than five months. Meter by meter, despite mortar attacks and sometimes airstrikes, sappers together with scouts surveyed the territory, which was later to become the starting line of the offensive for infantry units and military equipment.
During one such outing, this example of russian printed propaganda was found. It is difficult to talk about its effectiveness in the era of popular video applications, but, in my opinion, the existence of such a newspaper and its distribution among enemy soldiers is a symbolic evidence of how the aggressor country is trying to drag Ukraine and all of Europe into the totalitarian past. While the world is racing for speed, the russian civilization crook is trying to spread lies based on the patterns of century-old Bolshevik propaganda.
Museum visitors will be able to draw their own conclusions. For me, personally, this newspaper is also a painful reminder of the losses that our brigade, and in particular the company in which I have the honor to serve, suffered during the liberation of Vysokopillyaand its surroundings. Thus, on August 29, 2022, near the Olgine village died 24-year-old senior sapper, a senior soldier nicknamed “Dentist”, Sashko Nerubenko, a wonderful, always smiling guy, a native of the village of Kaplunivka, Kharkiv region, who moved to the village of Nosy of Myrhorod district in Poltava region, young father of 1.5-year-old Oleksandra Nerubenko, knight of the Order “For Courage” (III degree).
There are still many challenges ahead. I hope that all this will make each of us appreciate our country, the opportunity to be free in thoughts and actions, as well as appreciate and remember those who paid and still pay for this opportunity with their own health, and often with their lives. Take care and see you soon.
Yehor Vradii,
Ph. D., lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
[1] Of November 2022, the 60th brigade became mechanized.