World War II in the history of my family

Gainov Boris Alexandrovich was the brother of my great-grandmother.
The cheerful, inquisitive guy was the pride of his teachers and parents. After graduating with honors from school, he enrolled in the Novosibirsk Institute of Military Railway Engineers and was looking forward to the first vacation to come back to his beloved city, hug his loved ones, and run with friends to the Volga…

But the war decided on his fate. After completing training courses at the Achinsk Infantry School, he was sent to the front. On the way, he wrote a letter to his family: “We are approaching Saratov. Soon I will see my beloved Volga. How is our town there? I often think about it, especially now as I’m approaching the Volga.”

In September 1942, Boris was appointed squad leader of the anti-aircraft platoon of the Siberian 587th Rifle Regiment. “Don’t worry about me, serving in the platoon is much easier, and it is much better and more reliable to beat the Nazis,” he wrote in one of his last letters.

And here are the chilling lines of his last letter: “My dear family! In one of the battles at Stalingrad, I was slightly wounded, but this is already over. I am going to beat the hated Nazis again. Don’t worry about me, I’m confident in myself. I must survive, and I will survive…”

On November 27, 1952, in one of the bloody battles near Stalingrad, Boris died without seeing his hometown, without embracing his loved ones, but remained forever next to his beloved Volga.