"My Hero"
"We called every two to three weeks for six months. My husband said that the vacation was not planned soon. But I could not even dream that I would see him much earlier, "says Eleonora Polezhaeva, the wife of serviceman Evgeny from Nyagan (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District).
The 34-year-old fighter, who had previously served in the missile forces, was mobilized on November 1. And on March 14, a video of a touching meeting of the spouses spread on social networks. In the footage, Eleanor leaves the building to meet her husband and throws herself on his neck. The woman signed this video as "her husband returned home" with the hashtag "my hero".
"The holidays were all planned and my husband was supposed to come much later. But, fortunately, they allowed another person to take two weeks extra. Zhenya became it, "the wife of the soldier tells RT.
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"Now we're together! Eleanor lovingly repeats. - There are a lot of things to do, you need to see all your loved ones. Now we are going to visit relatives. In general, I want to say that even just walking down the street without stopping does not work. The town is small, everyone knows each other, and the husband there is very warmly treated. It's a common thing: we walk down the street, meet someone and then stand, hug, talk."
"With the permission of his wife"
The main desire of Artem Golubev,who came on vacation (name and surname changed. - RT) from the Bryansk region was to see his wife and four daughters. "The fact that you can't kiss your wife and children at night, hug you, say: 'Goodnight' - at this time was the most difficult," he shared with RT.
According to Golubev, until the last moment he was not sure whether he would be given a vacation. Therefore, in order not to reassure my relatives in vain, I did not give them specific dates. And when he was eventually allowed to go home, he decided to arrange a surprise for his relatives. "Met with tears of happiness," the fighter adds.
Artem volunteered for the SVO in mid-October 2022. According to him, he was going to participate in the special operation even before the announcement of partial mobilization. After September 21, he went to the military recruitment office, but was refused as a father of many children. However, the fighter is not used to giving up. In the end, he was able to get his way.
"I was taken only after I signed a waiver of the postponement and, most importantly, provided a report from my wife that she did not mind my sending to a special operation," he recalls. "The deputy commander then shook my hand and said, 'Man!'
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Artem has been inseparable from his wife since school. According to him, the whole family reacted to his desire to go to the SVO zone with understanding and pride. "I have always been such a person: if I have decided something, then it will be so," Golubev emphasizes. I couldn't stay away. I told my daughters that I was going to serve the Motherland, they were proud of me. I have older twins, they are 11 years old, the middle is five, the youngest is four. One of the older daughters really wants to enter the cadet school this year."
Now Golubev serves in a self-propelled artillery regiment. "There is a brotherhood on the front line, everyone helps each other, there is nothing so complicated: follow orders, go back and forth – and not a step back. As grandfathers taught, "says the volunteer.
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In the future, the fighter dreams of getting to his childhood friend in the reconnaissance battalion. "Before SVO, I worked on a crane, built a metro in Moscow. When we win, I will definitely go to restore our new Russian cities if possible," he adds.
New "title"
Afanasy Orlov (name and surname changed. - RT) comes from the city of Seltso, Bryansk region. As the fighter recalls, he received a summons on September 22, 2022 and did not hesitate to go to the military recruitment office.
"The first three months were hard until we got used to it. We lived in the fields, dug trenches ourselves, it was very unusual, "recalls Athanasius.
For the good performance of tasks, Orlov was appointed commander. But it's not just that status that's been updated.
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"In March, I was given a vacation of 15 days. I didn't tell my family about it, I made a surprise. I was greeted very warmly, with tears of joy in my eyes. I also proposed to my girlfriend Tatiana, with whom I have been together for more than three years. On March 11, we got married. This separation brought us very close - it is emotionally difficult for her, but she supported me, collects parcels, "athanasius tells RT.
According to the man, after graduating from the SVO, he wants to return to his former life. He also dreams of a large family.
"We all want only a clear sky above our heads, so that everyone remains alive and unharmed. After graduating from the SVO, I want to have children with my wife. I will continue to work at my last job. I will just live and appreciate the time spent with relatives and friends, "says Orlov.