Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHONGQING, June 30 (Xinhua) — Wei Yingxiang, a native of Wanzhou in southwest China’s Chongqing City, never imagined that his life would be linked to a Soviet pilot he had never met. The pilot’s name was Grigory Akimovich Kulishenko.
Grigory Akimovich Kulishenko, born in 1903, became a squadron commander of bombers in the Soviet Air Force, and in 1939, together with his comrades, was sent by the Soviet government to China with two groups of bombers to help the Chinese people in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
In October 1939, G. A. Kulishenko, leading a bomber group of the volunteer air forces for aid to China, carried out a raid on the Japanese airfield in Hankou and inflicted serious damage on the Japanese army.
On the way back, G. A. Kulishenko’s plane was intercepted by the enemy and one of the engines was shot down, as a result of which he was wounded in the chest and left shoulder. When he took off over Wanxian County (now Wanzhou District, Chongqing City), the plane lost its balance, and in order to protect the plane and people on the ground, the commander refused the parachute and made an emergency landing on the surface of the Yangtze River in the Chenjiaba District of Wanxian County.
Two of his comrades swam to the shore, but the wounded Kulishenko was carried away by the current and died a heroic death at the age of 36.
Local residents found the pilot’s body 20 days later. They held a memorial service and funeral in his honor.
“I experience the misfortune of the Chinese people as if I were experiencing the misfortune of my homeland. It is very hard for me to see how the Japanese indiscriminately bomb Chinese soil,” G. Kulishenko said with feeling during his lifetime.
The Chinese people have not forgotten this hero.
In 1958, the Wanxian County People’s Government built a special cemetery for G. Kulishenko. That year, Wei Yingxiang was 4 years old. He thought that this hero must be great.
Wei Yingxiang’s grandfather lived by the Yangtze River and volunteered to search for G. A. Kulishenko’s remains along the river along with many other people. His grandfather told him that G. A. Kulishenko died defending the Chinese people.
That year, Wei Yingxiang’s mother, Tan Zhonghui, took on the duties of guardian of G.A. Kulishenko’s grave. At the age of 31, Tan Zhonghui was engaged in landscaping in Xishan Park. Due to her respect for G.A. Kulishenko, she volunteered to guard the grave, clean the cemetery, wipe the tombstone, pull out weeds, trim branches and leaves, regardless of the weather.
In 1977, before retiring, Wei Yingxiang’s mother wanted to entrust her son with guarding the grave. Young Wei Yongxiang thought that working at the cemetery was boring and monotonous. But his mother insisted that he should be persistent even in monotonous tasks: “This hero’s home is far from Chongqing, and he has no relatives here, so we should accompany him and not let him feel lonely.”
Since then, guarding the grave of Grigory Kulishenko became the most honorable thing in Wei Yingxiang’s life. There were organizations and enterprises that offered him a high salary, but Wei Yingxiang rejected the offers one after another.
After retiring in 2014, he still visits the cemetery every day, as if visiting an old friend. “I always worry and worry about him,” Wei Yingxiang said, adding that his mother also influenced him. After her retirement, she would go to the cemetery every morning to check if everything was in order, so that her heart would be at peace. In 2018, Tan Zhonghui died at the age of 91. Before her death, she still remembered Grigory Kulishenko’s grave and asked her son to protect it.
For decades, under the care of this mother and son, the G. A. Kulishenko cemetery has served as an example of the gratitude of the Chinese people, and the exploits of the heroes have been passed down from generation to generation.
Around the tombstone of G. Kulishenko grow tall trees planted by Tan Zhonghui, Wei Yingxiang’s mother. He said that he would guard this grave during his lifetime, because for him “this is not only a responsibility and deep gratitude, but also the conscience of the Chinese people.” -0-