Эссэ, посвященное 75 летию ВОВ на английском языке

There is nothing more terrible than war, because when there is a peace on the earth: children bury their parents, and when there is a war on the earth-parents bury their children!

Aristotle

War is a very scary word. This is a short word, but how much grief, suffering, fear, tears, devastation, hunger and death it brought .All these terrible memories leave huge scars on the hearts of millions of people on our planet.

What is the meaning of war? What are people fighting for to this day?

These questions have been worrying for several generations of Earth's inhabitants. Everyone sees war in their own way: for some it is a way of profit, an opportunity to tear off a "tidbit", and for some it is the only way to protect themselves from the enemy and ensure a peaceful existence.

For us, war is always grief, tears, and the death of many people. People forget about their humanity and turn into soulless savages, hungry for blood. This is wrong... People have no reason to fight each other. We all live on the same planet and have a long history.

The military theme has been touched upon many times in the literary works of world-famous poets and writers, and it has been encountered more than once in the cinema.One of the most striking works on the military theme, in my opinion, is the story of M. A. Sholokhov "the Fate of man".

The main character of the story is Andrey Sokolov. The great Patriotic war brought him many trials. He worked as a driver at the front, but came under fire and was captured. There he met with inhuman conditions on the part of the Germans, saw an attempt at treachery, and came face to face with the enemy, who generously released him.

The war destroyed Andrey Sokolov's entire life. His wife died at the hands of the Germans when enemy shells fell on the house. His son was killed in battle. Andrey Sokolov himself was injured and injured.

After the war, he had nowhere to go. He had no home, no job, no family. The war took everything, left him with nothing. However, Andrey Sokolov did not lose a hope. He met a boy, Vanya, who found himself in the same situation. His parents died, and he was left alone. His heart, stricken with pain, found exactly the same wounded heart that helped him survive the pain.

In the story of M. A. Sholokhov, war is a terrible time that takes away all the most important and valuable things for a person, giving him many trials that he is destined to survive. There should never be wars in the world, the author believes, since this is the most serious crime against a person. It violates their rights, harms their health, as well as buildings and cultural monuments.

On the example of one person, the author wanted to show how pernicious war is. She doesn't feel sorry for anyone. Even a child becomes a victim! Why? For  what? How? These questions, alas, are not destined to find an answer. He's  gone.

This year, a significant date will be celebrated all over the world - the 75th anniversary of the victory in the great Patriotic war. Every year on May 9, the country remembers its heroes and honors their memory. Children prepare holiday cards, concerts, and congratulate veterans who are not so many left. Every year, the country unites to remember those heroes who gave their lives for our peaceful existence, who gave us another "peaceful spring". On this day, we lay wreaths at the Eternal flame, sing front-line songs. We are sure that in the head of every Russian on such a day accidentally, but runs this phrase: "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten...»

What does the word war mean to us? It is always pain, grief, suffering, death, the death of not just a person, but a husband, father, brother, son.

    The great Patriotic war ... this event is getting further away from us, there are fewer and fewer people who defended their Homeland with weapons in their hands. The more expensive the memories, documents, and testimonies of these days.

       No one was spared the war. It also affected my family.

       My great-great-grandfather, Mikhail Bykov, was drafted into the army at the beginning of the war. He fought in the black sea fleet, was wounded in the arm and leg, and was discharged. He didn't say much about the war, no matter how much they asked for it: these memories were too painful.  

        At the front, each soldier has his own path - short or long. My great-grandmother's brother, Peter Pavlov, had a short one. He was drafted into the army at the end of the war. Short-term courses in Torzhok. I sent one letter to my family, telling them that I was going to the front. And in April 1945 came the funeral.

My other relatives did not fight, they worked in the rear. It was hard, hungry, hard. But they did everything for the front, everything for Victory.  It seems to me that everyone who survived the war years has accomplished a feat.

 I saw the war in the movies, read about it in books, but the most vivid in my memory were the stories of my great-grandfather, Ivan Morozov, (he died last year) about how they lived in those harsh years in the rear.

When the war began, he was 10 years old. They lived very poorly. The mother has six children in her arms. In summer, he went barefoot, and during school - in bast shoes, which he wove. The clothes were not new, there was nothing to buy them for, they were mostly made from something old.

Starved, there was no flour at all. In the summer, they harvested grass-quinoa, porridge, clover, pestles - dried it, and then added it to tortillas that were made from frozen potatoes. Potatoes grew bad, small. Those potatoes that had not been dug up in the fall in the collective farm fields were allowed to be dug in the spring.

And in 1943, my mother died of starvation, and life became even harder. School, although he studied well, had to quit. The children were looked after by an older married sister. When my grandfather told me about it, he could not hold back his tears. Now I understand why "Victory Day is a holiday with tears in your eyes".

I have never seen my great-great-grandfather or my great-grandmother's brother.I only know about them from the stories of my grandparents and their grandchildren. I look at their photos with love and touch their awards.

 On May 9, I participate in the campaign "Immortal regiment", I come to the obelisk. I will come this year. I want my relatives to be among those who will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Victory, because this is their holiday.

My relatives are one of the many ordinary people who brought the Victory closer and defended the Fatherland. The memory of that harsh time was alive in their hearts, and it is alive in the hearts of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am proud of my great-grandparents and learn from them love for the Motherland, courage, perseverance, and hard work.

We live in the 21st century. We enjoy life and get an education. But thanks to whom are we able to do all this? Thanks to whom did our country maintain its independence?

There are fewer and fewer of these people now. Veterans of the great Patriotic war are already very old people. There is not a single participant of the war left in our village. But it is thanks to their incredible feat that our country has remained a great independent state.

                                                                        by  Bykova Anastasya 8 th form

Patriotism: what does it mean to me? Patriotism is a word that we have heard since childhood. Everyone has their own interpretation of it, but in any case, it is associated with love for one's homeland. This love is expressed through a willingness to serve and, if necessary, sacrifice oneself for the good of one's country and its people. Patriotism is not just a concept that everyone knows about; it is a deep and enduring connection to one's country's history, culture, traditions, and people. After all, as A.N. Tolstoy wrote: "Patriotism is not only love for one's homeland. It's much more than that. This is the consciousness of one's inseparability from the Motherland and the inherent experience of her happy and unhappy days with her" [1]. And how correctly it is noted here that the Motherland is like a close person with whom you experience both joy and adversity! Patriotism is not limited only to participating in parades or singing the anthem, as many, unfortunately, may think. I've been noticing more and more people who just do

love for the Motherland, for my country. From an early age, my parents and I traveled around Russia, and they showed me the most interesting parts of our country. I visited Moscow several times, walked around Red Square, the heart of our homeland, and admired the beauty of nature. My father and I watched TV shows together, and he told me about our president, Vladimir Putin, and the symbols of our great country. I always listened to him with great interest, because I already knew that Russia was a part of me. When I started school, we started studying the history of our country, which was also very interesting. Now that I'm in 10th grade, my favorite subjects are history and social studies, where I'm learning more and more about my homeland. Every year, my understanding of patriotism expands, and I'm proud to call myself a patriot of my country. I believe that patriotism is like a belief that resides in the soul and enriches it. It is a love for one's homeland, for one's country, and for the people who live there.

In addition to my deep feelings for my homeland, I am also driven by a desire to learn and contribute to the development of my beloved country. About a month ago, I traveled to Volgograd, the Hero City, with my classmates, where I gained a wealth of knowledge about the Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted for 200 days and nights [5]. It was an unforgettable experience that will forever remain in my memory. Mamayev Kurgan was a place that left a lasting impression on me. Walking around it, I realized how difficult it was for our soldiers, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I consider the monument "Motherland Calls!" to be a gem of our country that everyone should see. Unfortunately, the current situation in the world is very unstable. When I think about the special military operation in Ukraine, I realize that war is a very serious matter. As Andrei Bolkonsky, the hero of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace, said, "War is not a courtesy, but the most vile thing in life, and one must understand this and not play at war." [2]

Who gave their lives for a peaceful sky above their heads. It is a responsibility for one's country and a willingness to work for its prosperity. It is a feeling that lives in my heart and guides me on my life path. I am a patriot of my country!