This year marks 75 years since the start of the Great Patriotic War in Russia on 22^nd June 1945. This war brought enormous losses to the peoples of the former Soviet Union – more than 27 million people died, of which civilians comprised an overwhelming majority. Some countries lost a significant part of their population: Belarus lost more than 25% of its population, Ukraine over 16%, and Russia every 7^th citizen.

As days go by, fewer and fewer witnesses of those tragic times are still with us. Their striking stories and reminiscences about the great war are a powerful source of wisdom and inspiration; their experience presents priceless examples of courage, loyalty and endurance. This evening, we have the pleasure of welcoming some participants of decisive military events on the Eastern Front, such as the Battle of Stalingrad, the Crossing of the Dniepr, Battle of Berlin, and the Arctic Convoys.

They were still in the years of tender youth when the reality of war made them go and fight for their motherland, for their homes, and their loved and close ones. With remarkable stamina and fortitude did they bear war’s perilous hardships, and yet they retained tolerance and strong faith in peace, love and understanding between all people, as the corner stone of human life and well-being.

We are delighted to invite you to meet these extraordinary people, who are visiting us here in Cambridge for the first time ever – in order to share their memories with the local community.

Short biographies of the War veterans – our guests on 7th May 2016

Links to the films about Nikolay Kozlov:

https://youtu.be/UbS8nmw_VY8
https://youtu.be/OlH21tT10T0
https://youtu.be/L6qc0Xiv2hw
—
How to find us? The venue is conveniently close to the railway station. It’s a 15-minute walk from the station, and is very easy to find:
1. When you come out of the railway station, walk straight up Station Rd, on the right hand-side, until you reach a major crossroads with traffic lights.
2. Turn right into Hills Rd.
3. Walk about 500 yards along Hills Rd. (Try to cross over to the left side of the road at the first opportunity.)
4. When approaching another major crossroads, with a huge church on your left, turn left into Lensfield Rd.
5. Start walking along Lensfield Rd. As soon as you go past the church, you’ll see the small yellowish building of the Scott Polar Research Institute on your left. Walk past it and then turn left into the inner court. The entrance is from the side of the court, through glass doors.
To see this route visit https://goo.gl/maps/qMHcUnHzhXq