The start of World War II crushed their dreams of a carefree student life as they had to grow up quickly to defend their motherland. Nikolay Teplotanskikh, now 98, volunteered for a tank regiment as a driver. He repeatedly saved wounded fellow fighters and miraculously survived himself. Valentina Minaeva, 103, worked as a surgical nurse and saved hundreds of lives. Vitaly Kolesov, 100, commanded an artillery platoon and endured some of the most harrowing moments of the Second World War, including the Battle of Stalingrad. As true patriots, these veterans fought not only for their countries but also for all those threatened by Nazism, fighting for freedom.
Eternal Heroes
