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West China

Chongqing residents pay tribute to Soviet pilot of WWII

2019-12-17 09:13:36

CHONGQING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Residents of Wanzhou District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality gathered at a martyr cemetery Friday to pay tribute to a Soviet pilot of World War II.

Grigori Kulishenko was the captain of a Soviet Union air squadron, which was among the international forces to join China's Anti-fascist War in 1937.

Kulishenko is a household name in Wanzhou. He was among more than 2,000 Soviet pilots who volunteered to help China drive out invading Japanese troops during World War II.

During his days in China, Kulishenko not only trained Chinese pilots but also fought fiercely against the Japanese air force with his squadron.

On Oct. 14, 1939, he shot down six enemy aircraft. On his way back to base, he was intercepted by more than 20 Japanese planes and was wounded in the chest and left shoulder. One of his engines had been badly hit.

To prevent his aircraft from careening into downtown Wanzhou and risk harming the local residents, he chose to make an emergency landing on the Yangtze River. Two of his crewmates managed to escape and swim safely to shore, but Kulishenko and the plane were engulfed by the river.

On Nov. 3, local residents retrieved his remains and later held a grand memorial service and funeral for him.

Among the mourners, Wei Yingxiang and his mother Tan Zhonghui have been the keepers of Kulishenko's tomb for six decades.

"My mother was not well-educated, but she has a heart of gratitude. Kulishenko sacrificed his life to protect the people of Wanzhou, and we became his tomb keepers to repay his kindness. We will never forget those martyrs who gave their lives to help us," Wei said.

"On the national memorial day, we cherish the memory of the deceased in order to never forget the past. While facing the future, the pain of history helps us treasure the hard-won peace even more," said Tang Xuefeng, a researcher at China Three Gorges Museum.

Editor:Jiang Yiwei