Oxana Vasilchikova

Children Burnt by the War 1941-45 (The Last Witnesses):: War Memories and Post-war Identity Oxana Vasilchikova

The Great Patriotic War was one of the cruelest wars of the XXth century. Especially great suffering in the USSR it brought to children. They grew up very quickly. This generation did not have childhood; their childhood was embedded in the war. Keeping their war memories alive Galina and Slava Lebedevy as one of the representatives of this generation decided to establish an organization named "Children burnt by war" in Arkhangelsk putting as their main aim the transmission of their knowledge to young generations as a means of creating continuity in society. The creation of the organization of the Lebedevys was also a way of adaptation to new conditions of life: lacking support from the state after the breakdown of the USSR they started their struggle for social justice to enhance the life of the people of their generation. They wanted to restore their position in the new society, to regain dignity and counteract the rapidly decreasing respect from the younger generations. Through the establishment of the organization, they have become actively involved themselves into the political life of the city and the country in order to be heard, understood and recognized.