On the day of the 71st anniversary of the Great Victory villagers of Kuteevka of the Belinsky district, Penza region traditionally gathered for a rally at the Memorial to the fallen soldiers.

Villagers and visitors of festivities have been congratulated by head of the village council of administration Lyubov Baikina, who recalled that more than four hundred men of the village were called to the front, half of them never returned. “For me, May 9 – is the holy day of worship and veneration of famous older generation of my family name, neighbors, fellow villagers – says Firdaus Tumerkina, an activist of Penza representation of women’s organization” Ak kalfak “. “Sadly, this year, last Kuteevsky veteran of the Great Patriotic War passed away. In the village only the widows of famous fighters have remained. Today, they are fifteen! “Firdaus and her daughters Venera and

Ilmira traditionally have prepared for them holiday packages, gift sets and with words of deep respect personally handed each grandmother” Ryakhmyat byulyage “. Ryamziya abystay shared with us that for many years Firdaus has been doing fellow celebrations on the streets, hanging flags, turning on music, inviting to tea from a samovar with delicious pies, chak-chak, baklava, chocolate, and be sure to bestow a pleasant surprise. The desire to give pleasure to her neighbor is in Firdaus blood. Why such dedication and selflessness? According to the laws of goodness her ancient princely family of the Dashkins on paternal side lived such way. On the maternal line the brothers and sisters of Firdaus are descendants of Shakir Pasha Yavaev. A young man, with strong rosy cheeks, a nephew, remembers from his childhood how Aunt Firdaus instructed him that the descendants of the Tatar Murza and princes have no right for not only the bad things, but even for dark thoughts. Firdaus passionately loves poetry, she writes byaet, more than twenty years gathering historical materials about her village. Three huge suitcase with photographs, newspaper clippings, personal records of folklore finds, antiques are an important wealth of our Firdaus. Her dream – to systematize all of accumulation, a detailed description and to place on the pages of her forthcoming book to immortalize the hardships, at the

same time a beautiful story of rural life in the memory of fellow countrymen.

Editor of “Ak kalfak” info section

Leila Trengulova