This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. More than 26 million lives were lost for the country’s future. There is hardly a family untouched by the war. These families preserve their stories, photos of relatives and loved ones — their faces and names are part of our heritage. One such person is Farhizamal Gataullina.

A life shaped by war

Farhizamal Gataullina, now 93 years old, is a home front worker and one of the few remaining women who supported the war effort from behind the lines. She will be attending the 80th Victory Parade.

“I’ve seen much in this life. During the war years, we gathered wild herbs like orach and nettles. We brought everything from the fields to our mother so she could cook at least something for us to eat,”
recalls Farhizamal apa.

She was born the 10th child in the village of Makhmur, Dubyaz rural settlement. She was just 9 years old when the war broke out.

“We were in school when we heard the news. The moment we were told the war had started, we threw away our books in fear. We were terrified. Crying, we all rushed out into the streets,”
she recalls.

Children at work

Like many children at the time, she worked alongside adults — gathering rotting potatoes and toiling in the fields.

“When my mother went to work, I followed her. I tried to help at least by picking up leftover ears of grain. From that age on, we all worked. We received a kilo of bread for our labor. So, at 10 years old, village children began working,”
she says.

A family’s loss

Her brother, Giniyatulla Khaliullin, died in the Siege of Leningrad at the age of 27. He was wounded and sent to a hospital, which was bombed by the Nazis days later.

“My brother had been away for a long time after the war began. When he finally returned to Kazan, he was immediately sent to the front — he didn’t even make it home. Later he fought, and we only received news of his death four years after it happened,”
she shares.

Postwar resilience

After the war, 16-year-old Farhizamal was sent to work, helping with logging. After six months, she returned to her village and began working in a kolkhoz (collective farm).

In 1954, she met Ildus, her future husband. They married and raised three children. She worked in a bakery, while her husband was a combine harvester operator.

“There was a young man who wanted to take me to Siberia, but I didn’t go with him. I chose Ildus instead — a good man. He worked hard and was a respected machine operator,”
she says with a smile.

They spent nearly 50 years together before her husband passed away. Today, she has five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. For her dedication, courage, and active civic life, Farhizamal Gataullina has received numerous awards.

Words to today’s soldiers

“To all the soldiers involved in the special military operation, I wish you a safe return home. We pray for you all. Those who come home on leave always stop by to visit,”
she says with heartfelt sincerity.

By Alina Kamalieva
Source: biektaw.ru