The friendship between Russians and Chinese born on the battlefields continues today through generations.
The families of veterans pose together on the occasion of the commemoration of the victory of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union at Park Gorki in Moscow, on May 9, 2025.
History is not limited to the archives or the inscriptions engraved on the monuments; She also lives in the memory of individuals and in family transmission. In Moscow, the link between a family of soldiers and China extends over almost a century, connecting two generations.
It is both the family epic of General Iouri Zavizionov and a reflection of the path traveled by the Chinese and Russian peoples: to help each other during the anti -fascist war, then transmit, in peacetime, the flame of friendship from generation to generation.
A friendship born on the battlefield
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Gavriil Zavizion |
The story begins with Iouri’s father, General Gavriil Zavizion. In 1941, with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, this young officer, a graduate with the mention of the 2nd school of Saratov tankists, left at the front with an armored unit.
From the Battle of Smolensk to the defense of Moscow, he confronted the horrors of the war head on. He received the order from the red banner and was also seriously injured.
In September 1944, the 6th armored army of the Soviet Guard was created, and Mr. Zavizion occupied the post of assistant to the head of the department of staff. He took part in the fighting for the release of Budapest, Vienne and Prague.
However, the link between this unit and China began in the summer, however, 80 years ago in northeast China.
In August 1945, the Soviet Union, in accordance with the Yalta agreements, declared war in Japan. The unit to which Mr. Zavizion belonged, as the main force, participated in the storm operation of August, crossing the chain of the Grand Khingan to launch the assault against the Japanese army of Guandong which then occupied northeast of China. “My father often mentioned his experience in northeast China. It was in the middle of summer, in stifling heat: the temperature inside the tanks reached 45 ° C. Then, sudden rains transformed the roads into quagmire in a moment, making the slightest movement of heavy tanks impossible, ”explains Iouri Zavizionov.
It is in such extreme conditions that the friendship between the army and the population was born at the heart of the fighting. “When the Chinese learned that the Soviet army came to hunt the Japanese invaders, they spontaneously stood, with the most rudimentary tools, to help the tanks embellished to free themselves, and shared with the soldiers their meager reserves of water and foods. »»
The Soviet army, deeply indignant by crimes committed by Japanese militarism against the Chinese people, also shared its military rations with hungry inhabitants and provided them with medical aid. Thanks to the close cooperation between the soldiers and the Chinese and Soviet civilians, the Japanese army of Guandong collapsed quickly. This combat episode laid the foundations of the deep link between the Zavizion family and China.
Photos of veterans of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union exhibited at Park Gorki, May 9, 2025
The peace medal on the way of seniors
His father’s military career and his expedition to the Far East deeply marked the life of Iouri.
In the footsteps of his father, he joined the troops of the Ministry of the Interior and also ended up reaching the rank of lieutenant-general. Its existence embodies as much the perpetuation of family convictions as the custody of a historic pact.
Today, as president of the Veterans Committee of the 6th Armored Army of the Guard, Iouri is both the Guardian of historical memory and a promoter of Sino-Russian friendship.
In May 2015, in Moscow, during the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, President Xi Jinping met the 18 representatives of the Russian veterans, including Iouri. He sent them his warm greetings and gave them a commemorative medal.
“It was one of the most moving moments in my life,” says Iouri. President Xi Jinping, in his speech, recalled the friendship sealed by the blood and the life of the two peoples. I was able to feel deep inside that the exploits of our elders were not only engraved in our memories, but also cherished by our Chinese friends. »»
Whenever he participates in an event at the Chinese Embassy in Russia, he solemnity wears this medal. She is not only an honor for her family, but also a living testimony of friendship between the two countries.
An activity organized to commemorate the victory of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union at Park Gorki, May 9, 2025
A common memory always alive
Each year, on May 9, victory day, and during the Russian Tankete day, Iouri went to Park Gorki to find his father’s comrades and their descendants. Long tables are assembled, covered with the dishes brought by everyone, of vodka, flags of military units and old photographs. This meeting, organized spontaneously by the descendants of veterans, has been perpetuated for thirty years.
“Many of us have known each other since childhood,” explains Iouri. “Our professions are diverse, there are generals, but also retired tramway drivers or factory employees. However, we share a common identity, we are all descendants of war heroes. »»
Several of them have a deep link with China. Alexander Odinokov, former Federal Inspector in chief of the Love Region, evokes as “his most beautiful memories” cooperation with the Chinese province of Heilongjiang and the city of Heihe, located just on the other side of the river. Elena Sergeeva says that her daughter teaches Msu-Bit University in Shenzhen, co-founded by the Moscow State University and the Beijing Technology Institute. “China has become my daughter’s second homeland and I hope to be able to go see her very soon. »»
Their stories, such as small streams, throw themselves into the large river of Sino-Russian friendship. Friendship forged by their elders on the battlefield was transmitted through generations, nourished by cultural exchanges, and today bears the fruits of peace in the new generation. The highlight of their reunion is when Iouri gives the descendants of commemorative medals that he himself made, then all of military songs.
These sober songs fill the wood, carrying in them the memory of the ancestors, the value of peace and hope in the future. This friendship born in the flames of war is transmitted from generation to generation, anchored in the collective memory of nations, families and peoples. Time refines it so that it remains alive and renews itself, instilling heat and vigor with the sino-Russian relations of the new era.
