History lessons on the eve of Victory Day in Dubossary

Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic for constituency No. 11 “Central” Boris German took part in commemorative events in Dubossary, organized for children on the eve of Victory Day.

Boris German became a participant in the Unified Class Hour on the topic “The Fate of the Young Generation through the History of the Great Patriotic War”. Addressing the high school students, the parliamentarian emphasized that patriotism begins with knowledge of one’s family roots, with respect for one’s ancestors, who defended the Fatherland on the battlefields at different times, first of all.

The deputy from Dubossary noted that such open lessons are very necessary to remember the heroic past of our Motherland and to be grateful to everyone to whom we owe for a peaceful sky and the joy of life. Boris German congratulated the gymnasium staff on Victory Day and wished everyone peace and goodness.

Another important event took place at Dubossary Gymnasium No. 1. A solemn opening ceremony of the memorial plaque of Maria Kulkina took place in this educational institution on the eve of Victory Day. The gymnasium bears the name of this brave fighter pilot.

The event was attended by the head of the state administration of the Dubossary district and the city of Dubossary Ruslan Chaban, deputy of the Supreme Council of the PMR Boris German, deputy chairman of the Council of People's Deputies Vladislav Kelyukh, representatives of the Pridnestrovian regional branch of the interregional public organization of the Russian Federation and the Tiraspol public organization “Council of Veterans of Peacekeeping Forces, local wars and armed conflicts “Peacemaker”, public organizations, gymnasium students, Dubossary residents.

The initiators of perpetuating the memory of Maria Kulkina were the Pridnestrovian regional branch of the Interregional Public Organization of the Russian Federation and the Tiraspol public organization “Council of Veterans of Peacekeeping Forces, Local Wars and Armed Conflicts “Peacemaker”. The work was carried out with the support of the Dubossary State Administration.

Ruslan Chaban and the director of the gymnasium Olga Yuryeva in the course of the solemn ceremony unveiled a memorial plaque dedicated to the brave pilot Maria Kulkina. All ceremony participants laid flowers at the memorial plaque.

Junior Lieutenant Maria Kulkina is a native of the city of Volsk, Saratov Region. In 1936, Maria Kulkina entered the Bataysk Flight School of Civil Aviation, successfully completed it, she voluntarily went to the front at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, she was sent to the active army, where she served in the 145th separate squadron of the Transcaucasian Front. The fragile girl flew 524 combat missions between May and September 1943 (approximately 15 combat missions daily). She was awarded the Order of the Red Star for dedication and merciless fight against the enemy in 1943.

On May 20, 1944, Maria Kulkina, in an air battle for the Sherpen bridgehead, covered the plane of her commander, who was her husband, with her plane in the sky above the Dubossary region. Fascist fighters shot her down. Kulkina's fighter fell on the territory of the Tomashlyk tract between Dubossary and Grigoriopol. This place is called "Valley of Mary" today. For a long time it was not known where exactly the plane was. The Yak-1B fighter was raised to the surface from a 12-meter depth thanks to a search group and the help of geological exploration workers and special equipment only in 1972. The heroine pilot was solemnly buried at the foot of the Mound of Glory near the highway connecting Dubossary with Tiraspol.