MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Vasily Ivanov, born in Yakutia, served at the guard unit at Cecilienhof Palace, where the Potsdam Conference took place. He also was a guard at the Nuremberg trials. He was born in a small village. Doctors refused several times sending him to the war, but he went to the front as a volunteer and fought to the war’s last day. He served at a reconnaissance unit and was among the first who entered Hitler’s bunker.

In Ivanov’s native village people keep memories about him: they are staging a performance, based on his book, and make a replica of the uniform he wore during the Potsdam Conference and the Nuremberg trials - it will be displayed at the Yakutsk Local History Museum. TASS correspondent tells a story of a soldier, who ran to the front at the age of 17, barely speaking Russian.

"Volunteered to fight at the front"

Vasily Ivanov was born in Yakutia’s small village. After seven years at secondary school he planned to study at a culture college in Yakutsk (the region’s capital). He was 17 when WWII began. For a few times he attempted to go to the front, but doctors would not allow him: in childhood he got sick and his health and sight conditions were far from good.

In June, 1942, the stubborn young man managed to persuade doctors. "They did not want to let him go, but he anyway went to the front as a volunteer - he said he was 18. His mother was afraid to let him go. But his reason was to go to the front to defend her, as he feared the Nazi could come and kill her," the hero’s granddaughter Margarita Popova told us.

Vasily fought for Stalingrad, freed Ukraine and attacked Berlin. His war was over on May 11, 1945, at the Elbe River near Berlin.

God exists

At the front, Vasily believed in God. "He used to carry an aluminum flask. He kept it close to the heart. Even after the war," the granddaughter said. "On it, you could see three deep marks. This is how many times a bullet could hit his heart."

The man also told about mysterious things, which happened to him. After a task, he fell asleep, and "all of a sudden somebody was waking him up. A woman - how could she be there? - speaks to him in the Yakut language and calls him by the name. She keeps telling him to get up. Grandpa could not wake up, the woman got angry, continued waking him up," she said. Finally, Vasily woke up and got out from the shelter. In a couple of minutes, a bomb hit the shelter.

20 words in Russian

When Vasily went to the front, he knew only 20 words in Russian, but very quickly learned the language, and besides, grew to a member of the reconnaissance unit, used to take Nazi prisoners. Grandchildren say, he was very modest and never talked too much. People in the village were not surprised to learn he was among the first to enter Hitler’s bunker and that he was the only Yakut, who participated in the Potsdam Conference and Nuremberg trial.

"Between April 30 and May 5, we guarded a path and Hitler’s bunker, Reich Chancellery, Goebbels ' body in the courtyard of the Foreign Ministry, archives of Wehrmacht, NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) and SS, the Fuhrer's personal standard," Vasily Ivanov wrote in his book "I Shall Return…"

The man used to say that Goebbels’ body with foam coming from the mouth looked horrible. When asked whether Hitler was dead, he always said - yes.

History in one uniform

Ivanov’s uniform was made especially for the honor guard. He wore it at the Nuremberg trials’ final session, and at the Potsdam Conference.

"I was so nervous that almost dropped the gun," he wrote in the book.

Later, he wrote about how he saw the Soviet government walk past the guard. "Stalin had a hat in hand, turned to us and waved with the other hand. I saluted to him in response." Ivanov called that ceremony the most important event during his term at the honor guard.

Life after the war

In 1948, Ivanov returned to Yakutia. On the way home he visited many cities, but chose not to stay there and returned to mother. In memoirs, Ivanov wrote he had never sobbed, but back then "tears poured like a river…"

Post-war life began. At the front, he was contused, and after the war was registered as a handicapped, and was not allowed to work. He received a pension. At that time, the pension was rather high.

However, Vasily was full of energy and strived for work. Thus, he insisted doctors agreed he could work. He started working at a local prison, and in 1959 he moved to Mirny (a town around the Mir kimberlite diamond pipe), where to the last day he worked safeguarding diamonds.

He passed away on October 7, 2011 and was buried in Mirny. Vasily had seven children, 16 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Vasily was decorated with numerous medals and professional diplomas.

The uniform - for the village

In the 2000s, Ivanov gave as a gift his uniform to the native village. "I haven’t been there, but I know that the local museum has organized a space, devoted to the grandfather," the granddaughter said. "He was born there, and people in the village remember and respect him."

The uniform left the village for the first time in February, 2020. Grandchildren brought it to Yakutsk to have a replica made there. The replica would be exhibited at the local history museum.

"We are trying to find a right cloth. It’s turned out to be quite a problem. The original cloth is unique. The woman, who will make the replica, said she had never seen such a dense and high-quality cloth," the granddaughter said.

The relatives want to manage the replica by May, 9 (the Victory Day) - Vasily used to say he wanted the uniform to remain in his native village.

I Shall Return

Vasily’s relatives plan another project. Ivanov’s book "I Shall Return…" was published in 2011. The book will be a base for a one-man show, where other characters would be drawings or images, or shades.

Modern e-music background will imitate sounds of war during the show. The performance will also use traditional Yakut music and dances. The family plans to make the show in 2020. The uniform’s replica will play a special role in the performance.

Until then, the uniform’s original is exhibited in the Museum of History and Culture of the People of the North in Yakutsk.