GRATUITIOUSNESS DEFINES THE PURITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENDEAVORS

Odd as it may seem, but our government doesn’t exactly hurry to support the activity of search groups with meaningful actions, regardless of the flattering reviews of our work by the country leaders and the anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The work of the searchers on ground depends sometimes on the budget resources of the area or district, on a certain patriotic program, or, as it happens most often, on the salary of the volunteers who traditionally chip in for gas and food for the search expedition.

But sometimes, lucky for the enthusiasts, they come across people who understand and are ready to lend a helping hand. One of such people is Vladimir Palikhata — founder of the charity fund «Our Heritage», one of the main goals of which being the support of patriotic programs, as well as of search activity. Supported by Vladimir Mironovich, several search expeditions of «Michael the Archangel» search group and the search group «Terek» took place in the territory of Chechen Republic in 2014.

Vladimir Palikhata is interviewed by our string correspondent Aleksandr Sokolov.

— Vladimir Mironovich, we have studied your area of interest, including the field of charity. Such a question arose — why support the search activity in particular? Perhaps, you have your own personal reasons?

— Unfortunately, at the present time, a tradition has developed that’s far from right: remembering the deeds of our fathers and grandfathers only on the important dates. The rest of the time, those rough 1418 days of war seem to have never existed. My attitude towards search groups is special, I consider the work of those who day after day restore the lost memory, the people’s destinies, who reunite families decades later, when it seems impossible, highly important. Especially I would like to emphasize the fact of gratuitiousness. I’m sure that gratuitiousness is what defines the purity of thoughts and endeavors.

— Simply put, you consider it necessary to support the guys financially?

— Why only financially? Quite often administrative help is crucial. No matter how sad it sounds, but very often on it’s way to historical justice, the groups meet a whole lot of bureaucratic obstacles that are hard to overcome without help. I try to support in this area too, I engage my acquaintances and business project partners.

— As Alexander Suvorov said: «The war isn’t over until the last soldier is buried». Perhaps, you have some global goal too?

— I certainly do. Since the last year, the guys from «Michael the Archangel» search group and I have set an ambitious undertaking for ourselves — to combine the efforts of the Institutions of Higher Education of Moscow in the field of patriotic upbringing and search activity. Since 2013, the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics is with us, since 2015 — Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and the Russian State Social University. We work actively, we wear in, we optimize the processes. Luckily, the driving force of this activity are the experienced searchers of «Michael the Archangel» search group whom I’ve known for years.

— So, the search activity doesn’t take up a lot of your time?

— The question isn’t quite correct. I don’t participate directly in the excavations. My role is of a more administrative nature. Concerning the time dedicated to the search activity, each one decides for himself — should he come only on Saturday or should he spend a whole weekend in the field, as well as holidays and vacations. In addition, the search activity isn’t only walking with a shovel in the forests and in the fields, but also quite a meticulous work with documentation. I know, for example, that even a whole day might not be enough for a visit to the archive. And it’s necessary to pay a special attention to the work with exhumation documents…

— It’s interesting. And are there any results?

— Of course, there are results. What else is it done for? Only during this year we have found the remains of 33 warriors of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and of 6 soldiers of Wehrmacht. 25 heroic warriors have already been commited to the earth, the rest are to be buried in December, as they were found later. The Germans have been transferred to the German War Grave Commission.

— Are there any aspects in the search activity that are especially interesting for you?

— It’s friendship and reconciliation of nations through the years. In June 2015, the location of the fall of a battle-plane La-5 was found. Thanks to our friends B. Davydov and S. Katkov it was determined that the pilot managed to jump out and stay alive. He was shot down by a Spanish ace.
A week later the family of our warrior, junior lieutenant Krivoschekov, was found. Unfortunately, he died just after the war. We applied for the order he never lived to receive to be given to his family and achieved a positive result. In addition, our comrades from the group «Hope» found the location of the crash of two pilots from Spain in the area of Rzhev. We are planning on holding a joint Russian-Spanish exhibition in December, we want to invite the relatives of the pilots from both sides. The historical and cultural magazine «Our Heritage» is helping us greatly in this. By the way, we already have a positive experience of joint arrangements with them.

— And still, why the students? Why not the employees of your holding or shoolers, for example?

— In my opinion, the choice of this particular «segment» of participants is evident. In all the nobility of the search activity, we shouldn’t forget of its dangers as well. The unpredictability of unexploded ordnances, the conditions of excavation, often rough, the moral pressure when dealing with the remains — that predetermines the audience. Students are, in essence, adults with the free time for searching. As for the co-workers, they aren’t limited in their choice of a hobby (I stress again, searching for us is exactly that, a hobby, and not a job. Nonetheless, it’s a serious hobby that calls for special attention and meticulous work).
Some of my co-workers go regularly to the excavations in their free time. Some even spend their whole vacation in the expeditions.

— I can’t even imagine the emotions of people during such an extraordinary meeting. After all, they were enemies, they fought against each other…

— People should make friends, not enemies. Unfortunately, fighting is easily done. It’s much more difficult to recover the relationship after the battles. We have outlined such an ambitious initiative as well. I have no doubts that the meeting will be warm and interesting. We’ll try to involve the media.

— What would you like to say in conclusion?

— A searcher is a proud title. The activity of the group isn’t limited only to searching for the remnants of the warriors and reconstruction of their destinies. Museums are created, scientific materials are published, historical movies are shot. The members of search groups support the veterans. As a matter of fact, financially as well! So I encourage my colleagues in the business field — support the search movement, because reaching the set goals, just like in business, is only possible as a tightly-welded team.