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>>Angola 1986-1989
this is State in south-west of Africa, has a north border from Congo, and Namibia to South.
After proclamation of independence, Russia began to give military help, to support of organization and training of army.
Soviet military mission in Luanda. Similar to legendary Russian military mission in army of Мenelik II. Any military advisers and experts arrive at first there.
But only some will remain in the capital, because majority will work in provinces or military regions.
And will probably get back only after a year for regular vacation to motherland.
they need to use airplane, That reach to any region of service.
Russian civil pilots carry out maintenance of services of transporting in Angola.
Our way was through an entire country to the city of Menongue, it is provincial center and military headquarters of Cuando-Cubango.
Most part of province is controlled by Savimbi's marionette of apartheid. Savimbi's headquarters was based in a province.
Sometimes military food convoys punched through the siege and taking away mines, through Мatala and Kushi,
but the basic transporting used is aviation.
Airplane landed in Menongue so steep down and firing heat traps, to protect civil aircraft against Stinger.
Similarly civil aircraft will fly up, because former US government supported use of Stinger against civil airplanes.
They flew to Menongue along with the crew of Sergey Melnikov, and could not know as two weeks later the their plane will flame after the attack Stinger, but they survived.
Military mission in Menongue has several two-storey cottages. The mission has Autonomous water supply and electricity.
Inventive Russians created a sauna with a small swimming pool for public enjoyment.
Advisers and experts of the mission have a privilege because they have the opportunity to invite own wife.
Wives of the officers who knew the life of the provincial garrisons are adapted to African problems, they can use the gun and do not have a panic even during artillery shelling.
But the mission is isolated on this some women sometimes know only one street and the road to the airport.
After loading the food we go the first military convoy to Cuito Cuanavale. By the most dangerous road by reason of fires, bombardments and attacks.
This is small town in the distance 180 kilometres to southeast are the last outpost of the Angolan army against forces of apartheid.
Any men once walking by a road to Cuito Cuanavale knows how many this way is phenomenal of dangerous.
Troops will guard a transporting column and battle helicopters to accompany. Guard will clean mines, also helicopters will deliver mail.
Damaged by craters and bumpy after the explosions and wheels, Road to Cuito is 180 kilometres,
Today for fortune, or can to misfortune, I go first time in an convoy to Кuito.
I do not know, little this or many, but knew from friends, How 20 days was going there from Menongue,
Then to prevent ambushs, against us, Placed posts in the radius of visibility.
we go with food, by a fuel and live ammunitions. Ordered us to deliver, and we will deliver it,
Higher than sides high-usage, we go quickly, Motors roar zealously to overcoming slope,
Сuito will die if can not to having a bread and fuel, But an enemy got an order, to destroy us.
Despite teardrops after resilient wind, I tried to count machines of fire-damaged,
if will ask me, how many? I can answer question, I can say more than hundred, than kilometres to Сuito.
Мaseca, after river of Longa, is fire-damaged convoy, it is as monument of cruel permanent war,
There after a turn, was heaped up under a slope, Yesterday, after a machine gun fire, industrious petrol tanker,
And catastrophe of tank, it is better do not to see, the direct hit killed all inwardly,
The direct hit pitilessly killed all, All living, who could think, love and dreams.
But for some reason near-by a river to shine suddenly, Really saw us in a hyposcope.
And wind beat a psyche, or soull in emptiness, But first to feels more difficult than all, because he is first,
He understands everything, exactly best by what we, To him there will be the first bullet and land-mine,
He is ready the first to protect all of us, He will first to cross a invisible limit of claymore.
And if there will be an ambush, he will adopt death afire and smoke, When we will reach, fellows, we will pray to him.
It is straight to horizon as arrow or bent as question, Only one road is present to the south-east our outpost,
It is last farthest outpost, Road from Menongue is 180 kilometres.
Again for fortune, or can to misfortune, I go not first time in an convoy to Сuito.
Damaged by craters and bumpy after the explosions and wheels, Road to Кuito is 180 kilometres.
[military escort successfully overcame a difficult way]
[Attack-helicopter MI-24 is an effective guard]
[military escort successfully overcame a difficult way]
[Flag was character of the real freedom and counteraction against racism]
[Consequences of attacks and heavy siege are noticeable in a small town]
Cuito Cuanavale is small poor town in the south of Angola, but this name became the famous in the world by reason of bravery and persistence during aggression of apartheid.
As a result of cruel battles near Cuito Cuanavale an army of apartheid was stopped. Long time racists standing on hills besieged and bombed a town, impotent to take him.
They arrived in a military mission in the evening, delivering food and mail. Members of mission and friends in Cuito Cuanavale got back from subdivisions to warmly meet. A friendly supper expected them to feel a comfort.
[life of mission]
[mission relate of friendship with local habitants]
After retreat of racists from a city the local tribes were able to come home.
People recovered homes, began to fishing and grow a Manioc. A province is one of the poorest, as has the deserted-mountain climate.
Children using home-made toy-cars to play a convoy. People mainly eat porridges from a Cassava. Every morning we wake up, as women begin to pound a Manioc.
Second time local people will eat in the evening, after as recommitings from work on the plantations of Manioc.
Here is not present shops and distributing of food help is rare, therefore plantation of Manioc are a unique method to fed.
Farmers can not cultivate more advantageous agricultures in the during so long war and permanent aggression, but more difficult than all to the women (which decide problem, Than to feed children?).
Here children never play war, because they play food convoy which must battling to pass through the siege of racists to deliver a fig.
[life of Cuito Cuanavale, people very trust an army, because only Angolan side had responsibility by the cost of additional losses to protecting the survival of people]
[Any group of scouts are going to travel couldn't to guarantee a own safe return]
[real life of Cuito Cuanavale]
[life of advisers and experts]
[work of advisers and experts]
Work begins in the morning, advisers and experts will leave to battle brigades. but in a mission there will be an attendant to do correspondences.
[real life of army battling against an apartheid, this army hadn't double-standards]
Moscow-400, dear to write letter, don't forget, And I will invent the tales about pineapples in African paradise,
Where hasn't war and is not present to Death, Where life is permanent carnival,
And happy African to rests under palms without pantaloons, Where a talking parrot sits down on my shoulder,
Where is near river the Limpopo of our childhood, where a merry hippopotamus lived.
But the here scared birds absolutely quiet in the morning, And the scared animals do not come to watering.
And in these meadows and groves we placed death against tanks, And this be unapproachable, while we are present, and later, Because in sky is the "Sonth cross", as dangerous sign of fate.
Who could to was forever to memorized about Cuito, Cuatir and Kushi, We see again as nightly lights fly from G-5, Fly to kill our lives.
And bullets above head already can not hear by reason of explosions, Today there will be the difficult battle, terrible hell, bloody sweat,
But an enemy again will get windy and will go away across the river to Мavinga.
And this be unapproachable, while we are present, and later, Because in sky is the "Sonth cross", as dangerous sign of fate.
[real life of army battling against an apartheid, this army hadn't double-standards]
[They won over racists, as apartheid capitulated. Boers didn't want to die for apartheid. SADF even had the phobia of contact battle.]
[reconnaissance airplane of racists in sky]
[They won over racists, as apartheid capitulated. Boers didn't want to die for apartheid. SADF even had the phobia of contact battle.]
[Army able to battle is the result of collaboration and real heartfelt solidarity of many people.]
[They won over racists, as apartheid capitulated. Boers didn't want to die for apartheid.]
[so former African peasants became soldiers, but many young soldiers perished]
[more experienced Russian officers became harmonious part of this army]
[African fellows couldn't know reckless ride on car but becomes a cool drivers of armored carriers]
To the attack, and somebody's sure hand will set the conditional signal of rockets to a zenith as "green three whistles",
To the attack, and suddenly anxious presentiment in a soul, because we do not know, as an ambush expects ahead of us,
To the attack, and you do not torment the soul by doubting, because this ordinary shaking of armour is slightly felt.
To the attack, and spasm in a throat because somewhere a heart compresses in a breast, but you will convalesce after the first battle.
To the attack, and some veterans of wars to explained to me as even afire there is a weak point.
To the attack, and there will be possibility to doubt as though a bullet is afraid of boldness, because a bullet beats all without a selection.
To the attack, and someone makes success or failure, that someone appeared weak or strong to overcome a way.
To the attack, and does not matter rank and position because more important to know that will not twit fathers about their sons.
To the attack, and after that, as we will execute the order, possibly even will remember us, which ordered.
To the attack, and somebody's sure hand will set the conditional signal of rockets to a zenith as "green three whistles".
Soon we will know exactly, who will appear useless for this purpose of masculine business and real responsibility.
[Memory]
Sometimes they visited to old positions of their Angolan brigade, there they lived during the most difficult time of the last aggression of apartheid.
Racists were stopped by the Angolan troops and Cuban volunteers during the bitter battles. This happened here near across the river.
Racists set a heavy artillery on hills, then long months continuously fired our positions. That can understand who daily was under a fire.
Three Russians of officer jointly lived, as artilleryman Malukov projected shelter able to survive the direct blow, and underground kitchen and dining-room.
Davidovsky created a bath-house and shower. This was chic. And then they did stove for baking of bread. They all preferred ate a soft and warm bread like to pastries.
They gave the warm bread to neighbours of Cuban brigade which were more as brothers.Cubans were simple reliable fellows, in fact simple people perfectly understand of friends.
Romantic time of Angolan war will go down in memory as most positive in life. But after two years of separation in Angola it was sometimes hardness to remember voice of own wife.
Time passes quickly, but positive nostalgia is saved and memory about all friends.
[Memory]
Go out from a shelter, to look at sky, how is wonderful morning, Softly and kindness, Similar to the lips of darling lady.
To me very not desirable, to die on today in morning, Wait of minute, Wait of minute, I want the last time to breathing of morning.
On a frisky horse, if will dash in morning dew, this is from the cold river to drink of the one's fill,
But now there is more relevant reason, Why I can not guarantee to my survival, because We must protect a country. Wait of minute, Wait of minute.
[Memory�