In Tuva, the school museum of the Hero of the Soviet Union Khomushku Churgui-ool, is to be completely restored

In Tuva, as part of the project “Moya Pobeda” (My victory) all the monuments to the soldiers of the 1941-1945 war will be renovated and restored. Together with the local administrations, the community will participate: associations of enthusiasts, school regional knowledge clubs, and other community organizations.

“We want the names of the 512 soldiers of the Great Patriotic war, who went to the Front from Kaa-Khem district, to be immortalized in stone, - said the head of the Saryg-Sep village, Ertine Danzy-Belek. – We will organize marathons in the villages, we will bring in compatriots from our district, and we will collect money with joint effort for such a memorial.”

The republican organizing committee finished the work of reviewing the lists of those who left for the front from TNR. There were 2744 Soviet citizens and 238 citizens of TNR. Their names will be engraved on the new memorial complex, which will be built at the National Park.

Four of the TNR soldiers who went to the front received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: Mikhail Artemevich Bukhtuyev, Nikolai Nikolayevich Makarenko, Tyulyush Baldanovich Kechil-ool, and Khomushku Namgayevich Churgui-ool.

The Office of the Chairman of the Government will assume patronage over the grave of the Hero of the Soviet Union, legendary tank mechanic Khomushku Churgui-ool, who was buried in the Tes-Khem district bordering with Mongolia, in the village of Bert-Dag.

This decision was announced by Vice-premier Artur Mongal, at a meeting with the Tes-Khem kozhuun active members.

The local administration in Bert-Dag will engrave yet another name on the obelisk memorial to their compatriots who went to the front. “We always assumed that three volunteers went to the front from Bert-Dag, - said the chairman of the local administration, Mergen Oyun, – now, after the complete review, we understand that there were actually four. Lanzy Oyun was also one of ours..”

The local school is proud of their countryman – Khomushku Churgui-ool. When the hero returned from the war, he was selected as a delegate to the Supreme Soviet of SSSR, and had done much for the village.

One of the students, Aidana, seems to really like her role of a guide, she vivaciously tells Artur Mongal the story of her countryman, Hero of the Soviet Union, Khomushku Namgayevich Churgui-ool. But she trips over the first question. For what did our countryman, the mechanic of tank T-34, get the highest military recognition, the gold star of the Hero?

Only very few people know the story how Churgui-ool drove the tank under water across the bottom of the South Bug River, and surfaced unexpectedly on the west bank, taking the enemy by surprise and destroying them, with all their artillery and automatic weapons. He acted impetuously, unusually, and courageously. The daring and non-standard actions of the Tuvan daredevil were highly appreciated by the Soviet headquarters. Of all the five members of the tank team, only Khomushku received the title of hero. He received it, regardless of the fact that this title was awarded to foreigners only with difficulty.

On the Street of Brothers Shumov in Samagaltai, only on the third attempt did the journalists manage to find out from the inhabitants of the district who these brothers Shumov were.

Students and even the middle generation of the villagers have only a very approximate idea about the legendary mine throwing ability of brothers Shumov, their speed and accuracy which astonished even those who constructed this military technology. The Shumovs entered into all the artillery encyclopedias of the world.

A TASS correspondent who visited the legendary mine-throwers on the Leningrad front noted: they talk among themselves in their Tannu-Tuva language. They speak of their native country a lot, with love. They do not talk about themselves, can’t get a word out of them.