 A new publication of "Olma Media Group", a book by TV journalist Sergei Brilev "Forgotten Allies in the Second World War" was presented at the 25th Moscow International Book Fair - Expo. In the hardcover with a volume of more than 700 pages, the international journalist tells about the part played by the "small countries-allies" of USSR, USA and Great Britain. The most attention is paid to Latin America, Africa, islands of the Caribbean Sea and Oceania, as well as to Tuva, which was independent at the time - Tuvinian People's Republic.
The book is based on declassified archival materials and interviews of the author with participants in the events.
Remember that Sergei Brilev was preparing a history series about little known allies of the "Big Three" in his informational program "News on Saturday".
In August of 2009 he visited Tuva to see the Central State Archive of the republic, met with a fighter of the voluntary cavalry squadron of Tuvinian People's Republic Vera Chuldumovna Bailak , who is now the head of a major farm. The program about the last soldier of the army which does not exist anymore was shown on Channel "Rossiya" on 5 September 2009.
Tuva was the first state to announce its readiness to fight fascism with the USSR. 334 delegates of the Great Khural of Tuvinian People's Republic unanimously voted on 22 June of 1941 for the Declaration deploring the treacherous aggression.
On the same day, citizens of the republic in the center of Asia submitted the first applications with the request to be sent to the front. Soviet Union did not immediately approve the admission of foreign legionnaires into its military. The first ones to go were the tank soldiers, in May 1943, and in September - the voluntary cavalry squadron headed by captain Adyg-Tulush Kechil-ool, who later took part in the liberation of 80 towns and villages in the Ukraine.
 Tuva donated to the USSR the entire gold reserve of the republic, the entire volume of Tuvan gold mined during the war years - to the total sum of 55 million "old" rubles. Aside form that, in 1941 - 1945, USSR received for free from Tuva 50 thousand war horses; money collected by the citizens of the republic paid for three squadrons of destroyers and two tank brigades. Plus, the Red Army also received from Tuva 52 thousand pairs of skis, 10 thousand fur coats, 19 thousand pairs of gloves, 16 thousand pairs of felt boots, 67 tons of wool, 400 tons of meat, butter and flour. Practically all of this was given for free, not even speaking of honey, fruit and berry preserves and concentrates, dressings and bandages, medicinal herbs and folk medicaments, wax, pitch…
From these stores, 30 thousand cows were donated to the Ukraine in 1944. This was the population which became the foundation of the rebirth of Ukraine livestock herding.
A telegram from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine SSR to the Presidium of the Small Khural of Tuva stated: "Ukrainian nation, just like all the nations of the USSR, deeply values and will never forget the help to the front and liberated districts shown by the workers of Tuvinian People's Republic…"
During the war years, in total, Tuva sent to the USSR, as export operations, almost 750 thousand heads of cattle. There was not a single Tuvan family that did not contribute 10 to 100 heads of their own livestock to the front.
The total sum of material contribution of Tuvan citizens to the USSR comprised 66 million rubles or 50 million aksha, which is equal to 11 annual budgets of TNR of pre-war years.
|
Politics 
