An online exposition «Memo to the Soviet soldier-internationalist» was held in the museum of Temirtau city as part of the «Exhibit of the Month» project, devoted to the Soviet troops’ withdrawal Day from Afghanistan on February 15, 2022 at 11.00.
A revolution took place in Afghanistan, and the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) came to power in April 1978,. Its socialist ideology was little understood by the illiterate and extremely religious inhabitants. It was not difficult for the Islamic opposition to turn the people against the new government. The country began a civil war.
After numerous requests from the PDPA the USSR sent troops to Afghanistan to conduct joint military operations against the so-called Mujahideen - militants of various Islamic opposition groups on December 25, 1979.
The young men of the last autumn call for military service in 1979 turned out to be the first participants in the Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan.
In the early days of the war, the recruits did not yet understand the full depth of the nightmare they had fallen into. The first thing they heard from the commanders: never smoke at night, go to the toilet without flashlights, otherwise you could be another victim of a sniper.
Memos for recruits were developed in the 80s. They described some features of the culture and beliefs of the Afghan people. Advice was given on how to act in a given situation, and prohibitions were imposed on certain actions, such as buying things from the local population.
The museum's funds contain a booklet "Memo to the Soviet soldier-internationalist", which was issued to Zubachevsky Mikhail Vasilyevich, a resident of the Temirtau city. He was called up for military service in the armed forces of the USSR in 1981.He arrived in the capital of Afghanistan –Kabul city, and from there he was sent to the city of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, to the airborne assault battalion as a machine gunner.
In 1982, the battalion of Mikhail Vasilievich took part in the combined arms operation in the Panjshir Gorge. They blocked the retreat of the Mujahideen at an altitude of 2000 m. Three times the positions of the battalion were attacked, but they survived.
For participation in the Panjshir operation Zubachevsky Mikhail Vasilievich was awarded the medal "For Military Merit".
According to official figures, the loss of the Soviet Union in the dead amounted to more than 14 thousand people, more than 53 thousand people were shell-shocked or injured.
22 thousand Kazakhstanis walked the Afghan trails. 761 people were killed, 21 were missing. About 300 people went from Temirtau to fulfill their international duty, 9 of them died.
And only on February 15, 1989, Soviet troops left the territory of Afghanistan.
Mikhail Vasilyevich Zubachevsky returned to the Temirtau city in July 1983.
The opening of the exposition was broadcast live on social networks. The exposition will act for a month.
