Konstantin Dyachkov
Series 
Veterans of war
Ivan Mikhailovich Krylov, born in 1924, served as loader in Zhikharevo, on Lifeline Route
«I started as private and still was private at the end of the war. I was a loader from 1942 through 1944. You have to do this, you have to do that – we were treated like dirt. Our standard workload was twelve tons per person a day. That was standard workload but we often loaded eighteen tons a day. We carried everything on our shoulders, there were no cranes available. We unloaded trains and loaded trucks without any rest – bombings often took place so we had to hurry.
And we were suffering from dystrophy. Every day we had to work from dawn till night, as long as it took to unload a train. Both in winter and summer we lived in tents and dugouts, wore all clothes and boots 24 hours a day and only had one dream – to sleep. We were getting stupid because of hard work, our brains were failing. When we were offered boiling water we would put it in our glass cups without thinking. Of course, those cups would break.
There were bombings every day. All people would go to various directions, drop to the ground or run for cover. Some would get killed; others would just get covered with dirt. Our platoon’s commander Boris Grischenko used to be the goalkeeper of Zenith soccer team (they took the cup in 1944). He got killed, too.
Now I speak before kids in schools of St.Petersburg. Five museums were established: museums of Blockade, Victory, Village House, Communication and German museum. I am not in charge of them. I just supply them with exhibits: my overcoat, the bag that accompanied me during all war, and my helmet. I also buy old books and postcards for them. I am quite an exhibit myself, too!”
Ivan Mikhaylovich Krylov, born in 1924, served as loader in Zhikharevo, on Lifeline Route
Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
23 march 2008
Foto ID: 0723
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