In Russia on Thursday marked the first time a new memorable date. Exactly 65 years ago ended the Second World War - the bloodiest in human history. It covered the territory of 40 countries on three continents. The brunt of the war fell on the Soviet Union. Around three million Soviet soldiers, who died during the Second World, found their peace abroad. The graves of soldiers and officers are located in Eastern Europe, Germany, Austria, North Korea and China. In the Middle Kingdom, in general is the biggest cemetery of Russian soldiers. It is located in Lushun, formerly Port Arthur - a city for which there was fighting 65 and 105 years ago. The recently dilapidated cemetery was fully restored.
Sometime casual Russian tourists visit here. Some of them even leave several carnations near the soldiers' crosses. The former Port Arthur, now Lüshun - resting place of heroes of the two wars: WWII and the Russo-Japanese War. The crosses and stars for decades stood side by side and together deteriorated.
Memorial affects primarily by its size - historians believe that this is the biggest Russian burial outside of Russia. By the most conservative estimate, here on the hills of Manchuria are remains of more than 50 thousand people.
Slanting crosses and gravestones ruined in the hard times of the Cultural Revolution. To mind comes "Moksha regiment in the Hills of Manchuria", or rather, the first version, of 906 year: "The bodies of heroes have long since rotted away in their graves. And we did not give our last duty and we did not sing memory eternal."
The best specialists from Russia, who had for many months to settle in China, worked over the restoration of the memorial. During this time the landscape changed completely - the gravestones were restored; the graves were put in order.
"During the work area was completely dismantled, the crosses were removed, the white-stone monuments were aligned and crosses on the new foundations were installed as they should be," - said Alexis Vorobyov, Sheryshev, the restorer.
When the work was nearing completion, they returned the restored icon that adorned big worship cross to its original location. The image of Nicholas the Wonderworker was restored because of miraculously preserved old photograph. Before returning the icon to its rightful place, it was re-consecrated in the temple of the Life-Giving Holy Trinity on the Sparrow Hills.
"Russian cemetery was laid before the Russo-Japanese war and one wanted to first read through this place as one says by us, and create a visual view that every person who arrived here, would immediately understand, where he is," — relates Olga Chuzhikov, the restorer.
Through the efforts of humanitarian fund "Generation", the memorial again regained dignity. But historians still have work to do; the land of Port Arthur conceals many mysteries. According to one version, somewhere here, in an unmarked grave are resting the remains of the legendary painter Vereshchagin and Admiral Makarov.