At Maidan, the memory of the heroes was honored with songs from the war years.

      On May 9, a solemn rally titled "Thank you to the valiant soldiers who defended peace once" took place at the stele in the territory of the Maidan rural settlement. Residents of the village gathered to celebrate the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Poems and songs from the war years were recited, and everything concluded with a minute of silence and the laying of flowers at the foot of the memorial.

      In Maidan, Victory Day was celebrated as solemnly as in all corners of Tatarstan. People came to the stele—the main memorial site of the rural settlement, where the names of those who did not return from the battlefields are inscribed. The rally was named after the lines from an old song: "Thank you to the valiant soldiers who defended peace once." These words encompassed everything: pride, pain, and endless gratitude. The first to address the gathered were the head of the Maidan rural settlement, Viktor Mikheev, and a native of the village, Irina Melnikova, the deputy director of the district centralized library system. They spoke about how important it is today to remember the feat of our ancestors, to pass this memory on to children and grandchildren, and not to allow anyone to rewrite history. The words of congratulations sounded sincere and warm—without loud slogans, but with deep respect for those who gave us peace. The organizers of the rally—the staff of the local rural House of Culture—prepared a rich program. Together with them, students from the primary school performed. The children recited poems. The adults in the hall listened, holding their breath. These lines, although written long ago, still evoke pride in the heroism of our ancestors and a sharper awareness of the value of a peaceful sky.

      Then songs from the war years began to sound. Familiar melodies that everyone who has ever watched old black-and-white films or listened to the stories of grandmothers and grandfathers knows by heart. These songs do not age. They are filled with the spirit of unity among generations. They were sung when going into battle, they were believed in for victory, they brought tears of joy in May '45. In Maidan, they were sung by the whole village—both young and old. The climax of the rally was a minute of silence. Short, yet so long, when everyone thinks of their own. Of those who lie in mass graves. Of those who went missing. Of those who returned but can no longer attend this rally due to age and illness. Then people began to approach the stele. Fresh flowers were laid at the foot—carnations, tulips, daffodils.

      The rally ended, but people did not disperse for a long time. The old-timers recalled their relatives, showed their grandchildren photographs, and told how the war entered every family. The staff of the House of Culture and the school students did the main thing—they reminded their fellow villagers that memory is alive. And as long as we gather at the stele, as long as children learn poems about the war, as long as those very songs are sung—the feat will not be forgotten. Not in 81 years, not in a hundred. Thank you to the valiant soldiers. Thank you for peace.

      Diana Salikhzanova