Uryy Vasil'evich Belousov

Yuri Vasilyevich: From the Volga to Dachau and Back Yuri Vasilyevich was born in the small town of Navoloki, in the Kineshma District of the Ivanovo Region. He had dreamed of becoming a sailor since childhood. This dream shaped the course of his life, leading him first to his studies and then to the front lines. Yuri Vasilyevich graduated from school with honors. He subsequently enrolled in a river navigation college, from which he also graduated with honors. Thanks to his academic achievements, he was recommended for further study at a naval academy. However, Yuri Vasilyevich did not pursue further education. Instead, he volunteered for the front alongside his fellow students from the college. His combat service began with the 123rd Rifle Regiment of the 62nd Rifle Division near Stalingrad. Soon, the fighting reached the city limits. When the battle moved into Stalingrad itself, Yuri Vasilyevich was transferred to the Volga Military Flotilla. He served as a sailor on the hospital ship *Kompozitor Borodin*. Aboard this vessel, Yuri Vasilyevich participated in the evacuation of wounded personnel from Stalingrad to Rybinsk under the auspices of the Red Cross. The voyages took place amidst constant danger. The Volga was a vital transport artery, and the vessels carrying passengers and cargo were targets for German aircraft. On February 5, 1943, during one such voyage, German planes began bombing a hospital ship. The bombardment was catastrophic for the crew; everyone perished except for Yuri Vasilyevich. Left alone, he took the helm. Despite the ongoing attack, Yuri Vasilyevich continued to steer the ship. According to family accounts, a sailor was permitted to abandon ship only after the helm had been destroyed. Soon, a bomb tore off the helm. The explosion left Yuri Vasilyevich with shrapnel wounds and caused him to lose several teeth. He lost consciousness. Yuri Vasilyevich regained consciousness while in the water. He recalled that the Volga around him was red with blood. Despite his severe injuries, he managed to reach the eastern bank, which was controlled by the Red Army. Afterward, Yuri Vasilyevich underwent treatment at Field Evacuation Station No. 52. Upon his discharge, he returned to the 123rd Rifle Regiment of the 62nd Rifle Division. But the war was not over for him. In subsequent battles, his unit was routed by German forces, and Yuri Vasilyevich was taken prisoner. He was sent to the Dachau concentration camp. There, he found himself in vastly different circumstances—conditions of captivity, starvation, and forced labor. Prisoners were driven to work in coal mines until they were utterly exhausted. Rations were extremely meager, and the men rapidly grew weak and emaciated. According to family recollections, after the workday ended, guards would dig a trench, line the prisoners up, and open fire with their rifles. The dead were buried in that same trench. Yuri Vasilyevich survived these ordeals as well. By late April 1945, it became clear that the camp’s liberation was imminent. According to family accounts, the guards attempted to exterminate the prisoners by throwing them into coal mine shafts. However, Yuri Vasilyevich and the other prisoners refused to accept this fate. They fashioned a rope out of their clothing, secured it to a hook at the top of the shaft, and managed to climb out. On April 29, 1945, Yuri Vasilyevich and the other prisoners of Dachau were liberated by troops from the U.S. Army’s 45th Infantry Division. After his liberation, he was handed over to Soviet forces. On his way back, he passed through Berlin—a city that had by then become a symbol of the war’s imminent end in Europe. During the war, Yuri Vasilyevich’s journey took him from Stalingrad to German captivity. He survived the loss of his medical ship’s crew, a severe wound, imprisonment, starvation, and forced labor in a concentration camp. Yet, he returned home. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War (2nd Class) and the medals "For the Victory over Germany" and "For the Defense of Stalingrad." Yuri Vasilyevich returned home having survived an ordeal that proved to be the final trial for so many others. He built a family, raised children, and continued working on the river. His story is that of a man who found himself on the brink of death time and again, yet always summoned the strength to keep fighting for life. And so, the memory of his journey endures not merely as a memory of the war, but as a testament to human resilience.