IVANGOROD — Remains of Affanasi Lenkov, a Russian soldier who died during the final stage of the World War II, was returned on Saturday to his homeland nation of Russia from Estonia, where he had “slept” for nearly 70 years.
The returning ceremony was held just two weeks before the Victory Day at Ivangorod, a small town in western Russia bordering with Estonia, during which Russian honor guards received ceremously the remains of Lenkov placed in a coffin from Estonian military representatives.
Remains of Lenkov was found at a grave discovered in the Sarremaa Island, Estonia, by an Estonian NGO named Otsing, which have been specializing on discovering undefined military graves.
With medals and orders which was found along with the remains in the grave, Otsing identified it as Srgt. Affanasi Lenkov who died during the bloody battle late November of 1944 when Soviet Army freed the island from the German troops.
Otsing found Lenkov, who was originally from Severodvinsk city of Russia, had no relatives by now, but would like follow the wish of Severodvinsk’s veterans organization to bury Lenkov at his hometownon of Severodvinsk on May 9, the V-day.
According to the information disclosed by the Otsing, more than 100,000 undefined soldiers graves may be located in the forest of northeastern Estonia and on the islands. In recent five years, Otsing has returned to homeland more than five soldiers’ remains discovered in Estonia.
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