Feature: WWII veterans recall China-Russia wartime friendship

"We four came to China. In a fierce battle in northeastern China's Jilin Province, three of us died, and I was the only one that came back," Vladimir Konovalov, a Russian veteran, told Xinhua about his story in World War II (WWII).

Konovalov, a retired captain of the Russian Pacific Fleet and now the deputy chairman of the Pervorechenskiy Veterans Council, said that there are 183 WWII veterans in his district in the port city of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, and that about 150 of them had ever fought Japanese troops in China.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, China and Russia, two main battlefields in Asia and Europe during WWII, have decided to celebrate the victory in both countries. Leaders of both nations have warned on various occasions against attempts to distort and disdain the wartime history.

Prior to the Victory Day celebrations on May 9, a number of memorial medals awarding ceremonies have been held across Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII.

Vasily Zinenko, 91, and his wife, 90-year-old Ekaterina Zinenko, are among the around 4,000 WWII veterans in Vladivostok who were awarded medals. Wearing Soviet-era uniforms with old medals, the excited couple received new medals from the head of the Pervorechenskiy district administration, Aleksander Zhirnov.

"These medals were established according to the Russian president's decree of Dec. 21, 2013," Zhirnov said. "I proudly hand them to you and praise your heroic deeds for our country. I wish you a long life and hope to see you at the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day."

Ekaterina Zinenko also recalled her experience in 1945, when she came to China with an army field hospital. She worked as a nurse firstly in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province and then moved to Jilin Province. The field hospital she worked with frequently came under fire from Japanese troops, and one of her friends died in an assault by the Japanese.

"The girl was only 20, (and) the life ended all of a sudden," she said with tears streaming down her face.

Many of the veterans in the Pervorechenskiy District boast legendary stories to tell. Sergey Donich is one of the lucky ones that came back alive from China.

The 92-year-old veteran said he went to China with his military companions across the Peony River (the Mudan River) and finally to Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang Province. The corps of engineers he served in was mainly responsible for mine clearance and the demolition of major infrastructure of the Japanese troops, such as railways and bridges.

"We safeguarded many important sites, like consulates, banks and bridges," Donich said, pushing a lock of hair off his forehead with a long scar revealed.

Donich returned to Russia after a two-month-long fight against the Japanese troops and by coincidence, he found that his father, a navy captain who was also sent to China for the anti-Japanese war, had just been back.

"We were both in China at that time, but we did not let each other know. Fortunately, we both came back alive," he said with a happy smile.

Recalling those unusual days, Donich said local Chinese were very friendly to the Red Army of the Soviet Union. "They made uniforms for us. The grocery stores there provided us with free daily goods. We were really moved," he added.

The veterans hope that the common experience of fighting Fascism could be engraved in the mind of both Russian and Chinese peoples, and that the Russia-China friendship will last forever. Endi