Chinese farmer awarded Russian medal for discovering soldier remains

A Chinese farmer was awarded a Russian national medal on Tuesday for his discovery of the remains of four Russian WWII soldiers who fell while helping defend China against Japanese invaders in 1945.

President of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences Makhmut Gareev presented the medal commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany to Liu Guanglin from Mudanjiang City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Liu came across a leg bone in Huoshao Mountain in August 2012 and dug out a complete body 30 centimeters beneath it. He kept digging in the area and found a total of four bodies.

According to Liu, metal plates with Russian words, helmets, badges, forks, knives and spoons were found near the remains. He believed they were Russian soldiers and reported his discovery to the local government.

Historians from Russia confirmed Liu's guess and said the soldiers belonged to an infantry division of the Soviet far-east army.

The Soviet Union sent troops to northeast China on Aug. 9, 1945. A total of 413 Soviet soldiers died during the Battle of Huoshao Mountain.

Liu transferred the remains to a safe place and protected them for the following three years before a Sino-Russian project to locate the remains of Russian soldiers started in this May.

Three more bodies were found along with bullets, mortar parts and empty cans during the one-month search in dozens of possible burial sites covering a total of 32 square kilometers.

The remains of all seven soldiers were buried in a martyrs' park in Mudanjiang City on Tuesday. Endi