From a military man to a social coordinator of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation

There is such a profession – helping heroes and their families. And it appeared, in fact, on June 1, 2023 – when branches of the state fund “Defenders of the Fatherland,” created on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, opened their doors in all 89 regions of Russia.

Here, veterans of the Northern Military District and the relatives of fallen soldiers are provided with targeted assistance – on paperwork and obtaining veteran’s certificates, assistance in obtaining the required benefits, provision of prosthetics and technical means of rehabilitation, medical and social rehabilitation, retraining and employment, psychological support and many other issues.

Social coordinators work in the branches – these are the very people who surround the defenders of the Fatherland and the relatives of fallen soldiers with attention and care.

Heroes who contact the fund deserve respect and fair treatment. Therefore, everyone who has chosen to work as a social coordinator must have a special character trait – caring. Among them are many mothers, wives of heroes who defend their homeland or died on the battlefield, as well as the Northern Military District veterans themselves – it is important for them to continue helping their country and their fellow soldiers.

Today we will tell you about one such hero – Viktor Smolyakov. Veteran of a special military operation and social coordinator of the Penza branch of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. The path that Senior Sergeant Victor has taken is not at all easy. He was a participant in the Chechen military campaign, from the very beginning of the North Military District he stood up to defend the interests of his country, returned from the front and went to help demobilized soldiers. Victor understands well the problems of people who returned home from the Northern Military District zone, and knows how to support and how to help the relatives of fallen soldiers.

What situation at the front did Viktor remember most, what prompted the veteran to become a social coordinator and for what he received an award, read the material.

Calling – to save people

During the Northern Military District, Smolyakov was part of a sapper company that created barrages and mine traps for the enemy. The veteran recalls how they were set on fire by danger during one of their missions, and he almost lost his life. The group had to check whether the trenches were mined.

“We are walking through the plantings, we saw a banner. I was going to clear this tripwire. But the mine worked: it was made with a fuse. Click, five seconds. You need to react quickly to save both yourself and the guys. We managed to hide behind a tree. The main thing is that everyone is alive,” recalls Victor.

We don’t abandon our own

Returning home, Victor firmly decided that he would continue to help his country. He chose the path for himself – to become the social coordinator of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Day after day, employees of the fund’s regional branches help veterans of the Northern Military District and the families of fallen soldiers. People enter this profession at the call of their hearts, with the desire to serve the Motherland. Victor knows exactly what the returning soldiers and their families need: he has been in their shoes. While working, he shares with branch visitors all the information he knows: what benefits are available, what documents are needed to obtain a veteran’s certificate and social support measures. He also helps his colleagues, especially in military matters, which he understands quite well. “Every time you help a person, your soul becomes better. The day, even if it’s cloudy, seems brighter,” Victor shared.

He is very attentive to all his charges, is in touch with them all the time, calls every day and asks what kind of help they need. Victor said that the widow of a deceased soldier who had served in the army for many years, was a participant in the Chechen military campaign, and retired, recently contacted him. And when a special military operation began, I decided that I had to defend the Motherland. For his courage he was awarded the Zhukov and “For Courage” medals. Victor helped a military widow obtain an identity card as a family member of a deceased combat veteran, and also install a memorial plaque in memory of the hero in 2024 in the village of Nikulevka, Bashmakovsky district, Penza region.

The award has found its hero

During a special military operation, Viktor Smolyakov showed courage, professionalism and dedication to his cause. The hero’s feat did not go unnoticed – in September, the team of the foundation’s branch, together with a representative of the military commissariat of the Penza region, Sergei Ryazantsev, awarded him the Zhukov medal. Victor says that this came as a complete surprise to him:

“I go into the office and the TV people are working. But even then I didn’t immediately understand that I would be rewarded. I knew about the medal, of course. But the documents for it were sent back in the winter,” says the veteran.

We really never abandon our own anywhere. We also take care of them and help them return to a peaceful life. An example of this is Viktor Smolyakov: the state supported him – he helps other veterans. And the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation provides assistance to everyone who defended the interests of the country in a special military operation and today returned home – career military personnel, volunteers, members of private military companies, defenders of Donbass. And of course, to those who lost their loved ones – the families of the fallen heroes.