Award system of the DPR has been added with two more medals of the Defence Ministry that were stroke from yellow metal from artillery cartridges.

The first is called Saur-Tomb and intended for participants of last year battles for the kurgan. It is interesting to point out that the part of famous memorial that was destroyed by Ukrainian artillery is at the medal. This medal became not just a memory for population of Donbass, but it became a symbol also. We can see continuation of the Soviet traditions, award for the defence and liberation of the same cities were give during the Great Patriotic War.

The second medal is called Internationalist, there is a soldier illuminated with sun, with helmet on his hat and the sign No pasarán that transfers us to event of the civil war in Spain and traditions of the previous century. There was there first battle with fascists, whose ideologic descendants are ruling now in Kiev.

It’s worth to point out that from dozens of wars taken place for the last century appeared such phenomena as mass voluntary subdivision from foreigners. And these subdivisions were called international brigades and became a symbol of struggle for fair.

Let’s revise how it was 80 years ago in the Western outskirts of Europe. Spain was ruled by legally elected, however not very popular government. Armed forces started making revolt and they tried to overthrow a government. The revolt was supported by big industrial organizes that would be called today oligarchs. Rebels were supported from the broad.

Of course, the attempt of nationalists to win power and establish their rules raised resistance that turned to real war.

There were nationalists, fascists and monarchists from the one side, and adherents of social justice and different antifascists.

At that, rebels did not manage to reach absolute success. However, western diplomats supported Nazis and started pressing official Madrid. The Prime was retired and negotiations with rebels started. The situation is very similar to the situation in the Eastern outskirt of Europe year and half ago, isn’t it?!

 Only Spanish president Manuel Azaña in comparison to Yanukovich, the President of Spain did not leave the country.

New Prime was appointed-Jose Giral who started the operation to place constitutional order in the country. German and Italy regimes appeared in Spain and they started fighting against rebels, and they changed the balance of the country. It would be easier to solve this question if Yanukovich would not be afraid of performing his duty.

However, let’s return back to Spanish events. When Hitler and Mussolini interfered, European antifascists understood that it’s necessary to stop Nazis. As a result, many volunteers from different countries went to Spain to fight with Nazis.

3 months later, in November 1936, first 4 voluntary battalions were established in Albacete; French communist Andre Marty headed them.

7 international brigades were formed later; each of them had 3 or 4 battalions. About 30 thousand soldiers passed through these international brigades.

Temporary soldiers who arrived to Donbass followed exactly the example of voluntary international brigades in Spain. The first indifferent soldiers arrived when the Russian Spring started.

At first Russian came, than German soldiers, Serbians, Bulgarians, Abkhazians arrived here to Donbass.

It is possible to say that temporary international brigades are more effective than their ancestors. However, we would alway remember who started fighting with Nazis.

It is important to point out that the war in Spain became prevue to the WORLD WAR II. Nazis trained and sharpened their skills in the territory of Spain. Ukrainians can also use their skills later in other countries. If the Nazi would have been stopped in 30-s, more probable that the WORLD WAR II would not be.

It was translated into English by Natalia Sinyavskaya