«Unforgettable Meetings. On the Paths of Our Fathers», about her participation in a partisan rally of the «Red Pathfinders» detachments

In August 1969, the Novopolotsk newspaper «Khimik» published an article by Evgenia Anatolyevna Trapeznikova, «Unforgettable Meetings. On the Paths of Our Fathers», about her participation in a partisan rally of the «Red Pathfinders» detachments.

Evgenia Anatolyevna Trapeznikova (Kotlyarskaya), born on December 7, 1930, endured the harsh trials of war from childhood. After evacuating from occupied Ukraine, she received a teaching degree, dreaming of becoming an artist, but dedicated her life to school, teaching Russian language and literature. Her teaching career began in the Novgorod region and then continued in Novopolotsk, where she moved with her family in 1964.

Inspired by M.S.Prudnikova’s «Elusive» Actions, about war heroes, Evgenia Anatolyevna became inspired by the idea of searching for and preserving their memory. This led to the creation of the first «Red Pathfinders» detachment at School No.2 and the establishment of a military glory museum (1970) dedicated to the «Elusive» partisan brigade. Under her leadership, students conducted extensive searches, studying archives, identifying fallen soldiers and pilots, and locating aircraft crash sites.

The work of the search detachment under E.A.Trapeznikova’s leadership extended far beyond the school walls. Together with her students, she traveled hundreds of kilometers, participated in «Memory Watches», maintained military graves, and worked in archives. Thanks to her initiative and tireless work, monuments were erected in Novopolotsk and the Polotsk region, and the remains of over a thousand defenders of the Fatherland were reburied.

Based on materials from the website of the People’s Museum of Military Glory of the State Educational Institution «Secondary School No.2 named after E.A.Trapeznikova of Novopolotsk».

1. Article «Unforgettable Meetings. Along the Paths of Our Fathers» from the Khimik newspaper, No.92, August 5, 1969

2. The Red Pathfinders detachment, 1969

3. Photo from E. Trapeznikova’s book «We Search for Traces of Our Peers on the Land»