How Soviet kids raised money to build a tank during World War II

In those difficult years, those on the homefront helped the front as much as they could. Among other things, they collected money to build military equipment for the Red Army. 

On February 25, 1942, ‘Omskaya Pravda’ (‘Omsk Truth’) newspaper published a letter from six-year-old Ada (Adelia) Zanegina from Smolensk Region, who, together with her mother, had been evacuated to Siberia.

Ada Zanegina.

Archive photo

The girl wrote that she was saving money for a doll, but decided to give it to the construction of a tank. Ada urged all children to do the same. "Let's call it 'Malyutka' (‘baby’ or ‘little one’). When our tank defeats Hitler, we will go home," the letter said.

The appeal provoked a strong reaction among Omsk children. In letters to the editorial office, they said that they dreamed of returning to their hometowns and were also ready to give all their savings for the tank. "Let our dads smash the fascists with tanks built with our savings," wrote Shura Khomenko.

'Malyutka' T-60 light tank.

Archive photo

In the end, Stalin learned about this amazing story: "I ask you to give the preschoolers of Omsk, who collected 160,886 rubles for the construction of the "Malyutka" tank, my warmest greetings and gratitude from the Red Army!" 

In the Spring of 1942, the T-60 light tank built at the children's expense came off the assembly line. Yekaterina Petlyuk, one of the few female tank drivers in the Soviet Armed Forces, became the mechanic-driver of ‘Malyutka’.

Yekaterina Petlyuk.

Archive photo

The tank successfully fought the enemy in Stalingrad, but, in the Summer of 1943, Petlyuk had to switch to another fighting vehicle. Traces of ‘Malyutka’ were lost, but, according to some reports, it managed to reach Prague or even Berlin.

Thirty years after the victory over the Nazis, Omsk schoolchildren found a letter from little Ada in a stack of old newspapers. Fascinated by this story, they decided to organize a meeting between Adelia Zanegina and Yekaterina Petlyuk. The "two mistresses of the tank" met on May 19, 1975, in Omsk.

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