"The girl was only 20, (and) the life ended all of a sudden," she said with tears streaming down her face.

Many of the veterans in the Pervorechenskiy District boast legendary stories to tell. Sergey Donich is one of the lucky ones that came back alive from China.

The 92-year-old veteran said he went to China with his military companions across the Peony River (the Mudan River) and finally to Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang Province. The corps of engineers he served in was mainly responsible for mine clearance and the demolition of major infrastructure of the Japanese troops, such as railways and bridges.

"We safeguarded many important sites, like consulates, banks and bridges," Donich said, pushing a lock of hair off his forehead with a long scar revealed.

Donich returned to Russia after a two-month-long fight against the Japanese troops and by coincidence, he found that his father, a navy captain who was also sent to China for the anti-Japanese war, had just been back.

"We were both in China at that time, but we did not let each other know. Fortunately, we both came back alive," he said with a happy smile.

Recalling those unusual days, Donich said local Chinese were very friendly to the Red Army of the Soviet Union. "They made uniforms for us. The grocery stores there provided us with free daily goods. We were really moved," he added.

The veterans hope that the common experience of fighting Fascism could be engraved in the mind of both Russian and Chinese peoples, and that the Russia-China friendship will last forever.