AMSTERDAM. May 5 (Interfax) - A documentary, broadcast by the Nederland 2 television station, told Dutch audiences a story about how the search continues for the relatives of Soviet soldiers, who were buried in the Netherlands during World War II.
May 4 is a national remembrance day for the victims of World War II in Holland, and May 5 is Liberation Day, which marks the end of Nazi occupation.
Eight hundred and sixty-five Soviet soldiers and civilians, who died as POWs in the Netherlands or at hospitals in Germany on the last days of the war, are buried at a cemetery, called "Russian Field of Honor," at Leusden near Amersfoort.
Dutch journalist Remco Reiding, 36, launched the search for the relatives of those buried at the Russian Field of Honor cemetery back in 1998 when he was a student. Since then, he and his wife Irina Reiding-Chernobrovkina have examined numerous archives, finally tracking down the relatives of 187 of the 865 Soviet citizens buried at this cemetery. But the names of about one third of them remain unknown.
The Dutch Russian Field of Honor Foundation is voluntarily sponsored by citizens and organizations, and it organizes and finances trips to Holland for the children of those buried at the cemetery. Grandchildren arrive in Holland at their own expense. About 200 graves have their curators - private individuals and organizations that donate money to tend the graves and to finance relatives' visits.
Reiding's book titled, "The Child of the Field of Honor," was released in the Dutch language in April this year. It is an account of his long-lasting search for the relatives of the dead Soviet soldiers. The author plans to publish this book in Russian in 2013.
Reiding told Interfax that the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands will hopefully help him publish a Book of Memory, carrying stories about each soldier, buried at the Russian Field of Honor cemetery.
These days, children and grandchildren of Soviet soldiers Dmitry Kalynin, Mikhail Skomorokhov, Gavriil Kunitsin and Mikhail Kononov have visited the graves of their fathers and grandfathers, which have been tended by local residents for more than 60 years now. The Russian visitors stay at Dutch homes, where they are accorded a warm reception.
The list of Soviet soldiers, buried at the Russian Field of Honor cemetery, whose relatives have not been found yet, can be seen on the www.soldaat.su website.