The Tomb of Soviet Red Army Soldier Kinchelov by the River

The Tomb of Soviet Red Army Soldier Kinchelov by the River

The Tomb of Soviet Red Army Soldier Kinchelov by the River is a cultural relic protection unit of Guizhou Province and also serves as a national defense education base.

The Tomb of Soviet Red Army Soldier Kinchelov by the River is situated on Shipo Yangtianwo on the west bank of the Wu River in Heping Town, Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, covering an area of 148 square meters and facing north. The tomb site is enclosed by stone pillar walls on its left, right, and front, and a stone stele stands in front. The front of the stele is inscribed with twelve large characters reading “Tomb of the Soviet Air Force Martyr Kinchelov,” and the back records a brief account of Kinchelov’s tragic death.

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Soviet Union organized a volunteer air force to support the Chinese people in fighting against Japanese invaders. Kinchelov was a second lieutenant pilot in this volunteer unit. On December 24, 1939, under orders from the Allied forces, Kinchelov and eight others took off from Chongqing in three aircraft to engage enemy forces over Nanning and Dushan. While returning from their mission, with limited fuel remaining, they decided to fly along the Wu River based on their location in order to locate the nearest Xiushan Airport for landing. When flying over Yanhe, the aircraft ran out of fuel and were forced to make an emergency landing on the floodplain of Batao on the east bank of the Wu River, south of the county town. As the floodplain was small, there was very little space left after the first two planes landed. To avoid collision with the other two aircraft, Kinchelov's plane made a bold lateral landing across the river, and the pilot parachuted out immediately. Unfortunately, as Kinchelov landed, the plane that was still descending slid over him, resulting in his tragic death.

At noon the following day, the county government of the Republic of China held a grand funeral for Kinchelov on the sports field to the right of Wanshou Palace on the west bank of the Wu River in the county town (now behind the county government building). Tens of thousands of people, including officials, schools, local gentry, and residents, wearing white flowers and setting off firecrackers, marched in a procession with the coffin to mourn him. His remains were buried beside Yingjiang Bridge (now the west end of the Wu River Bridge), and a stone stele was erected.

In June 1953, the Yanhe County People's Government erected a new stele for Kinchelov’s tomb. In 1976, due to the construction of the Wu River Bridge, his remains were relocated to Shipo Public Cemetery. In February 1982, the People's Government of Guizhou Province designated Kinchelov’s martyr tomb as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit. In August 1985, the Tongren Prefecture Administration allocated special funds for the maintenance of the tomb site.

The Kinchelov Martyrs' Cemetery serves as a national defense education base in Yanhe County. Every year, around Tomb-Sweeping Day, local primary and secondary school students and people from all walks of life spontaneously organize visits to pay tribute to the revolutionary martyr.

In 2016, the Yanhe County People's Government, aiming to promote Kinchelov’s great revolutionary spirit to all sectors of society, approved the planning and construction of a theme square dedicated to Martyr Kinchelov in the Sizhou New Area. The square was completed and opened to visitors in July 2017.

Further Reading:

· One of the First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Guizhou Province