How I survived WWII: Russian soldier and POW shares his story 

I am Ilja Buz' daughter. My Dad passed away November 29, 2020, after having celebrated his 100th birthday four months earlier. He was a wise, kind and loving person, whose life stories never failed to mesmerize his listeners. His passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. RIP, Dad. I miss you.

i have viewed alot of American vets to Japanese and Germans, this is the first Russian vet interview I've seen. great interview. enjoy all stories from all sides.

My friend grandpa a Katyusha driver was telling storys from war when we was kids

It’s a story worth hearing.

My great grandfather escaped from German prison camp when he and a leutenant were sent to collect firewood. They collected it and made and dropped walking further into the woods. When German soldier guarding them lost them they were far away already. They moved from village to village until reached the frontline. After being interrogated by the NKVD they were set back to their regiments. My great grandpather was lucky enough to escape from captivity but not from death. He fought near Leningrad and was deadly wounded in 1944.

God bless this man he is one of the first very wise and intelligent russians i have seen to be interviewed about ww2, i hope he has a better life after these years he talked about , humans are the cause of all of our sufferings it is insane

I remember being surprised and a little shocked when my grandmother from Germany casually mentioned the many Russian POWs working in their city and area, specifically in factories and nursing assistants. She had interactions with them the same as she would with anyone, it sounded like, she was that kind of person. One story was even a little humorous: one outgoing Russian woman liked my grandfather in a light hearted romantic way, and once when passing the apartment window she pointed at him “You I like,” then pointing at her “You I don’t like”. But my Oma said it chuckling, because the Russian woman was being funny. The family was not allowed to give food to POWs, but my grandmother sent my then-seven-years-old mother to where some Russians were. My mother said only one was outside in the cold winter. Through the fence she gave him a loaf of bread (even though my mother’s family struggled for enough food). The Russian took it, not saying anything, only with a sad expression.

Wow. Lucky and smart.

Holy shit, the description of the artillery duel in the beginning, I'm having goosebumps....! Very nice narrating and editing, indeed.

What an amazing man from an amazing generation.

He's English is pretty good ,he didn't meantion where he ended up settling after the war

God bless that man and any other war survivors

What an incredible story of survival against all odds.

Wow! I loved the way he told this story!

Well, at least he survived.

Great interview. Interesting story.

Thank you soldier...no matter who you served!

Thank you so much for sharing your story.

Brave man. It's true that both Stalin and Hitler regime very terrible and evil. I'm glad he survive the war and found freedom in Canada

Brave man, he would've given up his own soul to protect his land, god bless him to heaven

Gold old jolly fella . Is he still around ?

Very interesting to hear.

Wow..He's really a 'Long live Comrad'..

Amazing story of survival during the worst of times.

Respect to Buz.

The Courage!

"Buz jumped on the train with the unit" ...what? Do you mean, Buz volunteered to join a German unit, joined the unit, and as part of the unit, was shipped out by train further to the west as the German units retreated? Then found himself somehow and somewhere south of Berlin, way down in the Alps of north eastern Italy or western Austria - an area, and the biggest area (apart from Norway, Courland and Denmark ) that was in German hands until the last surrender, and the most wild and remote, and managed to get across the border. Incredible. Just incredible. That he changed uniforms - if he did - is absolutely no shame, it is what I would have done had I had the balls. I just hope to hear the whole story here. I worked with some men from the Baltics in the 1970s and 80s and they served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS and they were no nazis. They would have sadly passed now. THanks for the upload. Great story

That was awsome no lies I like how he ends it he knows hes a old man and that was so long ago and the memories have kinda faded away Idk

This dude is very lucky....and must have been one hell of a farmer by the end of the war

He had way more to fear from the Soviets than the Germans.

People are meant to be led by God not some dog of a dictator : the more I see of war , the more I see of people who could be friends fighting against their intrinsic humanity.....

The greatest generation ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

The poor lieutenant got his head explode out

🌹СПАСИБО!🌹 ИНТЕРЕСНО!🌹

Jesus Christ this is dark

He survived

For me, too .

If his story is true (I'm sceptical because his English is SO unaccented) then his life is a existential 'lottery ticket'.

Его рассказ очень сильно порезан, ничего не понятно, особенно по времени, где он сначала рассказывает как он пробыл на ферме до конца войны, а потом (уже в конце) как он вызвался быть коллаборационистом чтобы сбежать от немцев, в итоге он прибился в американскую армию, мыть посуду. По совецким меркам, того времени, он предатель(т.к. записался в колаборанты, чтобы попасть на тот поезд). НО, его не растреляли, его отправили в лагерь на 10 лет. ПС Я понимаю того офицера который ими командывал и не виню его, как и самого мужика, не дай бог вам оказаться на их месте.

WW2 was won by 1. British Stubbornness 2. Russian Blood 3. American Industry some Quora reply I just quotes

Какое его полное имя? Он сравнивает нацистскую Германию и СССР, не один уважающий себя и Родину ветеран так не отзывается об СССР. Пропаганда запада.

really wish it was in russian with english subs, it doesn't feel right to listen to this brave man in a tongue that isn't his native one.

Doesn't need the music at all.

That sucks that you had to get back to your enemies in order to survive

Just realize that 40 ungrateful people disliked this video

real men none of this "self care" She/ Her stuff

He has a very Hungarian accent?!?!

Хорошо, что иностранцы хоть немного будут знать о всех бедах войны для России

like face by grandfa SALI...where you are?

Remarkable courage..The Soviets just threw good men into the meat grinder with such little regard for human life, it's a shame...But I have to give them credit, they definitely did the Lion's share of the fighting (and dying).

But Russia didnt enter WWII in 1941, they were at war since 1939 when they invaded Poland along with Germany.

damn so the soviet army was just as bad as the german army

Frendschämen

Surrender is for the weak real soldiers don't surrender,the treatment of pows sometimes is worse than being dead,fight to the death...

Being born Russian is one of the hardest fates a man can face. Or as it was put in the Chernobyl mini series: "This is what has always set our peoplea part. A thousand years of sacrifice in our veins. And every generation must know its own suffering." That's the essence of Russia.

Thank you for your service Sir

What an amazing and heartfelt story of courage and terrible suffering in the horrible times of war fighting the Nazis in the Soviet Union ! He said..'both evils of Nazis and Communists'... how true indeed !

great war story, there are countless stories from all sides ... it would be great to put them in books and videos all together, and should be tought for history lessons.

I love ww2/1 stories especially the soviets

my old art teacher is or was (i havent seen him in a long time) a survivor of world war 2 who served in the brest fortress right before the start of the war.

It's cool to hear a story from the russian perspective for once.

His English is better than csgo russians

Wonderful story , lucky to have survived

What a story. By the way, happy early victory day.

Great testimony...

Brave man , you are a hero of civilisation

The greatest generation of our time! Salute to you comrade.

Thanks

Who's the author???

Damn, surviving as a Russian back then was truly playing life on Nightmare Mode difficulty

Salute to the Vet

He hated both nazis and communists!!!! Very interesting

Who upload such shit title? This man is Polish not Russian .

He’s lucky to be alive. The ppl who rlly don’t take prisoners is the Ruskis. The fact that he was a Russian POW and survived amazes me.

What a great man..

How many of such fellas could not tell their stories? Millions

Yes, those systhems have been both evil.God bless him.

victor reznov joins the chat

He did well RIP

excellent propoganda, a real veteran never equates the Soviet Union with Nazi Germany. Only scum and done-up coward shly fight because of fear of the gulag. (Because it is full of other reasons: protecting your country of your people and your family). Those veterans who really were both in the gulag and in the Nazi camps always said: you should have decided whether you were for the USSR or against it. And getting into reality, no matter how much you hate Stalin and the Communists, you will fight for them because they do not want to destroy your people because of their race, and they act in concert with your people.

Hope he enjoyed some of the spoils of winning. They deserved it

Really great man. What service to humanity, albeit in the name of a horrible regime and ideology.

Thank you for your service sir!

This man has no loyalty.