Flowers brought to Kim Sung Il tomb from family of Russian soldier

PYONGYANG, April 13 (Itar-Tass) - A basket of flowers has been brought
to a monument to North Korean leader Kim Il Sung on Wednesday on the
occasion of the anniversary of the North Korean leader's birth due on
April 15. The flowers arrived at the request of a family of a Soviet
soldier, Yakov Novichenko.
During a meeting in Pyongyang on March 1, 1946 Lieutenant Yakov
Novichenko shielded Kim Il Sung, intercepting a grenade hurled at Kim Il
Sung, and covered the grenade with his body. A book in the breast pocket
of the Soviet soldier's uniform saved him from imminent death, but the
soldier lost his right hand.
Kim Il Sung who became President of North Korea awarded the Russian
serviceman a title of hero of North Korea and always regarded Novichenko
as his friend.
Yakov Novichenko retired from the military service and returned home
to the settlement of Travnoye in the Novosibirsk region. During a visit to
the Soviet Union in 1984 Kim Il Sung met his Soviet rescuer. Since then
Novichenko and his family went to North Korea on vacation every year.
Novichenko died in 1994. Upon his death Kim Il Sung's successor Kim
Jong Il sent a telegram to Novichenko's family, expressing condolences.
In September 2008 Novichenko's daughters and grandchildren at the
invitation of Kim Jong Il attended the celebrations of the 60th
anniversary of North Korea.
In 1985 a film titled a Moment's Deed was released devoted to Yakov
Novichenko. It was a joint production of "Mosfilm" and Korean
cinematographers.