Ilya Anatolyevich Kasyanov was born on May 28, 1961. He studied at school and then in the Suvorov's Military School in the city of Minsk, where he chose and came to love the profession of a military man. At that time tutors noted the main features of his character - to take care of his classmates and protect everybody who needed his help.

Two years later after graduating from Kiev Military College, he found himself in his first war in Afganistan. In November 1984 he was badly wounded. There was a danger of amputating his leg. But due to the efforts taken by doctors as well as to his strong health everything was all right. After the hospital he returned to the war in Asfganistan and joined his subordinates to act as a military intelligence service man. At that time the phrases defining his attitude to soldiers were born such as " What about me? I am always ready to find a way to be alive. And what about my soldiers?" The phrases became very popular among soldiers. He taught them to win and find a way to be alive. The losses among his subordinates were always minimal.

Namely in Afganistan he was first presented to the title of a Hero, at that time it was a Hero of the USSR. However functionaries decided that the absence of losses was not a reason for giving him a title of a Hero.

After Afganistan he served in different troops on various posts. In 1994 he was appointed as a chief of a motorized infantry detachment.

Then Chechnya came. It was the first war and most difficult. He was wounded. Again as in Afganistan he was presented to the title of a Hero. Thanks to Kasyanov who commanded the intelligence service the detachment didn't suffer losses. Soldiers' mothers can tell you what it means...

The edict on awarding him the title of a Hero of Russia was dated on 15 May, 1996. After the end of the war he went on his service in the Army. On getting to know about the courses of the UN observers in Solnechnogorsk he seriously began to study English which is one of the working languages of the UN peace-keepers.

Having passed the entrance exams with the excellent results he joined the courses of the UN peacekeepers in October 1996.

The activities of a UN military observer are similar to those of a military man. The difference is the following: a UN observer must solve tasks without using weapons guided by the UN authority. However both a peacekeeper and a military man must take care of their collegues, subordinates and avoid unjustified losses and must provide assistance to everybody who needs it.

After finishing the courses in Solnechnogorsk he worked as a UN military observer in the international community in the Western Sahara and he was awarded the UN medal "In the Service of Peace".

After returning from the Western Sahara and having a short rest he got an interesting job as a teacher of the "Vystrel" Military Academy and as a tutor of the youth NGO in the city of Tver.

When the second war in Chechnya broke out Kasyanov went there again. He died on 8 November 1999.

This is how it happened. The group of officers, Kasyanov was among them, went to the area of fighting activities for reconnaissance. And suddenly the group was covered by the mortar fire of the terrorists. Ilya Anatolyevich was badly wounded, but still being alive he did his best to save his group. He made injections for himself and continued to lead the group. A helicopter was called on but because of the heavy fog it couldn't land. Time passed quickly and his life was in danger. Finally he was brought to the hospital with the blood pressure equal to "0". The doctors managed to raise the pressure to "80". But they didn't have either facilities to transfuse blood or the blood itself.

He was burried in the Glory Alley of Dmitrovo-Cherkasskoe cemetry in Tver as a Russian officer and a peacekeeper.

Now the regional authorities are planning to give the name of the Russian Hero Lieutenant-Colonel Ilya Kasyanov to one of the Tver's streets.

(The translation was made by members of
the Young UN Supporter's Club, School #1224, Moscow)