Vladimir Putin recalls how WWII affected life of his parents

Despite all of the horrors during the World War II, people of that generation did not feel hatred toward their enemy, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in his article for the Russky Pioner (Russian Pioneer) magazine recalling stories of his parents about the war.

"There was not a family not having someone killed [in the war]," Putin wrote. "There were of course sorrow, trouble, tragedy, but what is surprising they did not feel hatred toward their enemies. To tell you the truth, I still do not understand it completely."
Recalling his mother’s words, Putin writes: "My mother was very soft and kind… She used to say ‘What kind of hatred can be felt in regard to these soldiers? They are also simple people and also were killed in the war.’"

"This is astonishing! We were brought up on the Soviet films and books… And we used to hate… However, she did not feel this way," the Russian president wrote. "I still remember clearly her words ‘How can we blame them? They are just simple working-class men just like we are. They were simply forced to go to the frontline.’ These are the words, which I remember since my childhood."
In his article Putin recalls how the war affected his family, how his father fought, who was injured and after the war met a comrade-in-arms who saved his life. The president also tells in his article how his mother was within an inch of death and how his brother was killed fighting in the war.
"Everything that my parents told me about the war was true. They did not make up a single word. They did not mix up a single day," Putin wrote.