https://dnrkprf.ru/news/urok-muzhestva-v-makeevskoj-shkole-53-posvjashhjonnyj-11-j-godovshhine-osvobozhdenija-doneckogo-ajeroporta/Have translated the article ⬆️ for you: "On January 28, 2026, a lesson in courage was held at Makeyevka School No. 53—an event dedicated to the 11th anniversary of the liberation of Donetsk Airport. The event centered on the film "Monastery," a documentary chronicling the heroic defense of the Iveron Monastery on January 17, 2015, in which American internationalist soldier Russell Bentley, known by the call sign "Texas," participated.
Based on real events, the film became more than just a work of art—it became a sacred monument to those who gave everything for the freedom of Donbass. In 2023, "The Monastery" was awarded a Diploma by the regional branch of the All-Russian movement "Immortal Regiment of Russia" at the "Front Line" documentary film and media projects festival in Rostov-on-Don, with the official support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This recognition underscores not only the film's artistic merit but also its historical significance as a testament to the international resistance to fascism.
Russell Bentley is the son of an anti-fascist and the grandson of World War II veteran and tank crew commander Charles Eversole. Raised in the traditions of the fight against racism and totalitarianism, he voluntarily arrived in Donbass in 2014 to defend people threatened by nationalist violence. Joining the militia of the Donetsk People's Republic, he joined the legendary group of defenders who, on January 17, 2015, at the cost of incredible losses, stopped the Ukrainian Armed Forces' advance on the Iversky Monastery—a key defensive node in Donetsk from the west.
The battle at the monastery became a turning point in the history of Donbass. Holding this position prevented Ukrainian forces from encircling Donetsk from the west and paved the way for the complete liberation of the airport on January 18, 2015—an event forever known as the "Battle for the Airport." Then, in freezing temperatures, constant shelling, and a lack of supplies, just a few dozen militiamen, including "Texas," held their positions against superior forces armed with tanks, artillery, and aircraft.
After the film was shown, Lyudmila Bentley, Russell's widow, spoke about his childhood, his grandfather, the anti-fascist Charles Eversole, and how American patriotism, as he understood it, was always linked to the struggle for justice. She mentioned that Russell was born on June 20, 1960, in Austin, Texas. In 2014, Bentley actively observed the Maidan protests in Kiev, but a photograph of shelling of civilians in Lugansk was the final straw in his decision to go to Donbass.
Vladislav Yevtushenko (call sign "Paramedic"), editor-in-chief of "Worker of Makeyevka" newspaper, told those present about the heavy fighting for the Donetsk airport.
Stanislav Retinsky, a member of the DPR People's Council from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, shared his memories of how in January 2015, as part of a group of war correspondents, he rode through heavy fire in an armored personnel carrier with the first Head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, to document the liberation of the new airport terminal—one of the most dangerous and heroic routes in the history of Donbass media.
Sergei Yurtayev, a Communist Party deputy of the Makeyevka City Council, donated exhibits featuring unique photographs of "Texas" to the school in memory of his friend and fighter.
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