Meeting to mark Memory and Sorrow Day held in Kazan

A meeting to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was held in Kazan on June 22.

Present at the meeting were the United Russia Tatarstan division deputy secretary, State Council Deputy Chairman Rimma Ratnikova, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan Ravil Muratov, State Advisor to the President of Tatarstan on social affairs Tatiana Larionova, Kazan Executive Committee’s head Rafis Burganov, heads of ministries and departments, United Russia activists, and WWII veterans and home front workers.

“June 22 is one of the most dire days in our history, the Day of Memory and Sorrow. The day is to remind of the defenders of the Motherland and the valiant home front workers who gave their lives to conquer the enemy,” said Rafis Burganov while opening the meeting. “Our main task today is to warn the world against forgetting the most ruthless lessons of history, to prevent them happening again.” “Do cherish the memory of the fallen heroes – it will be a token of gratitude for the today’s peaceful sky,” he appealed to the younger audience.

Speaking of the victory, one should not forget at what price it came to us, holds the deputy prime minister. “The casualties were enormous,” he said, noting that Tatarstan’s authorities encouraged the young search teams’ efforts, aimed to find people reported missing. “For us, the memory of the generation that defended our Motherland is a great feeling that we should impart to our children and grandchildren,” enhanced Mr Muratov. “No nation can have a future without a past,” he emphasised.

“The war turned out to be lengthy, it lasted for 4 years. It required extraordinary efforts from those working at the home front and fighting at the frontline. The victory cost us huge casualties. We are grateful to you, dear veterans, for the victory. We will try to always keep the memory,” Rimma Ratnikova pledged to those present.

She went on to say the national authorities and the United Russia party were doing a lot to make Russia’s army effective and strong and to have Russian children growing up with a love of their homeland and a readiness to defend it. “The memory is very dear to us. Let the sky above our heads be clear,” noted the official, wishing good health and many happy returns to the war veterans.

One of the veterans and a higher school graduate student delivered a speech at the meeting. The meeting’ participants proceeded by paying the tribute to the memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War and of all the wartime victims through a minute’s silence.

In conclusion, the meeting’s attendees laid flowers to the Eternal Flame at the Glory Memorial in the Kazan’s Victory Park.

For the moment about 4,813 war veterans live in Kazan, as well as 264 residents of Blockaded Leningrad, 164 former fascist concentration camps prisoners and 36,949 home front workers.