Day of the Great Victory - Day of the common Victory!

On the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as on the Victory Day of May 9, commemorative events took place in sister-cities and partner cities of Krasnoyarsk.

Zilina, Slovakia

"Monday, April 30, 1945, is inscribed in the history of Zilina in capital letters. Soldiers of the Red Army, together with the Romanian troops liberated our city from Nazi occupation. The administration and residents of the city honor the memory of all those who fought for peace during the Second World War, and, of course, those who participated in the liberation of Slovakia and the city of Zilina," says the official site of Zilina

The 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Zilina was commemorated at the military cemetery memorial in Zilina-Borik and at the memorial of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps soldiers in the SNP Park in Zilina on Monday, attended by delegations of the Russian and Belarus embassies. Chairman of the Slovak Association of Anti-fascist Fighters (SZPB) Juraj Drotar underlined that thanks to the cooperation with the Russian Embassy, they managed in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to identify the soldiers buried at the Military Cemetery. "Up to 2018, we stated that 1,768 Red Army soldiers were buried at the cemetery. We've unveiled today a plaque for the soldiers lying here in common graves or alone and we've reached the number 1,907," Drotar said.

Deputy Mayor Patrik Groma, Deputy Mayor Anton Trnovets, Russian Ambassador to Slovakia, adviser to the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, members of the Slovak Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters and the participants in the liberation of Zilina took part in the commemoration ceremony.

On May 9, the administration and residents of the city of Zilina laid wreaths and flowers at the memorials to the victims of World War II. Thus, they honored the memory of soldiers who fell in the battle for peace.

"The day of victory over fascism has a strong connection with present days. Particularly while we see various extremist movements and parties appear not only in Slovakia, but also throughout Europe. Let's learn from history and not forget the lessons of the past," said Patrik Groma. According to him, the city administration wants to increase interest in history, especially among youth, with the help of such memorable events. That is the reason why it is so important to participate in them schoolchildren.

* Based on materials from the site of the city of Žilina

http://www.zilina.sk

Fairbanks (USA)

On May 9 Fairbanks community commemorated the Victory Day and the cooperation between Russia and the US under the Lend Lease agreement during World War II by a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial to the pilots of the Alaska-Siberia Air Route, known in Soviet war history as the Krasnoyarsk Air Route.

During the war, Krasnoyarsk was chosen as the final and most important point for the ferrying pilots due to the most developed by 1941 transport and especially aviation infrastructure. It was in Krasnoyarsk, the center of creation and development of polar aviation, that all conditions had been created for training personnel, receiving, servicing, repairing and forwarding to the front of such a huge number of various aircraft.

Krasnoyarsk Air Route was organized for the transfer of military aircraft from the United States to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The first planes to cover the air route created practically from scratch in sparsely populated areas of the north-east of the country with difficult geographic, economic, meteorological conditions during a very difficult difficult period of the first year of the Great Patriotic War, landed at the Krasnoyarsk airfield on November 11th 1942. Starting from that moment, the supply of military aircraft to the front through Krasnoyarsk continued until October 1945 - the end of the Second World War. More than 8,000 aircraft were timely delivered to the front and made a significant contribution to the great Victory over the enemy.

In 2017, the year of the 75th Anniversary of the Krasnoyarsk Air Route, the Administration of the City of Krasnoyarsk, together with the Siberian Federal University, the Expedition Center of the Russian Geographical Society and the city's patriotic public organizations, held in Krasnoyarsk a number of commemorative events including the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Lend-Lease. Routes of cooperation against the mutual enemy. 75th Anniversary of Krasnoyarsk Air Route (Alaska-Siberia)."

*Further information about 2017 commemorative events devoted to the 75th Anniversary of Krasnoyarsk Air Route can be found here: http://www.admkrsk.ru/sites/eng/Pages/alsib75.aspx

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

On May 9, students and employees of the Russian Center of the Ulan-Bator Branch of the Russian Academy of Economics named after Plekhanov took part in the "Immortal Regiment" rally.

After the ceremony of laying the wreaths on Mount Zaisan to the memorial to Soviet soldiers, representatives of the Russian Embassy in Mongolia, compatriots, pupils, students and citizens of Mongolia with portraits of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers who defended the world from fascist invaders held a solemn meeting at the monument to the outstanding Soviet commander G. Zhukov.

In Ulaanbaatar, near the Zaisan Memorial, built in honor of the Red Army's support of the Mongolian People's Revolution and the Soviet-Mongol victory at Khalkhin-Gol, the tank "Revolutionary Mongolia" stands on a concrete pedestal. On the pedestal you can see a guard sign and eight military orders that were awarded to the tank brigade, as well as the brigade's combat route during the Great Patriotic War.

Possibility of Japanese attack did not allow Mongolia to help the Soviet Union in its fight against the Nazis with military units, but the Mongols began providing material assistance to their ally literally from the first day of the war. The corresponding resolution of the Presidium of the Small State Khural, the Council of Ministers of the MPR and the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party was adopted on June 22, 1941.

In January 1942, it was decided to raise funds for the purchase of tanks for the formation of the tank brigade "Revolutionary Mongolia". With funds raised by the citizens of Mongolia, 53 tanks were built (32 T-34 tanks and 21 T-70 tanks), the ceremonial transfer of which took place on January 12, 1943. From that moment the 112th Tank Brigade received the name "Revolutionary Mongolia". It included "named tanks": "Big Khural", "Small Khural", "Marshal Choibalsan", "Sukhe Bator", "Mongolian Chekist" and others.

* Based on the materials of the information portal of the Russian World Foundation

https://www.russkiymir.ru/

Mogilev (Republic of Belarus)

On May 9, a big concert took place in the central square of Mogilev, where one could see a theatrical presentation of the pre-war past of the city, the heroism of its defenders and liberators.

Celebrations of the Victory Day began with a large-scale march in which military units and military equipment took part.

Pupils carried a huge red flag - an enlarged copy of the flag that the Red Army soldiers raised in the spring of 1945 over the Reichstag.

On May 9 Mogilev also joined the rally "Belarus Remembers", an analog of the Russian rally "Immortal Regiment".

* Based on the materials of the Mogilev City Executive Committee website

http://mogilev.gov.by/​