Parade of the Great Victory in the Hero-City of Smolensk

In commemoration of the 73rd anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a parade of troops of the Smolensk Territorial Garrison took place in the central square of Smolensk, Hero-City. Governor Alexey Ostrovskiy greeted the veterans, parade participants, residents and guests of the city.

The veterans of the Great Patriotic War were traditionally provided with special spectators’ seats, from which they could observe the parade.

Colonel Igor Stakhovich, deputy commander on work with personnel of the Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky Military Academy of the Army Air Defense Corps of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation commanded the parade. Major-General Oleg Vasilchenko, deputy head on educational and scientific work of the Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky Military Academy of the Army Air Defense Corps of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation received the parade.

Greeting those present at the parade, Governor Alexey Ostrovskiy said: "73 years have passed since the day when our grandfathers and fathers for the first time celebrated the Great Victory over treacherous and cruel enemy – Hitler’s fascism. The participants of the bloody battles, the workers of the rear and the children of the war, partisans and underground fighters, prisoners of concentration camps, like no one else, know what a high price our people have paid to win the Victory. Therefore, every year on May 9, we feel boundless respect and gratitude to the heroic generation of the winners, as well as bitterness of losses."

Special words of gratitude and appreciation Alexey Ostrovskiy addressed to the veterans: "Thanks to you, your unshakable firmness and strength of will, we know the true value of life, peace and happiness! You will always be an example of courage, valor and patriotism for us!, the feats of those who was bringing the Great Victory closer through their military deeds and selfless labor at the front and in the rear with nearer Day will remain forever in the hearts of each one of us! We bow our heads to veterans! Let eternal memory be with the killed. Let never hardships of war touch our Homeland and our lives! Let the might of Russia grow stronger and greater!"

After the parade, the column of the "Immortal Regiment" passed along the central streets of Smolensk. For the first time the patriotic campaign, the goal of which is to preserve the memory for those who fought for the freedom of our Homeland, was held in 2012 in Tomsk, and in the next year, 2013, 120 cities and settlements of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan joined in.