Tatarstan President: “We will always honour the heroic deed of our winners”

On May 8, at a solemn event dated to the 69th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War at M.Dzhalil Opera and Ballet Theatre, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov congratulated veterans on the holiday. Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev, Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov, heads of municipalities and war veterans took part in the event.

At the beginning of the solemn event, flags of Russia and Tatarstan, and the Banner of Victory were brought to the stage to the anthems of Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov addressed veterans with congratulatory speech:

“Dear veterans and homefront workers, servicemen of Kazan garrison! I congratulate you on the 69th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War! Generations will always remember this heroic period in the history of our country. As we see events, which took place during Great Patriotic War, receding into the past, we realize the splendour of heroic deed of multi-national Soviet people.

Dear veterans, you passed through such an ordeal, and in spite of all hardships you upheld our freedom and independence. The heroism you displayed in severe war times will always be our moral guide. Time cannot diminish memories about heroic deeds of our compatriots. We will always honour our winners, contend for truth about war, and clamp down on attempts to rewrite the history the 9th of May, the holiday “with tears in our eyes”. This day we remember those, who died for the sake of Victory. There is hardly any family in our republic that does not know about flames of that horrible war. More than 700, 000 Tatarstan citizens went to the front to defend their land. Half of them did not come back. I would like to honour the memory of the fallen by a minute’s silence.

Dear veterans, in war times Tatarstan citizens made a considerable contribution to our common victory. The republic was a real forge of combat reserves of the Army, more than 180,000 people were trained here, 2 air and 7 rifle divisions, 10 regiments and battalions, hundreds of combat crews were formed on our land. Plants and factories that used to manufacture non-combatant items started producing weapon.

More than 600 combat items were produced in Tatarstan. Kazan was one of the biggest industrial, scientific and academic centres in the country. In severe conditions our villagers sent millions of tonnes of food to the front. 60 hospitals worked in the republic, Tatarstan doctors and nurses helped 200, 000 soldiers and officers. More than 300 Tatarstan citizens were given the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. I am glad that today we can see living legends of those years, - heroes of the Soviet Union Boris Kirillovich Kuznetsov and Sabir Akhtyamovich Akhtyamov.

Dear veterans, Victory Day is your holiday. We were coming to this day not sparing yourself, fighting for every city and village. You set high moral standards and showed the example of devotion to one’s motherland. We are glad that today you also take an active part in public life, deal with patriotic education of the younger generation.

The Committee of war veterans and military service, public organization “Heroes of Tatarstan”, the Council of veterans, association “Motherland”, and Russia’s biggest sports patriotic centre “Patriot” play an important role in life of the republic. We have no doubts that our children and grandchildren will honour the memory of heroes of Great Patriotic War.

We have always paid special attention to veterans in our country. There are now 89,000 people, who stand and won in severe 40s, living in the republic. They are participants of combat operations, homefront workers, survivors of siege prisoners of concentration camps. Our main task is to encompass them with care and attention. Support of veterans, rendering social and medical aid will be priority area of our work during preparation for 70th anniversary of Great Victory.

Dear veterans, we are deeply in your debt. On the threshold of the holiday I wish you happiness, inexhaustible energy, good mood, health and long life, and peaceful sky above. Congratulations on Victory Day!”

Rustam Minnikhanov presented certificate to the Order of the Red Star given to Yakov Volkov missing in actions in war times. The award was presented to his daughter Anna Talapina. The certificate to the Order of Patriotic War of the 2nd degree was presented to Takiya Rashitova, the daughter of Khasy Rashitov. He died in August of 1944.

A holiday concert for veterans was held later on.