"The Road of Memory", that unites ...

As part of the “Handful of Memory” project, the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation held a ceremonial transfer of Russia to the storage of tobacco pouches with ground from the graves of Soviet soldiers in Armenia, Belgium, Latvia, Turkmenistan, the Czech Republic and Switzerland...

“Today we are conducting the regular action to transfer to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces the ground from the graves of Soviet soldiers who died on the battlefields of World War II — tortured in concentration camps, died from wounds and buried in six states,” the head of the Main Directorate of Combat training of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Colonel General Ivan Buvaltsev said.

He also noted that "particles of ground previously collected from mass graves and burials of Soviet soldiers in Russia, as well as transferred to the Russian side from other countries, would be placed in brass shells and laid in memorial plates at the main church of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation."

“The work carried out has a high moral goal - preserving the truth about the war, studying our military history, establishing the burial places of Soviet soldiers, the names and destinies of soldiers and officers who defended their homeland, its freedom and independence,” the general emphasized.

So he expressed his gratitude to our foreign partners who responded to the appeal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and carried out solemn rituals to collect particles of ground from the graves of Soviet soldiers.

In general, the All-Russian military-patriotic action "Handful of Memory" started on June 22, 2019. As the “Allies.CSTO” was informed in the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, “to date, ground from the graves of Soviet soldiers has been delivered from 24 states.” In addition, ground was collected from more than 15 thousand burial sites in Russia. And it is planned to bring ground from more than 40 countries.

It is also known that in the branch of the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation “Memory Road” historical exhibits of the Great Patriotic War will be displayed, including photographs, documents, awards, weapons, and personal belongings of soldiers and officers. The central place will be taken by the multimedia gallery “Memory Road”. As part of its exposition, a single information array will be created with data on all participants in the war. The “Memory Road” project will bring together tens of millions of photographs of war veterans and workers of defense enterprises, partisans and residents of besieged Leningrad, employees of cultural institutions and war correspondents. 

It is noteworthy that everyone can participate in this special project. To do this, the information section “The Road of Memory” (www.doroga.mil.ru) has been launched on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense, in which you can download photographs and data about your relatives - participants in the Great Patriotic War, who fought at the front or worked in the rear. All of them will be included in the multimedia gallery " The Road of Memory ".

Of course, another important circumstance is worth noting here. Namely: the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is a common holiday of the countries participating in the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The editors of the “Allies.CSTO” continue to receive information on how they are preparing for the May 9 meetings in the capitals, cities and small villages of the Organization’s states. Among the planned events there are many really large-scale, interesting, memorable ones, which, moreover, are sometimes not limited to the CSTO format.

For example, just yesterday, during a ceremony on the Kurgan of Friendship, the Republic of Belarus handed over the relay to Russia in honor of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. What is a kind of the relay? This is an international marathon that will take place along the border of Russia, as well as along the external borders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. And the Friendship Mound is a place where the borders of three countries are joined at once - Belarus, Latvia and Russia. And also the Friendship Mound is a monument to the heroism and courage of the Russian, Belarusian and Latvian partisans who during the years of World War II fought together against the German troops. It is an artificially created hill. The ground that was used to create the mound was taken from the places of burial or death of soldiers and partisans of the Red Army. Steps built of stone, which became the continuation of several walkways on three sides lead to the highest point of the hill. A maple walkway leads from the Russian side, the walkway of limes - from the Latvian side, and the birch one from the Belarusian side ...

... The Belarusian stage of the Victory Relay lasted two weeks. During this time, almost 4 thousand kilometers have been covered. Now it’s Russia’s turn. The symbol of the marathon - a miniature border post - began its journey from the walls of the legendary Brest Fortress. The Belarusian relay team includes officers and veterans of the border service.

- We visited every unit of the border service, at each registered outpost. Yesterday, for example, at the Sushanov border outpost, in Love, flowers were laid, Colonel Kirill Kindel, senior relay team of the border service of the Republic of Belarus, told reporters.

Passing of the torch will run along the external borders of nine countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Mongolia. The total route mileage is more than 60 thousand kilometers.

“Soon the symbol of the marathon will be in Moscow,” Stanislav Akatov, First Deputy Head of the FSB Border Directorate for the Pskov Region, said -  “Then it will have a long journey along the external borders of the CIS.” And then it will return again to the Pskov land, where it will visit our divisions, in the cities of Gdov, Pskov, Pechora ...

As a part of the action, its participants meet with veterans, lay flowers at places of border and military glory, and conduct military-historical reconstructions. There are still thousands of kilometers ahead. And the memorable marathon will end on May 28 in Moscow, in the Alexander Garden, at the memorial complex "The Unknown Soldier’s Grave"...

... Armenia is also preparing for the celebrations. According to the president of the “Immortal Regiment of Armenia” public organization Gohar Gumashyan, the march that has become traditional this May will be held in ten regions of the Republic, as well as in Nagorno-Karabakh. Gohar Gumashyan said that within the framework of the celebration “many different commemorative events will be organized dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War”. By the way, many events started on December 3, last year, - from the Day of Remembrance of the Unknown Soldier.

“The 2020-th year is considered a landmark year for our republic, and we want all events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory to be held at a decent level,” Gohar Gumashyan emphasized.

It should also be noted that in Armenia they carefully preserve the memory that from June, 1941, to May, 1945, about 500 thousand Armenians were drafted into the Red Army. 300 thousand of them were natives of Soviet Armenia, and 200 thousand were from other Soviet republics. About 100 thousand more Armenians took part in the war against Nazi Germany and its allies. More than 200 thousand of them did not return from the war ...

... In Kyrgyzstan, according to Olga Frolova, a member of the Coordination Council of the organization of Russian compatriots, among other things, the Memory and Glory Tournament starts in several cities at once. Its participants will be able to not only demonstrate their knowledge about the history of the Great Patriotic War, but also broaden their horizons in this area. In March, the first festival of school and student groups, as well as the republican auto-quest “Victory in the rear” is planned - under the project, schoolchildren and students will be able to visit all significant and memorable places that are somehow connected with the events of the Great Patriotic War. Olga Frolova also emphasized that the work of volunteers will not end on May 9 - events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory are scheduled until December.

“The projects cover assistance to veterans and work with youth of different ages - both adults from 25 years old and schoolchildren,” Frolova noted. “In addition, the program will include other actions: Days of united actions, voluntary Saturday works, planting of the Memory Gardens.

... In Kazakhstan, in the anniversary year, it is planned to hold 67 events, including a military parade, search works to identify unaccounted burials and unburied remains of Kazakh soldiers who died during the war, the participation of veterans in events held in the CIS countries. In addition, social assistance will be provided to veterans, the organization of cultural events is planned. So, in the republican capital, about 70 events are expected, including the procession "Zhauzhurek regiment-Immortal Regiment", as well as the distribution of the Ribbons of Victory to residents and guests of the capital. For this, a commission has been created here to prepare and conduct events for the 75th anniversary of the Victory with the participation of members of veteran organizations, well-known public figures and deputies of the maslikhat (local government in Kazakhstan). The set of activities includes a preventive medical examination for war veterans and home front workers, charity and patriotic actions.

It is interesting that Kazakhstan volunteers are going to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day - they will help in organizing various celebrations. According to the executive director of the National Volunteer Network of the Republic Tatyana Mironyuk, they will have something to tell to their friends and allies from Russia. For example, about how does Kazakhstan support veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

- For example, we have a wonderful project "Zhenis" (in translation - Victory), - Tatyana says, - Volunteers help war veterans or home front workers in firewood and coal gathering. Our children themselves plant, grow and take crops for free in summer cottages of elderly people. Last year, in Taldykorgan, volunteers thus gathered two thousand tons of crops.

By the way, earlier - in October, 2019, - the republican media reported that at the time of the meeting of Kassym-Zhomart Tokaev with Vladimir Putin, the head of Kazakhstan said that "he plans to come to Russia in 2020 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War."

- As for the upcoming affairs, I am grateful for the invitation to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, I am planning to be in Moscow. This is our common holiday, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev said, “I myself am the son of a front-line soldier, my uncle is buried in the village of Trubino, Rzhevsky district, Tver region. I went there, there is a mass grave, a monument, for which I am grateful to the local authorities and, of course, to the Russian government - all burial sites are in very good condition.

He added that in the Ivanovo region, a burial place was discovered for 73 Kazakhstan soldiers who died during the war.

“Of course, in Kazakhstan we will commemorate our soldiers who gave their lives for the Great Victory,” the leader of Kazakhstan assured.

... President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon will take part in the celebrations in the Russian capital on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War too. This, in particular, was announced yesterday at a briefing in Dushanbe by the head of the Tajik Foreign Ministry, Sirojiddin Mukhriddin.

“Our President received an invitation from the President of the Russian Federation, and we have already confirmed our President’s participation in the events on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Victory ... Naturally, this is a celebration of a global nature,” the Tajik Foreign Minister told reporters.

The Tajik diplomatic official also noted that our citizens, our grandfathers and Tajikistan as a part of the Soviet Union have made a great contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany.

Vladimir Popov