On May 9 Saratov University participated in the city events dedicated to Victory Day celebration.
In the morning a big SSU delegation led by Aleksei N. Chumachenko went to Victory Park, where a ceremonial meeting was organised.
The guests were congratulated by Governor of the Saratov Region Valerii V. Radayev.
‘We will always remember about it! It is impossible to overestimate the historical significance of the Great Victory and its patriotic and moral tension. Nothing can be compared with the heroic deeds like that! When everyone at the front-line and in back areas was spirited by patriotism and the duty to protect the country. Our people believed good deeds, solidarity, and self-devotedness would defeat the evil. More than 600,000 Saratov region citizens headed to the front-line, a half them were killed in battles. “2,000,000 of local people produced missiles and planes, grew wheat and baked bread, and healed the wounded. We speak about these facts and numbers again and again in order the youth will be able to understand the value of those heroic deeds and thank you, dear veterans.’
Traditionally, Saratov citizens laid flowers to the Eternal Light Memorial and the Sterns Memorial and kept a silence minute commemorating the war heroes.
In the middle of the day the Immortal Regiment was traditionally held. This year 120,000 Saratov citizens participated in it. And Saratov University joined to the parade, too. Its delegation consisted of Rector Aleksei N. Chumachenko and hundreds of students, professors, and members of the academic staff. 6 activists of Saratov University and Head of Office of Student Educational Work and Youth Programmes Georgii I. Bolotov accompanied Governor Valerii V. Radayev in the parade.
The SSU column was formed at Bldg. X. The SSU Student Club members sang war songs and danced for the Immortal Regiment participants.
The parade itself started at 3 p.m. Its members walked along a few blocks holding the portraits of their relatives. This year the moderators brought a few changes, thus, the so-called ‘spirit volunteers’ took part in the parade. They created the celebratory atmosphere in the column. The final destination was Theatre Square.
A 2nd-year student of the Faculty of Geography Alexander Mikhailov brought the portrait of his great grandfather Alexander.
‘In June 1941 he was drafted into the Soviet army. Up to 1943 he served his duty in a motorised regiment and he was injured twice. In 1943 he was ordered to study in the Saratov Tank School. After graduation he was conferred the rank of Senior Lieutenant and went to the front-line again. There he commanded a tank squadron. My great grandfather died on December 22, 1944 in Hungary while the army was releasing Budapest. He was awarded post-mortem for his heroic deed with the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. The award was sent to his family, and we preserve it as a relic,’ said the student.
Alexander marked that we commemorate the members of the Great Patriotic War due to the project like that which reminds us about honour and bravery. Also, according to him, people not only in Russia but all over the world get united due to the Immortal Regiment.
‘We must pay our respects to all the veterans, the USSR citizens, who sacrificed their lives for the mutual victory,’ highlighted Alexander Mikhailov.
SSU volunteers took part in the parade moderation – they framed the columns. This year 40 volunteers of Saratov University participated in the event.
A 2nd-year student of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Language Teaching Methods Olga Kasatkina was among of those volunteers. She said that she had become an Immortal Regiment volunteer in 2018 for the first time.
‘I find this project incredible because nowadays everybody is very busy, and people must have an opportunity to walk along the streets of their cities and remember and commemorate those who gave us peace,’ noted the student.
A 1st-year student of the Faculty of Pedagogical and Special Needs Education Kseniya Abramova became an Immortal Regiment volunteer for the first time. In her opinion, it is a unique chance to participate in massive events, become a small part of such an important event and held its moderators. Today the student was one of the ‘spirit volunteers’. She led the column and sang the war songs with other parade members.
‘The Immortal Regiment project is a good tradition. People get united and feel that unity exactly at the events like that. In such moments they understand how important it is to stay together,’ commented Kseniya.
