Our dear veterans, colleagues, students, and friends!
I heartily congratulate you on the most important holiday for our country – Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War!
Every year, we gather in the campus near the monument to remember those who, like Rector Daniil Luchinin, volunteered for the front. They all fought like heroes. Many have been awarded medals, orders, there is a hero of the Soviet Union. And, unfortunately, a lot of people died. Their surnames are carved on the memorial plate. These names will forever remain in our memory.
On this day, we also remember those who worked at the university during the war. Students studied, teaching staff members gave lectures, conducted research, helped in harvesting, worked at defence enterprises, and took care for wounded soldiers. The university continued living. We know and remember the greatest scientific achievements that the defence industry needed more than ever. These are the achievements of our scientists in chemistry, physics, and geology.
The period of joint work with Leningrad State University, which was evacuated here in 1942, became very important for Saratov State University. In that winter, a special train with LSU students and professors arrived at our railway station. For more than two weeks they rode in unheated cars and went out on the platform exhausted. Many were carried out on stretchers. Together with colleagues, SSU Rector Vera Artisevich met the evacuees. She handed an orange to everyone who was carried out on a stretcher. It was the winter of 1942. At that time, a piece of bread for everyone, especially for Leningrad citizens, was a great happiness. And the orange, according to the memories of many, was a symbol of life for them.
Let us remember these days and years, these feats, fortitude, and courage, remember the horrors of the war with fascist Germany. To remember in order to convey more strongly the joy of the Great Victory on May 9, 1945. To convey this joy to our future generations.
It has still seemed to us that fascism and Nazism could not be revived, that this history could not be rewritten in any case. But today, unfortunately, this is happening. We have something to fight against and for. Let's remember that, too.
We have a wonderful young generation growing up. They are engaged in charitable projects, help mobilised soldiers, residents of People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions evacuated here. Therefore, we will never be defeated!
Happy holidays! Happy Victory Day!
Rector of Saratov State University
Aleksei Chumachenko
