Victory Day. Memory Day.
Ulianovsk. A gala concert, which resurrected the atmosphere of prewar and the first war days was held on a sunny May Day in the Gas-and Oilmen’s Park. The enterprises of oil and gas producing branch of the Ulianovsk Region congratulated their former employees – veterans of the Great Patriotic War, of home front.
The veterans saw again the time we are bound to know, the time we have no right to forget - the far-away forties –
by the eyes of children, members of teen-agers’ club “Simbirtsit”. Young couples were awhirl to the strains of a prewar waltz – and suddenly the lyrical dance was broken by the message of the treacherous onslaught of fascist Germany on the Soviet Union… Verses about war, songs of the war years, children’s paintings transferred the guests of the festival to the past. Young models appeared at the cat-walk demonstrating a collection featuring elements of military uniform. Boys and girls from the paratroopers’ club acted an improvised combat. All the top managers of enterprises as well as representatives of federal, regional and city authorities congratulated the veterans Federal Inspector for the Ulianovsk Region Valery Lazarev, the First Deputy Mayor Aleksandr Yeliukin, Deputy of the City Duma Piotr Ctoliarov addressed the veterans with the words of gratitude.
In his speech the Secretary of Social Chamber Sergey Yermakov spoke about the great role of the heroes of the day – the victors, who had broken the backbone of a monstrous beast – the fascism. He underline that it were their skills, their wits, their blood that helped to save Russia, sometimes at the expense of their lives. But still many of the heroes survived and returned to their families. The speaker pointed out that contribution of home front workers to the Victory was also tremendous, and now the city is going to erect in Ulianovsk a memorial to home front veterans.
Deputy Chairman of ZSO, Tamara Dmitrieva in her speech mentioned that there are some forces nowadays which try to misinterpret the facts and falsify the history. But it is impossible to ignore the result which speaks for itsekf – out Victory. She thanked the veterans for this great deed.
This day means a lot for the General Director of OAO “Ulianovskneft”, a subsidiary of OAO NK “RussNeft”, Sergey Korolev: his father, who had did his military service in naval aviation, had fought from the first to the last day of the war. For his son he became the main hero of the time.
Sergey Korolev congratulated the veterans on behalf of all the oilmen of “RussNeft” and the Ulianovsk Region. “It is the Victory Day and the Memory Day, “ – he said. “ Your deed will never be forgotten. We thank you for the fact that we live in the country which had won And I beg you – live long!”.
Alexey Yeroshkin, former Head of Personnel Department of OAO “Ulianovskneft” was among the guuuuuuests of the festival. During the years of the Great Patriotic War he was not sent to the front, but, like thousand of other Russian people worked oon home front, supplying the soldiers with everything the army needed. He worked at a collective farm -seeding, planting, harvesting
To solemn salvos of salute boys and girls approached the veterans and invited them to the farewell waltz. Having done a pair of rounds of the half-forgotten dance the veterans were invited to dinner. There for them were prepared front-line bracers, flowers and gifts.