Bendery, 19 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Mourning events are held today to commemorate the anniversary of the Bendery tragedy. In Bendery these events began in the early morning near the city's state administration, where a column of city residents and guests was formed. President Yevgeny Shevchuk, government members led by the prime minister, Pavel Prokudin, Supreme Council members, led by the speaker, Vadim Krasnoselsky, head of Bendery's state administration, Nikolay Gliga, city council members, representatives of law enforcement agencies, OGRF and public organisations, city defenders and city residents came to honour the memory of those who fell 24 year ago defending Bendery.
The Republican Remembrance March, organised on the analogy of Immoral Regiment, was headed by members of youth patriotic organisations and cadets, carrying the portraits of Bendery’s fallen defenders. The column paraded through the centre — from Liberation Square to the Memorial of Remembrance and Sorrow, where a requiem rally took place.
«24 years ago our countrymen laid down their lives to defend peace in Pridnestrovie, defend Bendery and save their families from OPON units. I'd like to express sincere gratitude to Russia's peacekeepers, all the peacekeepers for keeping and maintaining peace in Pridnestrovie. Despite the existing risks, the most valuable thing now is peace. We must preserve it, taking into account Pridnestrovie's historic experience, honouring the memory of our fallen defenders," said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
«Bendery residents managed to defend their city, their republic, their right to live freely on their own land. Today, on this sacred place before the memory of the fallen heroes we must remember that we must continue their deeds, secure the prosperity of our country and unity of our society," said Nikolay Gliga.
«24 years ago 19 June divided our life into the life 'before' and the life 'after'. 'Before' was almost a peaceful life, and 'after' - a ruined city, losses of loved ones and relatives. The enemy could not understand the secret of the rigidity of Pridnestrovian defenders and Bendery city, and this rigidity lies in the uniqueness of our Pridnestrovian people. For 26 years we have been living under economic, transport, political and information blockade. We've been living to spite our enemies. Today, we are honouring the memory of those we used to work together at a factory and live next door. In the hour of need they took up guns and defended the freedom and independence of the city at the cost of their own lives. And we have no right to forget those 40 days," said the chairman of Bendery's Union of the Defenders of the PMR, Anatoly Bulda.
A minute of silence was observed in the memory of the fallen defenders, after which flowers were laid to the foot of the Memorial.
