Tiraspol, 9 May. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. On 9 May, the military base of the OGRF opened its doors to many thousands of people who took part in an Immortal Regiment procession and all the Pridnestrovians who wished to plunge into the atmosphere of holiday and the history of war years.
A public prayer was held near St Andrew's Church in commemoration of liberators, after which the head of the state with his family, the leadership of the government and the Supreme Council, local officials and residents laid flowers and wreaths at the monument to an unknown soldier. Special words of gratitude for the peaceful sky were told to the veterans - each of them was greeted by the first persons of the state.
The Russian soldiers had thoroughly prepared for the holiday. They organised an exhibition of military and retro cars, modern equipment, which is used by the Russian army. The children could not only touch the exhibits but also to take a ride on some of them.
In addition, a wide range of Soviet and German WWII weapons was presented for the first time this year, including those from private collections.
The organisers admitted that every year they were trying to surprise Pridnestrovians. This year’s "surprise" was a life-sized partisan village showing the conditions in which partisans lived and trained for diversionary work.
"All facilities had been created according to the guidelines. We followed a manual for partisans published in 1942. Everyone can go down to staff and command dugouts, see how places for food and food storage were equipped. There are various accommodation facilities for servicemen and partisans - on-ground tents, half-underground and underground dugouts. All the facilities are equipped with the inventory and household utensils used during the Great Patriotic War", said Captain Alexey Krasheninnikov, an OGRF serviceman.
He also noted that such partisan villages were created only in a few regions of the Russian Federation and in Belarus.
Right next to the dugouts is an exhibition of motor vehicles. According to representatives of the Pridnestrovian branch of the bike club "Night Wolves", taking part in the celebration of Victory Day is a matter of honour and duty for them.
"We remember, we honour the grandfathers, great-grandfathers, who defended our Motherland. Today our "Night Wolves" brothers have finished their bike trip in Berlin, and we have ridden in a column to the Glory Memorial to lay flowers", the president of Night Wolves of Pridnestrovie, Valentin Kirik, said.
In an interview with journalists, the president also spoke about a unity between Russia and Pridnestrovie which is especially evident on Victory Day, mentioning a good tradition to celebrate 9 May together with Russian peacekeepers.
"The Russian military came to the banks of the Dniester in the late 18th century during the reign of Catherine II, along with Suvorov soldiers and founded the city of Tiraspol, the Sredinnaya Fortress. Since then the Russian soldier, the Soviet soldier and later the Russian soldier again have not left this land, and today's peacekeepers, who are the basic part of a peacekeeping mission, continue the glorious traditions of Russian peacekeepers. We are a single whole - it is difficult to divide us in essence, neither by tradition nor by language. Therefore, both our soldiers and the soldiers of the Russian Federation took part in today's parade," said Vadim Krasnoselsky.
The commander of the Operational Group of Russian Forces, Dmitry Zelenkov, noted that Victory Day was a common holiday, which is why the Russian servicemen marched today along with Pridnestrovie's Armed Forces today.
"We have common traditions, a real common holiday which cannot divide us into those from the OGRF and Pridnestrovian residents. Therefore, since this is a common holiday, we are celebrating it together. I am very glad that today we are receiving so many guests," said Dmitry Zelenkov.
Speaking about today's tasks facing the OGRF in Pridnestrovie, Zelenkov highlighted the training of units for the implementation of the peacekeeping operation, protection and defence of the most important facilities belonging to the Russian Federation. He stressed that together with the Pridnestrovian military those tasks were successfully implemented.
Several thousands of Pridnestrovians visited the OGRF base in a few hours. Among the guests of the holiday was retired Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Bardyk. He knows firsthand what the military life is. In 1969 Vasily Bardyk was on the Damansky Island, where the biggest Soviet-Chinese conflict in the contemporary history of both countries broke out. He served in the construction troops, whose units provided decent living and service standards for soldiers.
Vasily Bardyk was pleased with the program of the holiday:
"I like everything very much. Everything is very convenient; you can examine everything. There is a place to refresh oneself, to taste soldier's food. There is a place to sit and watch a concert."
Albina Kushnir is the wife of a Russian serviceman. She specially made a military uniform for her little daughter ahead of 9 May. Albina is convinced that respect for history, gratitude to the ancestors who laid down their lives for the sake of a peaceful sky should be taught from childhood.
"The holiday is wonderful. We participate in it every year. Everything has been envisaged here for both children and the older generation. There is something to see and touch. We are especially struck by the partisan village. All servicemen tried very hard when they built dugouts. This was a very scrupulous work," noted Albina Kushnir.
There were many children in WWII uniform today. With bows on the head and a St. George ribbon on the chest - parents and grandparents try to bring up the younger generation nearly from the cradle to respect the feat of their ancestors so that no one and nothing will be forgotten.
"9 May is a sacred holiday for all. Every year we participate in solemn events; we try to teach the children to honour this day so that they know the history. We have a grandfather - a Great Patriotic War veteran; he is 96 years old. He served here, in Tiraspol, and now lives in Belarus. This is the memory, and I want children dressed in this uniform to remember this day," said Tatiana Sheiko, a Tiraspol resident.
We found Vitaly Cherezov with his daughter in one of the dugouts. There they were examining the facility and household utensils.
Vitaly said that they participate each year in solemn events dedicated to Victory Day: march with the photos of their relatives in the Immortal Regiment procession, lay flowers at the Glory Memorial and come to the OGRF base to watch a holiday programme.
"Every year the OGRF organises something new. Last year it was a reconstruction of a battle of the Great Patriotic War; this year it is a partisan village. Everything is very informative and interesting for children. Which is very important is ideology. It should be instilled from childhood. When we teach our children history, we thus continue the history of our grandfathers into the present and the future," Vitaly Tcherezov stressed.
And of course, there is no Victory Day without army porridge and a cup of sweet tea! And those who walked too much and saw too much of military exhibits could have a rest on a meadow in front of the concert stage. Here performance groups were entertaining the spectators and singing songs of the war years.
