Preparation for Victory Day celebrations underway in Makhachkala

There left only about 1,900 veterans of the Great Patriotic War still alive in Dagestan.

According to the words of Deputy Minister of Culture of Dagestan Magomedrasul Magomedrasulov the events devoted to the 65th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II will be held in the republic throughout the year. On January 30, there was a concert and exhibition organized specially for veterans in Makhachkala’s Kumyksky theater, in February Afghan war veterans were remembered and celebrated. In short, some kind of event will be held every month. But the main events are naturally expected in May.

On the eve of May 9, on republican level a vigil of remembrance, the Victory Salute festival of choral music, a day of domestic arts and crafts, Dagestani Family and the Memory of Our Fathers exhibition will be held. How Young We Were will showcase the songs of the war years, and there will be performances of the people’s and youth theaters - Spring of Victory and Generation Next. There will also be a number of conferences, contests and festivals, including The Great Patriotic War in Dagestani literature conference and the White Cranes festival of the republic’s theaters.

According to Magomedrasulov, there is a preliminary agreement for the State Academic song and dance company of the Russian Interior Ministry led by creative director People’s Artist of the Soviet Union Victor Eliseev to come to Makhachkala on May 4-6. Also expected is the arrival of singer Jasmin in the republic of her birth to sing songs from the verses of Rasul Gamzatov.

On May 8 there will be a grand meeting of the public and veterans of the Great Patriotic War, and also a concert of masters of art of Dagestan. After that the president of the republic will receive the veterans. And on May 9 on the central square there will be a military parade, laying of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at the military cemetery. In towns and districts there will be mass parade and concerts. The culmination of the festive occasion will be the Victory Salute gala concert in Makhachkala.

 

According to the data of Dagestani council of veterans of war, work, armed forces and law-enforcement organs, more than 180,000 Dagestanis were sent to the front to defend the homeland during the war years and more than 90,000 didn’t come back. Relative to its population, Dagestan sent more people to the army than almost any other part of the Soviet Union. During the hard days of 1942, when Nazis came close to Dagestan’s borders, more than 15,000 Dagestanis voluntary joined the Red Army. In the fall of the same year, the cavalry squadron of Kara Karaev was formed from volunteers from the republic’s mountain dwellers and sent to front, fighting its way from Mozdok to Berlin. At the same time, more than 800 women were accepted in anti-aircraft artillery regiment No. 744. Besides this, thousands of Dagestanis entered the ranks of people's volunteer corps, which were formed from the citizens who were not subject to military duty - mainly men older than 55.

Now in Dagestan only 1,900 veterans of the Grand Patriotic War remain.

 

Musa Musaev in Makhachkala, exclusively for VK.