By Vestnik Kavkaza
The international patriotic motor rally ‘Along the Roads of Glory’ is devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the meeting on the Elba River between troops of the Anti-Hitler coalition countries. The solemn ceremony of the start is scheduled for April 18th on Poklonnaya Hill. During two weeks the motor rally train will pass 3800 km through Moscow, Borodino, Smolensk, Minsk, Khatyn, Warsaw, Bolesławiec, Torgau There will be meetings with local organizations, veterans of the World War II and homefront workers.
Alexander Kolmakov, the head of the Voluntary Association for Assistance to Army, Air Forces, and Navy, the head of the motor rally, says that “the event is included on the list of events of the organizing committee ‘Victory’ under the president of Russia. Its goals are the commemoration work on the victory in the Great Patriotic War, strengthening of cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples, improvement of the patriotic education of citizens of the RF, promotion of the VAAAAN activity in Russia, other organizations which participate in the rally, revival of the development of practical military traditions, propaganda and popularization of sports, propaganda of a healthy lifestyle.”
“We will have about 30 cars, and about 10 cars will join us along the way, i.e. 40 vehicles will take part in the event,” Sergei Klimov, the deputy chairman of the VAAAAN of Russia, the head of the motor rally train, says. “The core of the participants are the VAAAAN members, as well as members of its primary organizations, such as JeepFest, ‘The Military Brotherhood, ’The Elba Spirit,’ the Hummer Club, ‘Defenders of the Sky of the Homeland.’ Our motor rally’s route is: Moscow, then Borodino. A great number of people, our compatriots died in the western direction, and we have no right to forget about them and not pay tribute to these people. Later we will move to Smolensk. There will be an interesting arrangement with y participation of the governor, local officials, social organizations, and so on. Then the rally will head to Minsk, where the presidential administration will take part in our event, as well as the Defense Minister of Belarus. After Minsk, we will move to Poland. In the morning we will have arrangements in Brest, and at night – in Warsaw.”
Sergei Klimov stresses that “a great number of Polish social organizations have a positive attitude toward our motor rally. Several social organizations joined us on the border between Belarus and Poland. We will show traditional Russian hospitability in Warsaw, like it was in the Great Patriotic War. We will build a tent, feed people with Russian porridge. We will have a professional cook. The next day we will lay flowers to monuments to our warriors who died. Some people from Moscow and other Russian citizens will join us. These are children who are buried there. Then we will move to Bolesławiec, where there is a big graveyard. It is famous for the fact that in 1813 Kutuzov’s heart was buried there. It is former German territory. We will move to Torgau from Bolesławiec. And in Torgau, a three-day event will be organized.”
