Rustem Khamitov: "May 9 is national unity and pride day for all Russians"

UFA, 5 May 2017. /Bashinform News Agency/. On May 5, in Ufa, the Head of Bashkortostan, Rustem Khamitov, delivered a speech at a solemn meeting dedicated to the 72nd anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Rustem Khamitov spoke about the republic's contribution to the defeat of the fascist invaders, remembered the names of the heroes-natives of Bashkortostan. The military units and formations established in Bashkiria participated in historic battles near Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad, Kursk Bulge and the Dnieper, in Byelorussia and the Baltic States, liberated the European countries. More than 700 thousand people were called up from the republic in the ranks of the Armed Forces from 1939 to 1945. Every second of them did not return from the battlefields. The participants of the meeting honoured their memory with a minute of silence.

The Head of the Republic noted the necessity to be actively engaged in patriotic education of youth, including through real deeds - assiting veterans, working in volunteer units, in archives, making expeditions to battle sites. Today Bashkortostan is among the best regions of the country in terms of patriotic education, work of public and volunteer associations.

"Unfortunately, every year there are fewer survivors of the victorious spring of 1945 among us", Rustem Khamitov said. "Most of the front-line soldiers and homefront workers are already over 90 years old, there are 100-year veterans among them. It is important that they always feel care, get real support. Veterans of war and their widows are provided with housing, their apartments and houses are renovated, household plots are improved".

At the end of his speech, Rustem Khamitov thanked veterans for their military and labour feats.

"May 9 is the day of national unity and pride for all Russians. It calls upon us to be worthy of our fathers and grandfathers, be inspired by their courage, steadfastness and desire to win", the Head of Bashkortostan stressed. "On behalf of the residents of Bashkortostan, I express to you, dear veterans, deep gratitude for what you have done for us, for the country, for peace."

The full transcript of the speech is published on the official website of the Head of the Republic.