Rustam Minnikhanov lays flowers at the Eternal Flame and unveils a monument to the Soviet soldier in the Kazan Victory Park

On May 9, on Victory Day in World War II, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov laid flowers at the Eternal Flame under the Colonnade of the Memorial to Glory and unveiled a new monument to the Soviet soldier in the Kazan Victory Park. 

Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev, Chairman of Tatarstan State Council Farid Mukhametshin, Prime Minister of Tatarstan Aleksey Pesoshin, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin took part in the event.

Upon his arrival at the Victory Park, Minnikhanov got acquainted with the hardware of the WW II and rear armored vehicles. On May 8-9, as part of a special campaign, military vehicles are driving through the streets of Kazan making stops near the houses where veterans live to congratulate them on Victory Day.

Then Minnikhanov, Shaimiev and other participants in the event laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and at the monument to the Mothers and widows of the dead soldiers.

After that, the unveiling of a new monument to the Soviet soldier took place. The collective image of the warrior captured in the monument is based on the feat of the son of the Tatar people Gazi Zagitov, who together with his fellow soldiers hoisted the Red Banner over the defeated Reichstag on April 30, 1945.

“Today we are unveiling a monument to the Soviet soldier. This is a monument to all residents of Tatarstan who fought on the fronts of the WW II,” Minnikhanov said in his speech.

He noted that during the war years, 700 thousand Tatarstan people went to the front. Every second died in battles for the motherland. “The memory of the heroes will forever live in our hearts,” Tatarstan President emphasized.

“I congratulate everyone on the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders. May the ruthless flame of war never scorch our land again, and the Victory Banner always waves proudly over our indestructible state! ” Minnikhanov said.

Then, the gathered had a minute of silence to honour the memory of those who fell during the war. After that, the national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan were sounded.