Victory Day: university representatives honour the memory of the heroes of the Motherland at the university and at city events

More than 600 students, teachers and employees of the Volga Region University of Sport and Tourism took part in various patriotic events to honour the memory of the heroes who gave us freedom on the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Eighty years ago Soviet soldiers and home front workers liberated their homeland and the whole world from fascist invaders. Since then, we have been annually celebrating a date dear to all people - Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. Every family honours the memory of ancestors who gave their lives for the peaceful and bright future of their children and grandchildren.

Volga Region University also did not stay aside - a few days before the momentous event, students of the university united to pay tribute to the heroes. They took part in large-scale actions dedicated to Victory Day.

One of them is ‘Victory Windows’ - all over the country and abroad people decorate windows for the 9th of May to honour the memory of the victims and create a special, festive atmosphere both at home and in the streets. For the second year in a row, university students decorated windows in dormitory houses.

- We join the action to preserve the memory of the events of our history and honour the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. We thank our ancestors from the bottom of our hearts: ‘Thank you for the Victory! Thank you for your feats and for our world!’, - said the organiser of the action at Volga Region University - student of the Institute of Sports Anna Zhivochenkova.

After intensive rehearsals, the university students prepared a video for the "Victory Waltz" campaign. Ten couples performed a waltz to Iosif Kobzon's "May Waltz".

- I learnt about the ‘Victory Waltz’ when I was at the ‘School of Activists’ and we were offered to take part in this action. It took us a week to put on the dance - it was difficult only at the first rehearsals, when we started to learn new moves, and then we just enjoyed the dance. I will remember participation in the action as something reverent and responsible, because Victory Day is one of the main holidays in our country, - shared sophomore of the Institute of Sport Ksenia Zhivotenko.

Her partner, Georgiy Kim, a second-year student of the Institute of Sport, noted that he will remember most of all how he and Ksyusha ran through the material they had learnt before the main rehearsals in order to better hone their skills.

- I believe that such events for students and schoolchildren are necessary. After all, they serve as a reminder of the Victory of our ancestors over fascism. In my opinion, stopping such events would be considered a crime - we do not have the right to forget about the exploits of our heroes,’ he stressed.

On the eve of 9 May, student hostels hosted a screening of patriotic films, participants of the international film festival ‘Victory Day’. The guys got acquainted with the films: ‘Road to Sanain 1942’, “Blockade Football” and “Khalkhin-Gol place of memory”.

According to Nikita Mochalov, chairman of the Student Council of the hostel, the idea to organise the film viewing was implemented to raise students' awareness of the importance of Victory Day and to strengthen unity among the guys through culture and art.

Also 25 activists and volunteers of the university met veterans of the Great Patriotic War, veterans of military operations and veterans of labour on the platform in front of the Musa Jalil Tatar Opera and Ballet Theatre. The students congratulated the heroes on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and thanked them for their brave feat.

And from the very morning of Victory Day, representatives of the University of Sport and Tourism took to the streets of Kazan to be part of large-scale city events.

The military-patriotic team of the Volga Region University College, which trains at the ‘Warrior’ Centre and prepares for the republican stage of the game ‘Zarnitsa’, performed at the city Victory Parade. Together with special units of students and servicemen, they marched along the Millennium Square. 

- We were prepared for the solemn Parade by professional and talented people, so there were no difficulties during the training. The instructors from the ‘Voin’ Centre tried to facilitate our training and eliminate the mistakes we made.

Impressions on the eve of the Victory Parade are very fascinating, because not every day you get the opportunity to be a part of such a large-scale solemn event. I believe that students‘ participation in such events develops their feelings of patriotism and pride in their homeland,’ shared his impressions on the eve of the Victory Parade, Ilya Kraynov, a college freshman and commander of the student military-patriotic team.

Also the other day, a close-knit team of college students took part in a city rally dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory and laid flowers at the monument of the Tatar poet and journalist Musa Jalil.

One of the main events on 9 May is considered to be a solemn procession through the city ‘Immortal Regiment’. This year 500 representatives of Volga Region University - students, staff and teachers - took part in it with portraits of their relatives and friends. Behind each of them is the story of a hero, who on the battlefields or in the home front did everything with blood and sweat to make us free from fascism today.

College student Valeria Sokolova came out with a portrait of her great-great-grandfather Vagiz Kayumov, a participant in World War I and the Great Patriotic War, to honour the memory of the heroes.

- I took part in the Immortal Regiment when I was still at school. I am motivated by the fact that we can honour the memory of our ancestors, pass on their story to the next generation, and show how great are the achievements and sacrifices made for the Victory. I believe that patriotic events are very important. After all, they help to preserve the memory of the past, bring generations closer together and unite people with a sense of pride for their country and its heroes. They also help to think about the importance of peace and harmony in our time,’ she emphasised.

Anton Zanin, Head of the Sports Events Organisation Department, said that he has been taking part in the Immortal Regiment since the very first year of the campaign. He marches together with the portrait of his family hero - his paternal grandfather Grigory Zanin. During the Great Patriotic War he served as a driver and brought shells to artillerymen.

- From the very first year, I have loved the atmosphere of unity that brings different people together for one mission. In general, I really like hiking. It's nice that in the circle of relatives, colleagues and students we can honour the memory of our country's heroes,’ Anton Zanin shared.

Part of the Victory Day evening programme will be the ‘Singing Kazan’ event, which will unite student groups and the city's combined choir. Together they will perform songs dedicated to the Great Victory that are known to everyone. Volga Region University will be represented by 80 students, faculty and staff. 

- We prepared for the action very hard - every song makes you shiver. During three hours of rehearsals, the whole concert hall was ‘walking on fire’. The choir will perform a large number of songs, and each of them is worthy of an hour-long performance.

However, there are pieces that I would like to highlight: ‘Victory Day’, “Min yaratam sine Tatarstan”, “Forward Russia”. Every year in May I look forward to Victory Day. The whole atmosphere around the great holiday lifts my spirits and allows me to think about the value of freedom and peace,’ Irek Shigapov, a second-year student of the Institute of Physical Culture, shared. 

Text: Adelina Khramova