“In memory of the victims don’t need to rattle the saber”

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"В память о погибших не нужно бряцать оружием"

In the chain of a 75-year most important events of the great Patriotic war — the next anniversary. Marks three quarters of a century from the date of removal of the Nazi blockade of Leningrad. On this occasion, the city on the Neva planned celebratory events, including large-scale military parade. However, some residents of the Northern capital made a call to the authorities of the current St. Petersburg to cancel it as inappropriate to the meaning of this memorial date. So need a parade or not? We learned the opinions of the Leningrad-St. Petersburg.

 

"В память о погибших не нужно бряцать оружием"

Rehearsal of parade on Palace square. Photo: vmeda.org

 

The parade, which this time is planned to be held on Palace square, have to be very big. It will be attended by more than 2500 servicemen and cadets of military schools, about 80 different types of combat vehicles, the armament of the Russian army, and the head of the column will go to the legendary tank T-34. Surely the March on the Palace will look very presentable, but not all the idea of the event seems appropriate.

Back in November of last year, a group of public figures, MPs, historians, scientists, veterans of the siege signed a letter to acting St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov to desist from holding the parade:

“The planned event, in our opinion, absolutely inadequate to the mournful meaning of the memory, which carries a memorial date 27 Jan. And what about the celebration, what kind of “solemn March” in General can be a speech when the state had not met before the city primary duty: not call the true number of victims of the siege, not named each victim of Leningrad, among whom were a large number of children? What kind of celebration it is possible to speak, when still not named all of the soldiers who died in the battle of Leningrad? Not only not named, but not buried… Should abandon the idea of holding a military parade on the Day of the siege of memory and grief”.

Judging by the comments in the Network, this is the view of many supporters. Here are just some of their statements:

“I subscribe to this petition! My great-grandmother died in the siege, and miraculously surviving relatives kept a mournful memory. In their memory do not need to rattle the saber”.

“I as the daughter of the siege of the student, the granddaughter of the victim of the siege and the Soviet army soldiers who fell fighting for his native Leningrad, also considered inappropriate all this bravura show. Yes, the blockade was lifted. But at what price!!! The city and after the war lived from hand to mouth, surviving the blockade has never been able to restore health!.. I wish these money are not allowed on the parade, but to something worthwhile — would cure finally all of the children that show on TV channels. And we, the descendants of the victims of the siege will always remember these three dates: 8 September, 18 January and 27 January. And to whom they say nothing, and parades will not help…”

“To celebrate the end of the embargo today — ridiculous. Bravura marches and parades were timely during the war years. Personally, I sad that about the tragedy of our ancestors speak and write shorter, as if for the record, and celebrate, and have fun with all the large scale”.

However, and hear the voices of the defenders of the planned parade.

“Somebody explain to me the logic of why the Day of lifting the blockade is a Day of mourning for the part of our citizens? The war after the liberation of the cities fireworks were satisfied, not grieved…”

“The blockade, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren living throughout the country. For them to conduct a military parade on 27 January in St. Petersburg will be a nice event. It means that they do not betray their ancestors… This is a tribute. If you remove the parade, and Leningrad — not the city-hero by this logic, Saint Petersburg is not an heir of Leningrad, has to it no relation”.

Their arguments about so-called “confrontation of ideas” with the “MK” told the first Deputy head of the Military history centre of the northwestern Federal district Sergey machinsky.

— If you take the very memorable date, then on January 27, 1944, was truly a feast for the people of Leningrad, lived up to the lifting of the blockade. Surely all these people were remembered while those who did not live to see the liberation of the city from the enemy ring. Still, in the first place they were not filled with sorrow and joy.

From the program that I’ve seen, you can understand that the parade is only a relatively small fragment of the planned activities, it will take one hour. But most importantly, the semantic load of the day. 27th will be laying flowers at the monuments and memorials, will be mourning ceremonies in cemeteries and in mass graves the period of the siege, the evening is planned the grandiose light show that helps people better understand, to feel the tragedy of the Leningrad epic… I think that January 27 is a day of celebration, and in my view the planned military parade only will highlight this celebration.

But there were arguments of the opponents of this event, saying that it would be better money spent for the parade, used at the search and discovery of the names of all people killed and died during the siege. As it really is to find them all?

— I had a long time to deal with the problems of the search of the soldiers remaining on the battlefield. I can say that accumulated experience shows that at least at the official level we never all killed not install. And this fact you need to accept. However, I am sure each of the dead and the dead heroes of the great Patriotic will remain nameless if he will be remembered by descendants, if every family will keep the name of their loved one, who died in the war. But this does not necessarily use the resources of the state machine. Because the memory — it is, as I’m not in the lines for marble and granite slabs, and in the hearts of human…

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