A rally was held in the capital of South Ossetia in honor of the 34th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
To mark the next anniversary of this event and lay flowers at the monument to the soldiers-internationalists, the leadership of the Republic, headed by President Alan Gagloev, representatives of the Russian Embassy in South Ossetia, families of those died in the war in Afghanistan, heads and employees of the law enforcement agencies of the Republic, the 4th military base, as well as students of the South Ossetia State University and pupils of schools.
The event was opened with the performance of the anthems of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation, as well as volleys of military salute in memory of the fallen soldiers.
Murat Guchmazov, Chairman of the Union of Afghanistan Veterans, has noted that on February 15, 1989, the bloodiest and longest war of the 1980s ended.
"The war in Afghanistan lasted nine years. 620 thousand Soviet soldiers passed through it, 15 thousand of whom died doing their duty. More than 200 young people passed from the South Ossetian Autonomous Region of Afghanistan, seven of whom did not return home. All of them fulfilled their duty and were repeatedly awarded," he said.
Guchmazov has noted that their last award was the Order of the Red Star, received posthumously.
“Remembering these seven dead, we cannot but mention the surviving soldiers who, upon returning home, were forced to take up arms again and stand up for the defense of the Motherland against Georgian aggression. Everyone heard about their exploits. Songs are composed and books are written about them, their heroism will not be forgotten,” Guchmazov has emphasized.
He has added that at present the sons of veterans are members of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, where they demonstrate courage and heroism.
The memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of South Ossetia was honored with a minute of silence.
At the rally, it was noted that this date is celebrated in all corners of the former USSR, even in such republics where an attempt is now underway to reject everything Russian.
President Alan Gagloev has stressed that today is celebrated to remember the fallen soldiers and to thank those soldiers who, upon returning home, began to defend the borders of the Motherland.
“Unfortunately, many of them are no longer alive, but everyone must remember today. We are proud of you. Thanks to your heroism, the younger generation has someone to learn how to protect and love the Motherland,” the head of state said.
The President added that the struggle for the Motherland had been going on since those times and ended in August 2008.
“Each of us thought that we wouldn’t have to take more weapons, but we see that heroism like yours is shown in Ukraine by our younger ones. They give their lives so that the enemy does not reach us. Unfortunately, many of our fighters died, but we all understand that this is a fight that cannot be lost. I am sure that we will go through these hardships together and a peaceful sky will shine again over our Motherland,” Gagloev has emphasized.
According to Marat Kulakhmetov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Republic, today a tribute is paid to the memory of the courageous generation of the 80s, who honestly performed their military duty.
“Everyone pulled his soldier's strap and this generation is worthy of respect. We have always been proud of them and set an example for everyone. Further events of the 90s showed that these are the guys you can rely on. Unfortunately, not everyone has survived to this day, but we must all remember them by name, because we need to take an example from the courageous generation of Afghan soldiers,” Kulakhmetov said and wished the veterans good health.
After the end of the rally, the participants of the event laid flowers at the chapel in the courtyard of the Tskhinval secondary school No. 5 and the memorial complex "Defenders of South Ossetia".
