On January 27, 2010, the 66th anniversary of complete Leningrad liberation from the Nazi blockade was celebrated in St.Petersburg.
On January 27, 2010, the 66th anniversary of complete Leningrad liberation from the Nazi blockade was celebrated in St.Petersburg.
By the invitation of St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations, to participate in the events on January 26 through 28 commemorating the anniversary, more than 40 veterans of World War II and residents of sieged Leningrad, now living abroad, arrived to St.Petersburg (totally, there were 12 delegations from Austria, Armenia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine). In accordance with a program of activities, an overview bus tour around the historical places of St.Petersburg was organized for the veterans on January 26, and on the same day, they visited the Concert Hall at the State Academic Mariinsky Theatre for a night of organ music.
On January 27, a solemn mourning ceremony with laying wreaths and flowers at the memorial cemetery Piskarevskoe was held, and a concert in the Big Concert Hall "October", devoted to the 66th anniversary of complete Leningrad liberation from the Nazi blockade, was performed. On the same day, the members of delegations of veterans and residents of besieged Leningrad were invited to the gala dinner, held in the banquet hall of Hotel "Azimut", where they were presented with mementos from St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations. Due to the results of the events, St.Petersburg received a lot of positive feedback and gratitude from the members of delegations, and the wishes were also expressed to participate in the celebration of 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, to be held in our city in May this year. On January 28, an excursion to the State Museum-Preserve "Tsarskoe Celo" was arranged, including a visit to the Catherine Palace.
The work with war veterans and blockade residents, living abroad, is one of the priorities of St.Petersburg in developing the interaction with the compatriots. By the St.Petersburg Government resolution № 825 of July 8, 2008, a program for 2008–2010 was approved to implement the state policy of Russia, concerning the compatriots abroad. The program assigns a separate section for the support of World War II veterans and the residents of besieged Leningrad, now living abroad, which includes a number of activities. It is worth mentioning that even before the adoption of the program, since 1997, the St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations receives a group of veterans and residents of besieged Leningrad from abroad who come to participate in the celebrations of Victory Day and the Day of Complete Leningrad Liberation from the Nazi Blockade.
Source: Committee for External Relations of St.Petersburg