The allocation of funds by the German Government in the amount of 12 million euros in the framework of a voluntary humanitarian gesture to support the now living blockade of Leningrad for specific projects in St. Petersburg, announced in a joint statement by Russian foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German foreign Minister Haiko Maas, published on January 27 this year, is the result of bilateral agreements between Germany and Russia.
As noted in the statement, "this voluntary action will improve the quality of life of the living blockade and will serve the cause of historical reconciliation between the peoples of both countries as the basis of our bilateral relations in the future."
The subject of the" humanitarian gesture "of Germany is the reconstruction of the hospital for war veterans and work with young people of Germany to preserve the memory of the tragedy of the besieged Leningrad, as stated in the statement – "the blockade by the German Wehrmacht, which went down in history as an act of cruelty against the whole city and its population."
The details of the project are being worked out together with the Administration of St. Petersburg.
In view of the need to provide rehabilitation assistance to patients of the older age group – residents of the besieged Leningrad, funding will be directed to support St. Petersburg GBUZ "Hospital for war veterans". It is planned to re-equipment and retrofit rehabilitation hospital, purchasing modular Central sterilization Department, retool and retrofit rehabilitation Department, upgraded operating unit and Center of anesthesiology and intensive care. Implementation will be gradual. In 2019, it is planned to allocate 1.7 million euro.
Also within the framework of the project, events will be held with the participation of veterans, blockade fighters and German youth, where representatives of the younger generation of Germany will be told truthful information about the siege of Leningrad.
The events will be organized by the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Germany, the Administration of St. Petersburg, the Russian coordination office for youth exchanges with Germany, the National Council of youth and children's associations of Russia and the Foundation for support and development of Russian-German relations "Russian-German meeting Center".
As it was noted in the joint statement of the foreign Ministers of Russia and Germany, "we, the foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany, welcome the decision of the German Government on a voluntary humanitarian gesture against the living blockades, based on the recognition of responsibility for the crimes committed in those years on behalf of Germany..."