Penza, 23 February 2015. PenzaNews. Over 300 people took part in a Penza public rally on Defender’s Day organized by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. It was held on the square by the former “Rodina” cinema on Monday, February 23.

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The crowd in the rally included Penza nationalists, including members of an unregistered social movement “Sura Union.”

The people were holding the LDPR flags and banners that said “Russian Empire – Russia’s Future!”, “Hail to Russian Soldiers!”, “Strong army, strong Russia!”, “Novorossiya is Russia!”, “Protect Russians everywhere!”, “Hail to defenders of Novorossiya!” “Want peace? Prepare for war!”, and others.

The event began with a performance of group ensemble “Zaznoba,” followed by speeches from LDPR activists.

Mikhail Usov, coordinator of the Penza regional LDPR branch, congratulated the crowd with the holiday and thanked them for coming.

“Greetings, dear friends, dear Party fellows, followers and visitors of the event, people who care about the problems in Russia, who are willing to stand for the great and strong Empire of Russia, who support this point fully,” he said.

In his speech, Mikhail Usov place special emphasis on the events on the South-East of Ukraine, where, according to him, “a civil war has practically unfolded, where brother goes armed against a brother and blood of Russian-speaking people is being spilled.”

“The LDPR and the RF cannot stand idle while facing such a conflict. We must help the defenders of Novorossiya by all means possible. We must not let Novorossiya be given away to the Nazis. We must defend it,” he stressed.

In his turn, Zhigansha Tuktarov, leader of the LDPR faction at the Penza City Duma, reminded the audience about the custom to commemorate those who died at the Kulikovo field, during the Borodino fight, on Kurskaya Duga, by Stalingrad, and in the final battles in Berlin, on Defender’s Day..

“This year is special: the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. There are still veterans who defended our great country standing among us. It is our duty to do everything to make their lives free, comfortable, especially when the bills and the food prices have grown. We must do everything to not let our veterans feel like outcasts,” he noted.

The final speech of the event was said by Anton Ischenko, LDPR deputy at the State Duma, who as credited as the curator of the Penza region.

“Russia has only two allies: army and navy. This fact has been standing for many centuries, and once again we see how true it is. I would also like to congratulate those who protect our order today on this public rally, the law enforcement forces. My big thanks to the policemen,” said the deputy.

He added that the people are currently enduring through tougher times with big issues.

“The events we see unfolding in the Penza region once again makes us think: are we developing in the right direction? Do our authorities show us the correct course?” Anton Ischenko stressed.

As an example, he related the situation to “A Tale on How One Peasant Fed Two Generals” by Mikhail Saltykov-Schedrin.

“They reduced vodka prices on February 1: 185 rubles a bottle. Go ahead, peasant, drown your worries, forget about troubles you have, forget about commute trains closing down, trolley buses, passenger buses closing down, about tariffs and prices rising, about lack of heating in Arbekovo, about lack of street lightning in Zarechny. That is not the way. This is now how the authorities must act. The authorities must work for people. And the LDPR will demand making the interests of a regular citizen, a regular man, to the front of the agenda,” he concluded.

The public rally was finished with a performance of the LDPR hymn.