Penza, 23 February 2015. PenzaNews. Members and supporters of the Russian Communist Party in Penza held a rally in honor of the Day of the Soviet Army and the Navy (now celebrated as Defender’s Day) at the “Rostok” monument on the Sura river embankment on Monday, February 23.

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The event that lasted about half an hour was attended by just below 100 people, who carried flags with the Communist Party symbols.

The meeting was opened by Dmitry Filyaev, first secretary of the Penza Communist Party city committee, who congratulated the people with the Soviet Army Day.

“Today, we congratulate those who are protecting our Motherland in any way they can. Happy holiday, comrades! I wish you all to be healthy, happy and prospering!” he said.

After that, Dmitry Filyaev turned the floor over to retired army major Vladimir Rakhminov, second secretary of the Penza city Communist Party committee.

The speaker stressed that the army is currently in bad shape, but nevertheless acknowledged the attempts of the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to improve the combat capability of the Russian Armed Forces.

Afterwards, the protesters heard out the Communist Party activist, retired army major Viktor Pervun.

“The Soviet Army showed its guts not only through its military victories, but also via recent events in Donbass. At present, the youngest men having served in the Soviet Army are 46 years old – the age of most militia members there. These are not former tractor operators and miners, but the Soviet Army soldiers, the people who had mastered military skills in two years so well that they were able to fight the Ukrainian army mercenaries and army forces trained by Western instructors,” he said.

During the rally, the speakers also touched upon social issues, such as health problems, rising prices for medicine and food, overhaul of common property of apartment buildings, and passenger transportation.

The event was also attended by Vladimir Simagin, State Duma deputy from the Penza region; Georgy Kamnev, member of the Legislative Assembly of the region, first secretary of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party; and Oleg Shalyapin, leader of the Communist Party faction in the City Duma. However, the high-ranking Communists did not address the crowd.

During the rally, the leader of Penza communists handed the party passport to Stanislav Dushin, and asked Viktor Pervun to pass the Order of Merit to the Party to Valery Kharitonenko, who was unable to come due to health problems.

At the end of the event, Penza Communists approved three resolutions addressed to the authorities of all levels, as voiced by Dmitry Filyaev.

“To create a government of national trust composed of competent and experienced professionals, restore the previous management system, military conscription readiness, regimental audit structure; to start the modernization process of current military equipment, along with creation of new modern weapons and equipment. To revise the country’s budget and stop financial support of banks. To finance the revival of industry, agriculture, science, defense, education and health industries, to face the people, not the oligarchs and major industrial and financial magnates,” he said.

The first secretary of the Penza city Communist Party committee also read aloud the demands to regional and municipal authorities.

“To bring back all physicians, including medical specialists who used to work at clinics. To remove all intermediaries between a patient and a medical specialist. To require that every prescription handed to the patient must be certified by the doctor’s signature and personal seal. To put in order and repair city clinics and hospitals. To stop bankruptcy of ‘Penza Passenger Transportation’ or create a new municipal transport passenger enterprise with responsible, competent and experienced managers who would be able to make the company profitable. To hold a prosecutor’s check to verify the action of city authorities in terms of legality of bankruptcy of ‘Penza Passenger Transportation’ and punish the guilty in court. To return all commute transportation vehicles to the municipal ownership. To run a tender for passenger transportation within city routes,” Dmitry Filyaev read.

In conclusion, the rally participants unanimously voted to adopt the above resolutions.