Penza, 4 November 2013. PenzaNews. Celebration march of several thousand Penza residents, organized in two columns, moving from opposite ends of Moskovskaya Street and symbolically joining together in the city center, took place on National Unity day on Monday, 4 November.

© PenzaNewsBuy the photo

Representatives of Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny districts of Penza, coming from the palace of culture of railway workers, and residents of Pervomaysky and Leninsky districts of the city, walking down from the cinema “Rodina,” greeted each other at the Lenin square and to the orchestra music lined up in front of the building of the regional government, where the solemn meeting was held.

The governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev was the first to greet the participants of the solemn meeting.

He recalled that even in the hardest period for the country Russian people were always united and were not divided into ethnic groups.

“The holiday we are celebrating should become the foundation for us to unite in the land of Penza for one thing - preserving ourselves as a nation and preserving our country,” the head of the region said.

As it was noted by the head of Penza Yuri Alpatov, on National Unity Day true patriots gathered at the Lenin square.

“At all times, no matter who encroached on our great motherland, people were always there to protect it, and they were never divided neither by nationality, nor by religion, nor by pedigree. It was the great Russian nation. Our ancestors always displayed unity and heroism. And today we should say that only labor, our unity and multicultural friendly relations will allow us to preserve the heritage Russia has now,” he pointed out.

Then the chairman of the city council of veterans Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev addressed himself to the Penza residents.

“The region and the city council of veterans sincerely congratulate you on National Unity Day. The strength of our country is in the unity of all the peoples, and the example of this is Great Patriotic War when we defended honor and independence of our motherland. We should constantly, while we are breathing, strengthen the unity of our people, the whole life is in it, the glory of our country is in it,” the veteran said.

In the end of the solemn meeting balloons were let fly in the sky.

Afterwards the celebration concert started for city residents.