Penza, 8 May 2015. PenzaNews. 21 veterans were awarded the anniversary medals “70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” during the ceremony held in the cinema and concert hall “Penza” on Friday, May 8.

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Before the official awarding ceremony, 500 students of the Penza Artillery Institute held a flash mob and a parade on the square near the “Penzakontcert” building. In addition, everyone had a chance to have soldier’s porridge.

Governor Vasily Bochkarev and chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region Ivan Belozertsev appeared with their greetings on the upcoming Victory Day.

The head of the region, in particular, thanked both veterans and home front workers, noting that their heroic work guaranteed technical superiority over the enemy.

“In today's world there are those who trying to raise the defeated banners of Nazism, sowing hatred and extremism. Therefore, the strategic task is the modernization of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The state doctrine focuses on the provision of new types of weapons and equipment based on innovative technologies. We have to be ready to repel any threat, from terrorism and local conflicts to major aggression. I am convinced that the army and navy, the whole nation will defend our homeland when it calls for them. This is the reliable guarantee of peace that we got at such great cost,” the governor said.

In his turn, Ivan Belozertsev reminded that Penza residents made an enormous contribution to the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.

“We, today's generation, will do everything in order not to let the history of the Great Patriotic War be altered, to forget the great feat of our soldiers and the workers in the rear, and I am confident that it will remain in our hearts, in the hearts of many generations of Russians,” the speaker of the regional parliament stressed.