Penza, 27 February 2016. PenzaNews. Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel General Valery Vostrotin, General Lieutenant Victor Vasilyev, Geleral Major Evgeny Raskhodchikov, Colonel Leonid Seleznev and other internationalist soldiers laid flowers to the Afghan Gates memorial complex during their visit to Penza on Saturday, February 27.

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Moreover, the governor Ivan Belozertsev, the regional Legislative Assembly chairman Valery Lidin, the city head Victor Savelyev, the Penza mayor Victor Kuvaytsev, other officials and school students also came to pay respect to the fallen soldiers.

“I have been to Syria recently, on request to boost the morale of our pilots. […] Some say the new generation is worse than in the past. That’s not true, everything is all right with our soldiers – they fight just like they need,” Valery Vostrotin pointed out.

After the ceremony, the internationalist soldiers and the authorities discussed the future completion of the memorial complex around the Afghan Gates, which is planned to become a dedication to all defenders of the Motherland, from the age of Alexander Nevsky to modern times, rather than the warriors who lost their lives in local military conflicts.

The governor Ivan Belozertsev confirmed his intention to aid the reconstruction.

“The legacy of the warriors who gave their lives for the Fatherland is sacred, and it is our common concern. The idea to dedicate the complex to warriors of all generations is a correct one. We will be supporting the completion of the Afghan Gates memorial complex,” said the head of the region.

In addition, the delegation of internationalist soldiers took an opportunity to visit the graves of the Afghan War soldiers during their stay in Penza, says the press service of the regional government.