Memory of the participants of the Great Patriotic War was honored in Karaganda region

Commemorative events dedicated to the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War are being held in all cities and districts of the Karaganda region on May 9.

Since early morning, residents of Karaganda have been carrying flowers to the Eternal Flame memorial.

— We try to come to the Eternal Flame every year. We bring our son so that he understands who is responsible for our peace today. Our grandmother was a veteran of the home front, and it is important for us to preserve this memory," says Evgenia Kritovich, a resident of Karaganda.

Akim of the region Ermaganbet Bulekpayev, military personnel, representatives of government agencies, public associations and residents of the city took part in the requiem rally.

A minute of silence was observed in memory of those who died during the war.

By tradition, the region's leadership visited veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

They conveyed congratulations on Victory Day from the Head of the country Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the participants of the Great Patriotic War.

There are currently six front-line soldiers living in the region. Among them is Maria Shinkevich, who turned 101 this year. She went to the front at the age of 19 after studying at a sniper school. She served on the 3rd Belorussian and Ukrainian fronts until August 1945.

Maria Shinkevich was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War II degree, two medals "for courage", the medal "for Victory over Germany" and other awards. After the war, she participated in the reconstruction of the country.

The veteran met the victory in Prague and still considers May 9 to be the main holiday of her life.

— We were really looking forward to the Victory and believed that this day would definitely come. And today I remember him with excitement," says Maria Shinkevich. — Young people want to work honestly, respect their elders and take care of each other.

During the war, more than 1.2 million people left Kazakhstan for the front.

About 60 thousand people were called up from the Karaganda region, 25 thousand of them did not return home.

34 natives of the region were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 13 more became full cavaliers of the Order of Glory.

The 77th Artillery Regiment formed in Karaganda traveled from Stalingrad to Bratislava.