NCFD regions celebrate Victory Day

Residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) of the Russian Federation celebrated the day of May 9 Day of Victory in World War II with holiday festivities and parades. Major cities held military parades, and many towns organized "Memory Watches". The festivities ended with salutes and fireworks.

Capital of North Ossetia holds parade

In North Ossetia, the events dedicated to the 67th anniversary of Victory in World War II started with a festive parade in Freedom Square in Vladikavkaz. The festive events were attended by about 1000 veterans, soldiers and officers.

The events take place at enhanced security measures. The order is ensured by about 3000 policemen and 200 soldiers, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The parade began at 10:00 a.m. with the trooping the Colour of Victory, the Battle Colour of the 58th Army and the National Flag of the Russian Federation.

The parade introduced the first presentation of GAZ-2330 "Tiger" armoured vehicle, BTR-82A armoured troop carrier, and BM-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launcher of 122 mm calibre, in total, 26 units of military weaponry.

Taimuraz Mamsurov, the leader of North Ossetia, congratulated veterans and residents of the republic. At present, 1731 war veterans live in the republic.

The celebrations continued in the parks of Vladikavkaz. There, a lot of military field kitchen have been deployed, the music of war years sounded, and a variety of ensembles performed concert programmes. Vladikavkaz residents enjoyed traditional buckwheat porridge and baked potatoes, which soldiers proposed to them. Parents told their children about World War II and acts of veterans' bravery.

Festivities ended at 10:00 p.m. in the military town of Sputnik (Satellite) with festive salute: 122-mm firing plants produced 30 rounds.

On that day, residents of eight rural districts of North Ossetia also honoured war veterans the celebrations were held in all towns across the republic.

In Makhachkala, celebrations held at enhanced security measures

The central streets of the capital of Dagestan were blocked since the very morning in connection with the celebrations and the parade in the central square. According to eyewitnesses, people could get to the very square only after passing metal detectors, and after that they had to present their bags for personal inspection.

On May 9, the central square of the capital of Dagestan hosted solemn meeting, attended by war veterans, to honour Victory Day, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Magomedsalam Magomedov, the leader of Dagestan, delivered his speech and emphasized that Dagestan residents had always been a model of unparalleled heroism, courage and bravery.

Participants in the festive procession, accompanied with martial music of military brass band, went to the Lenin Komsomol Park, where under gun salute they held a ceremony of laying flowers at the memorial of the Warrior-Liberator.

In Makhachkala, the festive events were also held at other venues of the city. Performances of amateur and professional groups and actors were held at venues of the Avar Theatre, the Lenin Komsomol Park, and the "Ak-Gel" Park.

Pupils of the Graffiti School adorned the central square of Makhachkala to Victory Day: there appeared a large panel of street artists entitled "May 9. Thanks to our grandfathers for the Victory".

Fireworks became the highlight of the holiday in Makhachkala.

In Ingushetia, celebrations held during month

Ingushetia held the events to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the Victory during a month. The festive events included organization of auto and bicycle races, exhibitions, contests, memorable campaigns at schools and educational institutions. Activists cleared monuments to the soldiers of World War II, most of which were concentrated in Malgobek, the City of Military Glory.

Officials laid wreaths and fresh flowers at the Stela "City of Military Glory" and paid 'one minute's silence' tribute to the memory of fallen heroes, the official website of Ingushetia reports.

In Kabardino-Balkaria, remains of soldiers, found by searchers, buried

Veterans and residents of Nalchik traditionally begun Victory Day with the laying of flowers at the Eternal Flame monument and the monument to soldiers of the 115th Cavalry Division, fully formed by people of the republic, and the Victory Stela, which was erected two years ago on the occasion of awarding Nalchik with the title of "City of Military Glory".

On these days, the entire republic hosts festive events dedicated to the 67th anniversary of Great Victory. The main square of the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria hosted a festive concert. Arsen Kanokov, President of Kabardino-Balkaria, congratulated veterans and citizens of the republic. Tents, equipped with seats, were pitched there for veterans, and they proceeded there from the Eternal Flame, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On the eve of Victory Day, two burials of remains of soldiers of World War II were held in the republic.

One of the burials was held in the Elbrus Region. There, the remains of soldiers, found in last August by district searches were buried.

Ceremony of reburial of the remains of 10 fighters was also held in the village of Verkhny Kurp of the Terek District. The remains of Red Army men were found in the course of a search expedition through the battle organized by members of the "Memory", the search party of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), the part of the 1st search party of Nalchik, headed by Andrei Stepanov.

The remains were buried in a mass grave in the centre of the village of Verkhny Kurp. There, the remains of 328 soldiers, who have laid their heads in the battle for Kurp Heights, had been already buried.

On May 9, in Nalchik, during festive events dedicated to the 67th anniversary of the Victory, the volunteers distributed 50,000 copies of the booklet entitled "Names of Heroes on Map of Kabardino-Balkaria".

The publication narrates about lives and acts of bravery of the natives of Kabardino-Balkaria of different nationalities, who were awarded with the title of 'Hero of Soviet Union', and reports on streets and schools named in their honour, the "Kabardino-Balkaria. Mir i My" (Kabardino-Balkaria. World and We) reports.

In Chechnya, celebrations in honour of Victory Day held in special security regime

Chechnya celebrated another anniversary of the Victory with charitable actions, concerts, and various festive events.

The events were held at enhanced security measures. All major highways to the city centre and central city urban quarters were guarded by enhanced military and police patrols. Centre of Grozny was closed for vehicles, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On the eve of Victory Day, the Chechen capital hosted concerts with participation of the local pop music celebrities, and people's festivities were held. Besides, there were contest for weight-lifting and drafts tournament, in which everyone could participate.

Each participant of World War II, residing in Chechnya, was allocated 50,000 roubles as a one-time assistance, and each rear area worker received 20,000 roubles.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Development, at present, 90 veterans of World War II live in the territory of the Chechen Republic. According to different sources, about 40,000 residents of the Chechen Republic participated in World War II.

On Victory Day, Grozny hosted a military parade. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, inspected the parade. Veterans of World War II, living in the republic, were invited to the parade.

In Stavropol, more than 1000 soldiers participate in parade

On May 9, the main event in Stavropol was a parade of garrison troops in Lenin Square. For the first time, the parade of the Stavropol garrison troops was held with participation of a column of military weaponry. More than 1000 soldiers solemnly marched along the square.

Veterans and residents of the city and the Stavropol Territory were addressed by Valery Zerenkov, Governor of the Stavropol Territory.

Celebration of Victory Day in Stavropol continued with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the memorial "Eternal Glory" and at the monument of Army General Iosif Apanasenko.

All Stavropol churches held memorial services to honour fallen soldiers.

Victory parade held in Cherkessk

Karachay-Cherkessia also held a festive parade dedicated to the 67th anniversary of Victory. The procession gathered power and law enforcement agents, Cossacks and schoolchildren, and 300 young people participants of the relay race, who were dressed in T-shirts with pictures of their relatives, defenders of the Fatherland, who died heroically, and the surviving veterans of World War II. In total, the solemn event gathered about 17,000 persons.

Rashid Temrezov, the leader of the republic, expressed his gratitude to veterans of World War II for salvation of the Fatherland. He called to pay a one minute's silence tribute to honour the memory of all persons fallen at fronts and fields of the war of 1941-1945. At the same time, city schoolchildren released into the sky hundreds of white balloons. After one minute's silence, the leader of the republic once again congratulated all people with the holiday and wished all of them peace, happiness, and prosperity.