‘Immortal regiment – a priceless initiative, and the idea itself is immortal’
45 000 people marched through the streets of Kazan in the framework of the largest all-Russia action to commemorate the participants of the Great Patriotic War
The number of participants of Immortal regiment has exceeded the expectations of the organizers two times. The column of participants stretched from the National Culture Centre to the Kremlin – for 2 kilometers. When the head of the procession approached the end of the route, the tail was standing only at the beginning of the route. With the portraits of relatives who took part in the Great Patriotic War, the citizens marched through the streets of Kazan – students, teachers, doctors, managers, Ministers, and the head of the procession the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
The main task is to provide security
The gathering of participants was scheduled at 2:00 pm on the square at the National Culture Center Kazan. At 2:30 pm, it was almost completely filled with people. To find each other, many people raised the posters over the head with the names of the educational institutions.
While the columns were being formed, the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya managed to talk to one of the main organizers of the event — the chief of Immortal regiment Vice-Premier of Tatarstan government Vasil Shaikhraziev.
'The staff and I have the main task — all people who come with portraits of their loved ones could comfortably accommodate, at the same time, to provide security and to reach the destination. During this, we could show 'the power' of the column of our capital city — Kazan. There are more than 20 000 people applied: there are pupils, students, veterans, heads of enterprises, organizations and a lot of volunteers who, just after hearing about the campaign, wanted to go. My task here is organizational,' told Vasil Shaikhraziev to Realnoe Vremya.
By the start of the campaign, it was already clear that it was much more people that it had been applied on the website of Immortal regiment.
'It easily can be 40 000 because we have worked hard, starting from the NCC to the Freedom square. It is a river. If more than 10 000 began to gather – it is already not so important, it is already very mass and many,' noted Shaikhraziev.
'This is the most significant event that could be organized'
Two minutes before 3:00 pm at the square there appeared Rustam Minnikhanov, accompanied by the speaker of State Council Farid Mukhametshin and RT State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev. The first President of Tatarstan, causing serious tension among the organizers and the protocol service, had time to answer one question to the journalists before the start of the campaign.
'When the action for the first time was held in some cities and on the Red Square, I was hit home – it is a priceless event, the idea itself is immortal, because, unfortunately, now the last participants of the Great Patriotic War are leaving us. There are not many workers of the home front remained. Our mothers, grandmothers are passing away. The memory of them should be preserved. This event concerns everyone, it requires the soul and for the soul. This is the case when we want to say about spirituality – from the soul for the soul. It is the eternal memory, because how our descendants will keep the memory of this feat and of the relatives and loved ones? Only through this action,' said Mintimer Shaimiev.
At 3:00 o'clock the great mass of people started moving. The procession was really impressive: when the head of the column reached the Kremlin, the tail stood at the NCC and didn't start the movement yet. How Immortal regiment walked through the Central streets of Kazan was watched personally by the head of Republican traffic police Rifkat Minnikhanov, who found a few minutes to share his impressions about the campaign with the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya.
'I think it is the most significant event that could be organized and held. There is no other way. It unites all, in some part, maybe even enemies – because they understand that there is Russia, there are people, they are united, and it is impossible not to respect Russia,' said Rifkat Minnikhanov.
'At the age of 17, he went to the front, went back, participated in the Victory parade in Moscow'
The correspondent of Realnoe Vremya interviewed several participants about how, in memory of whom they took part in the parade.
Rafis Khabibullin – the Minister of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations of the Republic of Tatarstan:
'Such event – the pride for our country, for our grandfathers, grandmothers, who survived the war, raised their children, and us, they also raised us. Today with me there are the son, the wife, the daughter. We are going with the portraits of two grandfathers, they both died in the war. One of him was missing. We still don't know where he is, but we found other: he is buried in Novgorod region, he was killed in the early days of the war. My wife's father returned alive and well. At the age of 17, he went to the front, went back, participated in the Victory parade in Moscow. Our all family is going with the three portraits. Only the pride for our country, our Republic, our people.'
Elmira Zaripova, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Service of the Republic of Tatarstan:
'I am going to the march with deep emotion. All my grandparents (and father's and mother's parents) fought. Today I am going with my mother — the daughter of a soldier, and with their children – grandchildren of soldiers of the Victory. My grandfather Karim Khalikov reached Berlin. It turned out that he fought during the Soviet-Finnish war, then participated in the Great Patriotic War, and then he was sent to Japan. After retiring in 1938, he returned only in 1946. Then he actively restored the economy, worked in Kaibitsky, the in Apastovsky rayon. Also, my grandfather of my father was a participant of the war, fought at the 1st and 2nd Belorussian fronts and also reached Berlin.'
'It is the unique event with tears in the eyes'
Marat Bariev, a deputy of the Russian State Duma of the sixth convocation:
'9 May – the most important day for the country and our family in particular. This is the portrait of my grandfather, he is from Baltasinsky rayon. He is a very close person to me, who passed away, he means a lot to me not only as a hero and a war veteran but also as my mentor. My dad died early, and he was for me both grandpa and father. He went through the Finnish war, he was drafted since the first day of the Great Patriotic war, was seriously wounded during the battle of Smolensk, and after he returned home.'
Damir Fattakhov, the first Deputy Head of Kazan Executive Committee:
'Our whole family will go, the spouse, children (son, daughter) will come, the youngest doesn't walk yet, he'll stay home. We will hand the portraits of our grandparents, granddaddies, the brother of our granddaddy who is alive and well, but he's 94 years, he is one of the few who remained from Kantemirovskaya division. From the wife side, there will be the portrait of grandma who went through the whole war, worked as a nurse. This is a unique event, with tears in the eyes, with a sense of pride and a huge responsibility towards all those, thanks to whom we have a peaceful sky over our heads. In fact, we can truly love, live, continue our family, and, as the elders says, the veterans, the main thing is that a war would never happen. With this sense we pay tribute to all those who heroically fought, not sparing themselves, have done everything for us to live in peace.'
'On this day, we have nothing to share'
Aleksander Sladkovsky, the artistic director and chief conductor of the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan:
'I here with my wife. We have just finished a rehearsal and now are involving in the process. I am very pleased that we share the memory of our ancestors and it is reflected in this stunning participation.'
Farid Bikchantaev, chief director of the Galiaskar Kamal Academic Theatre:
'I'm going with the portrait of Bika Shakirova. She was in charge of our troupe for a long time. All my childhood I spent in her office — to me, she is a very dear person.'
Khafiz Mirgalimov, the First Secretary of the Tatarstan regional branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation:
'I am going with the portrait of my father. He was drafted into the army in 1939, returned in 1946. He fought on all fronts. When I was a kid, I listened to them often, especially on summer evenings (June-July) – the old men sat and remembered. I never thought that that would happen, that the country would not exist, that army would not exist. But the memory, continuity, patriotism – what we have it isnecessary to preserve. 9 May – the day of unification of real people representing their past, present and future. On this day, we have nothing to share. We mourn, we rejoice, exult that such country did exist, the army, the Communist party, Generalissimo Stalin, and we defeated the enemy that Europe together with the United States could not defeat.'
