The President went to Ponyri for the inauguration of the monument
Photo: REUTERS
In the village of Ponyri, Kursk region, on the evening of August 24, the 80th anniversary of the victory on the Kursk Bulge was celebrated. On the occasion of the round date, the first stage of a large-scale monument was unveiled here: in the center is a sculpture of a Soviet soldier who, with the efforts of all his might, does not allow two looming walls with images of German technology. to close.
The artists of the Glazunov Academy focused on the first stage of the Battle of Kursk, when in the area of the Ponyri station, Soviet infantry units clashed with German tank divisions, which were trying to close the circle.
The complex is located at the entrance to Ponyri from Zolotukhino. The site was chosen so that the main sculptural composition was not covered by dividing forest belts and reliefs. In addition, the asphalt on the road leading to the monument from Kurk was changed.
An hour before the start of the ceremony, it rained and a strong cold wind rose, but this did not spoil the mood of the people. Vladimir Putin’s appearance on the stage surprised many.
– Hitler was plotting here to take revenge on Stalingrad, hoping that the force of his tank divisions, of the SS formations, would break through the front and roll again like an avalanche to the East. But they were met with iron resistance, the courage of our soldiers and commanders, battle-hardened fighters of the Red Army, the president said.
The head of the country compared the Red Army soldiers who fought against the Nazis with the current soldiers of the special operation.
“The entire weight of the fighting today, as in the years of the Great Patriotic War, falls primarily on our soldiers, on those who are on the front lines,” the Russian leader emphasized.
Then Vladimir Vladimirovich awarded five fighters on the stage.
– The Gold Stars of the Hero of Russia were awarded to Lieutenant Alexander Sergeyevich Levakov and Corporals Philip Alexandrovich Evseev and Alexei Mikhailovich Neustroev. This well-coordinated tank crew entered into battle with superior enemy forces and achieved what seemed impossible: it accomplished a feat: it not only won the battle, but also saved its comrades, whose tank was knocked out, -Putin announced.
This is the crew of the Alyosha tank, which in early June stopped the advance of the column of the Ukrainian army. A recording of the battle made from the helicopter was published on the Internet. The footage shows how our tankers shot down two enemy T-72s with their first shots.
Then, in another half hour, the crew burned the M113 armored personnel carrier and five MaxxPro armored personnel carriers.
Another Hero star was received by Senior Lieutenant Rasim Baksikov.
“In the course of intense battles, he acted bravely, showed personal courage and heroism,” the president replied.
Corporal Ilya Gavrilov was awarded the medal “For Courage”. Vladimir Vladimirovich explained that the soldier “using a drone discovered the enemy and accurately corrected the fire of our artillery.”
On the way back, the president moved just a couple of meters away from the public. The people chanted “Russia” in unison and clearly applauded. “We are with you! We love you!” – some strong comments were heard. But before shaking hands, photographing and kissing, as happened in Derbent and Kronstadt, the matter was not yet finalized.
