SEVASTOPOL, May 04 /ITAR-TASS/. Participants in a traditional war memorial holiday dubbed “Banners of Glory” have observed a minute of silence on Sapun Hill not only for defenders and liberators of the Russian Crimean federal city of Sevastopol in the years of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, but also those killed in the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odessa and in the main Ukrainian coalmining region Donbas in the last few days.
City chiefs said in their speeches that for 23 years of Sevastopol being a Ukrainian city local residents succeeded to preserve a undistorted understanding of history and glorious traditions. Participants in the holiday voiced indignation over actions of Ukrainian radicals and military forces, particularly the May 2 tragic events in the city of Odessa where clashes between far-right nationalists and federalisation supporters killed 46 people and around 200 sought medical aid.
“In our twinned city of Odessa the blood was shed by those who try to cultivate fascism. But we have a remedy against this poison in our hearts that is the memory about how the Victory was won,” Chairman of the Sevastopol Legislative Assembly Yuri Doinikov stated.
Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Alexander Vitko condemned current Ukrainian authorities whom he named as “a power of death”.
“It is horrible when children are raised at the examples of those who are laughing against people burnt alive. Let our children keep books in hands, but not Molotov incendiary cocktails. Let our veterans live as long as possible and bring to us the memory which we should have at the genetic level,” Vitko said.
After a festive flag ceremony of the banners of combat units and warships which participated in defence and liberation of Sevastopol a military historical re-enactment of the war storming operation of Sapun Hill was staged with thousands of city residents watching it.
Army, aviation and navy support voluntary association’s airplanes Yakovlev Yak-52 and Yak-28 were scattering leaflets at the holiday. A jump of parachutists who unrolled huge Russian national flag and the flag of that voluntary army support society in the skies was a highlight of the festivities.