SEOUL, May 6. /TASS/. Several hundred people took part in the Immortal Regiment procession and the ensuing concert in the capital of the Republic of Korea on the eve of the 79th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a TASS correspondent reports.
Despite rainy weather, Russian compatriots, employees of the embassy and other Russian foreign institutions, CIS countries and the Republic of Korea joined the procession on the streets of Seoul. The procession was followed by a concert. The hall, which seats 300, was completely filled.
South Korean residents also attended the Immortal Regiment. They included enthusiasts of Russian military history and even ordinary people who were interested in the crowd of foreigners carrying festive decorations and photos. Passersby watched the column with curiosity as it passed the capital's landmarks - Deoksugung Palace and City Hall.
Russian military history enthusiasts
Young South Korean re-enactors enthusiastic about Russian military history took part in the procession, wearing Red Army uniforms. One of them asked to be called Vasily and said he came to the event to commemorate the heroic deeds of Soviet heroes participating in World War II together with citizens of Russia and CIS countries. He said that the uniforms were a symbol of courage to him.
According to Vasily, he and his comrades remember and appreciate the fact that the north of the Korean peninsula was liberated by Soviet fighters despite the fact that some South Koreans are more inclined to pay attention to the subsequent division of the peninsula. The enthusiast said that there are quite a few fans of Russian military history in South Korea.
Preserving historical memory
At the beginning of the concert, Russian Charge d'Affaires in Seoul Valery Guyenkov addressed the audience. "On this day we remember all those who brought this Great Victory, those who broke and defeated Nazism. Those who liberated many nations from this scourge. Those who gave us freedom and the future," Guenkov noted. According to him, Russia is now again facing the fact that "a war has been unleashed against it."
"We see that our guys once again have to fight back against international terrorism and protect the life and freedom of Russian people in Donbass and other regions, thus ensuring the security of our country," the diplomat noted.
Natalia Gulina, Chairman of the CCORC, read a congratulatory message from Viktor Tomenko, Governor of the Altay Region. "Today we are once again facing threats to peaceful living. Despite all attempts to glorify fascism and the revival of Nazism, our sacred duty is to preserve the people's memory of the feats of the Soviet people at the front and in the rear," the governor said. He noted that the upcoming holiday is equally dear to all "peoples who shared the bitterness of losses and the joy for the Great Victory."
In turn, Gulina drew attention to how some were now attempting to rewrite history. "In a world where they are now aggressively trying to rewrite history, where monuments to Soviet soldiers and Soviet glory are being dismantled, it is our duty to preserve the truth about the feats of our ancestors," Gulina noted. During the concert, students of the Russian Embassy School and creative groups of Russian compatriots gave performances.