due to the error command the bloody and heroic Rzhevskaya battle for many years remained the only memory which is not immortalized. Now justice is restored: Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka unveiled a monument to Soviet soldiers, established at the initiative of veterans on public donations. The figure of the warrior hovering over the earth on the wings of cranes – is the embodiment of poignant lines by Rasul Gamzatov, known to everyone since childhood. Vladimir Putin stressed that to perpetuate the heroism of the fallen Rzhev was a matter of honor.
“Rzhev I will not forget. For weeks there was fighting for five or six broken trees, over the wall of a broken house but the tiny bump,” wrote Ilya Ehrenburg. Of these battles little is said in school textbooks. And even in the official history there is no concept of “Rzhevskaya battle” – a separate operation, which lasted from January 1942 to March 1943.
the Reason, obviously, lies in the lack of success with the enormous human losses: none offensive has not reached the goal – the German troops left here themselves. For Marshal Zhukov, the second Rzhev-Sychevka offensive operation was the only military defeat, but Marshal Konev after the Germans in 1943, was removed from the command of the front. However, despite the fact that the enemy to break failed, the threat was eliminated. Moreover, according to some military historians, the battle of Rzhev, and battle of Stalingrad were two parts of one plan, and one of the main tasks of the Soviet divisions was to distract the Wehrmacht from Stalingrad.
“one Cannot do without pain to think about the losses suffered by the Red Army. Were killed, wounded, missing more than one million three hundred thousand people. Monstrous. Unthinkable figure,” – said at the opening of the memorial to Vladimir Putin. According to him, battles of Rzhev, step by step closer to the triumphant outcome of the battle of Stalingrad, the long awaited breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad, the liberation of Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States, the same final change in the course of the second world war. “Everyone who fought near Rzhev passed non-human trials, did to Win everything we could. Our sacred duty to honor, to remember each character. To immortalize their feat was a matter of conscience and honor”, – said the President.
Alexander Lukashenko, who received an invitation to visit Rzhev on the Victory parade, called the memorial a symbol of unbreakable friendship of Russia and Belarus and the universal pride. The opening of this memorial, celebration last week in Moscow parade on may 9 in Minsk is the “invisible thread” that connects the hearts of the Belarusians and Russians.
“We will not allow to belittle the importance of the great Victory, to distort the truth about the events of that time and to rehabilitate Nazism. Otherwise tragedy may��to toritsa. Belarus and Russia are absolutely United in this effort” – said the old man. He said while people come to the monuments, they never will be at war. And if you forget the way to the Holy places, be sure to start conflicts.
Together with the presidents of Russia and Belarus the ceremony was attended by war veterans, who were accompanied by the Kremlin cadets. Climbing the stairs to the foot of the mound on which stands the figure of a soldier, Putin and Lukashenko stopped before saying, “We have fallen for their country, but she is saved” and honored the memory of victims minute of silence.
Rzhev memorial will become one of the largest and most magnificent monuments of the second world war. Size (35 meters) it is inferior to the Motherland, which, together with the sword is 85 meters. The famous “Alyosha” in Bulgarian has a height of 11.5 metres, and the warrior-liberator in Berlin – 12 meters.
Under the monument there is an exhibition on the bloody battles, the people called the “Rzhev meat grinder”. The exhibits provided search teams. Presidents showed a soldier’s gas mask with 10 bullet holes and rifles Danish, Dutch canned items produced by the firm Bayer”, which “still works”. “According to these findings we can understand, who fed and supplied the Third Reich,” said search engines, noting that their findings confirm Putin’s words “about the participation of our neighbours from abroad in this war.” “Yes, it is an objective proof of this,” nodded GDP. In addition, the presidents took part in the “Garden of memory”, landed near the blue spruce memorial.
Alexander Lukashenko was the only CIS leaders invited to the opening ceremony of the Rzhev memorial. (As the invitation stated the press Secretary of the head of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Zheenbekov , but the Kremlin denied her words). The formal reason was the participation of the Union state structures in creation of the monument. However, the old man did not hide that Vladimir Putin after the official celebrations he’s going to have a serious conversation.
the Belarusian authorities directly accuse Russian “puppeteers” of meddling in the presidential election to be held in the Republic on 9 August. Russian oligarchs, according to Lukashenko, to lead the government “frostbitten, the so-called radical opposition”. Their main candidate, he believes the former head of Belgazprombank Victor Babariko arrested June 18 on charges of money laundering and concealment of evidence.
in Addition to the unnamed oligarchs, the old man suspects the game against itself, Deputy economic development Minister and former Russian Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich, as well as any “nizagara” who spread a “terrible fake” to discredit the government.
there is no doubt that the negotiations Alexander Lukashenko pwill ask Vladimir Putin to influence the situation and not “rock the boat”. Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov earlier told reporters that the charges are baseless Minsk, and Russia is not going to interfere in the electoral processes in other countries, especially in Belarus. “Color revolution” in the Union state, indeed, is not included in the plans of the Kremlin. And, although in recent years Mr Putin has remained deaf to the requests Lukashenko to throw some money and reduce gas prices, political support the old man is likely to be provided. As once said about the dictator Somoza Roosevelt: “He may be a sonofabitch but he’s our sonofabitch.”
