Dmitriy Kobitskiy attended the International Forum of Victors “Great Victory, Achieved through Unity”

The IX International Forum of Victors “Great Victory, Achieved through Unity”, dedicated to the 75^th anniversary of complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist siege is taking place in St. Petersburg.

The event brought together the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, citizens of Besieged Leningrad and their descendants, representatives of governmental bodies, public organizations, search movements, academia, scholars and the media. The IPA CIS Council Secretariat is represented by Secretary General – Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat Dmitriy Kobitskiy.

This year the forum started with wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Flame at the Motherland monument in the Piskarevskoe memorial cemetery and ceremonial laying of the commemorative stone to the Great Victory, Achieved through Unity in the square of Menshikov prospect.

The substantive part of the Forum began with a plenary session in the Yeltsin Presidential Library moderated by Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on International Cultural Cooperation, Co-Chair of the Board of the CIS Intergovernmental Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi.

Acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov read out the welcoming address of the President of the Russian Federation.

Following the plenary session, the participants continued their work at four thematic sessions.