XXVIII Congress of International Association of Public Organizations of Survivors of Siege of Hero City Leningrad Started its Work in St. Petersburg

The XXVIII Congress of the International Association of Public Organizations of Survivors of the Siege of Hero City Leningrad started its work in St. Petersburg. Around 160 people take part in the event, including 72 survivors of the siege from the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and other countries.

During the opening of the event in the Administration of St. Petersburg Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov announced that the city will continue to memorialize the years of the Siege of Leningrad. In particular, it is planned to open branches of the Museum of Defense and the Siege of Leningrad in the regions of the Russian Federation, which took evacuated Leningrad citizens, and in other countries where the Survivors of the Siege live.

For the first time this initiative was launched by the Governor in April 2019 in the Tavricheskiy Palace at the forty-ninth plenary session of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. “We have a common, indivisible memory of the deeds of our ancestors. For the sake of this memory, for the sake of our common victory, I suggest that we open the branches or create separate museums dedicated to the Siege of Leningrad and the Leningrad citizens who were welcomed by your republics, said Alexander Beglov and emphasized that St. Petersburg was ready to help with this endeavour. Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council Valentina Matvienko supported his idea on behalf of the IPA CIS and promised to provide all possible support for the implementation of this initiative.

The XXVIII Congress of the International Association of Public Organizations of Survivors of the Siege of Hero City Leningrad will continue its work until 28January. Its delegates will take part in the city events dedicated to the 77th Anniversary of breaking the Siege of Leningrad and the 76th Anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi Siege during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Background information. The International Association of Public Organizations of Survivors of the Siege of Hero City Leningrad was created in 1991 in order to protect the interests of the Siege Survivors living in the CIS countries, neighbouring and other countries and preserve the memory of the heroic feat of Leningrad citizens and soldiers of the Leningrad Front. The association unites around 40.000 people from all around the world. Their joint work contributes to the strengthening of friendly relations among nations and helps to preserve common spiritual and moral values.