The feat of veterans has no price and no statute of limitations - A. Kosinets

May 9, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The feat of veterans has no price and no statute of limitations. This opinion was expressed today at a ceremonial rally on the occasion of Victory Day by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, BELTA correspondent reports. "May 9, 1945, is a date that symbolizes justice and humanism for all peoples of the world. For the Belarusian people, it is also a symbol of the preservation of our people and state. The victory in the Great Patriotic War is woven from millions of feats of ordinary people and soldiers, written in the blood and pain of partisans and underground fighters," said Alexander Kosinets, noting that Belarus was the first to bear the brunt of the Nazi invaders, and Vitebsk region became one of the centers of the great battle from the first days of occupation. More than 120,000 residents of the Vitebsk region fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, over 100,000 people fought in 60 partisan detachments and formations, self-defense groups and militias, and party and Komsomol underground organizations. The feats of 127 natives of Pridvinye were honored with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Thousands of lives were sacrificed in the name of the Great Victory. The Vitebsk region lost every third resident during the war. The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee emphasized that today veterans, war participants, their children and grandchildren are in the parade formation. This is a symbol of the continuity of generations, showing that at any moment Belarusians can rise as a whole nation to defend their Motherland. "We are peaceful people, and our main goal is to build a strong and prosperous Belarus," the governor noted. "Therefore, the socio-economic development of the Vitebsk region is based on investment and innovation programs aimed at developing the energy sector, the petrochemical complex, machine building, using natural resources, and creating powerful logistics centers. It is no coincidence that according to many forecast indicators for the first quarter of 2012, the region holds leading positions among the republic's regions, and for the main indicator of work efficiency - gross regional product - a growth rate of 121% was achieved compared to January-March 2011." Today, 4,420 veterans live in the Vitebsk region. "They are provided with all kinds of assistance, we want them to live longer, because their feat has no price and no statute of limitations. From generation to generation, we will pass on the Great Victory," concluded Alexander Kosinets. The festive rally, attended by over 20,000 people, continued with a parade of troops of the Vitebsk region garrison, formations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Department of Internal Affairs, students of the Vitebsk Cadet School, as well as the passage of military equipment with an exact replica of the Victory Banner, standards of the flags of the three fronts that liberated the Vitebsk region from the Nazi invaders. In Victory Park along the Western Dvina embankment, veterans and war participants, together with the governor and representatives of government bodies, laid the Alley of Winners. Numerous festive events unfolded today in all regions of the area. For example, in the Polotsk district, solemn rallies and moments of silence with the lighting of a symbolic fire were held at 111 military burial sites in the district. In Braslav, a friendly football match between Braslav and Pskov districts took place, and in the Orsha district - a propaganda run "From Monument to Monument" and a sports competition for working youth. On Victory Square in Vitebsk, a group of troubled teenagers performed 1418 push-ups in memory of each day of the war, and a thematic event dedicated to Victory Day was organized at the M.F. Shmeryov Museum. The culmination of the festive celebrations in the regional center will be a colorful fireworks display in the evening sky of the city. -0-