The Victory Day is woven from thousands of heroic deeds of the sons and daughters of the Belarusian people – A. Lukashenko

May 9, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. A parade opened the festive events in honor of the 66th anniversary of the Great Victory in Vitebsk, a BELTA correspondent reports. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, representatives of labor collectives, cultural and sports institutions, and authorities took part in the event on Victory Square. "For Belarusians, Victory Day is a special holiday, symbolizing the independence and freedom of our country. It is woven from thousands of feats of the sons and daughters of the Belarusian people," emphasized the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, congratulating the citizens and guests of the regional center. The victory was not easy; every day of the war is an example of heroism and self-sacrifice of those who fought at the front and forged victory in the rear. 127 soldiers and partisans, natives of the Vitebsk region, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. "Today, we pay tribute to the memory and respect of those who, at the cost of their lives, won us the right to live under a peaceful sky on free land, and we honor the living heroes-liberators," said the head of the region, noting that it is the veterans who are the spiritual stronghold of the Belarusian nation. Caring for the defenders of the Fatherland is an honorable duty and obligation of the current generations. 5.2 thousand veterans live in the Vitebsk region. Each of them is under the supervision of local authorities and youth organizations, which, as needed, help them solve all necessary issues. Thus, last year, 64 veterans improved their housing conditions, and another two did so this year. The organization of medical care and examination for this category of the population is fully provided, and issues of telephone installation and other minor problems have been resolved. "Full assistance will continue to be provided, and its amount will be determined by the successes in the socio-economic development of the Vitebsk region," emphasized Alexander Kosinets, recalling that the socio-economic development plans of the region are enshrined in the regional program for innovative and investment development for 2011-2015. Its main priorities are aimed at forming an effective socially oriented economy, increasing its growth rates, and creating fundamentally new production facilities, enterprises, and industries that produce high-tech products. The implementation of the program will attract more than Br40 trillion in investments to the region's economy. The rally on Victory Square continued with a concert by educational institutions. Mass festivities also unfolded in other areas of the regional center. Late in the evening, the main square of the regional center will again be the center of attention for Vitebsk residents - at 10:00 PM, a colorful fireworks display will take place here in honor of the Great Victory.-0-