Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

16:45:39
14/04/2017

riafan.ru

Veterans of the Great Patriotic War and representatives of the social movement “Ukrainian Choice — Right of the People” had the courage to leave flowers before the monument to the Soviet General Nikolai Vatutin to honor his memory. Veterans carried out the action under the protection of two dozen members of the athletic youth community, as an attack by nationalists was expected. The correspondent of the Federal News Agency (FAN) reported about it from a place of events.

General Vatutin was killed by the hands of Ukrainian nationalists on April 15th, (1944), however it was decided to carry out the action on April 14th, a day earlier, for safety reasons.

“Thanks to those who came. With our presence we confirm that we remember and are proud of those people who defended our country from all fascist enslavers,” stated Vasily Nimchenko, the deputy head of the social movement “Ukrainian Choice — Right of the People” and Deputy of the Opposition Bloc.

“We were all united during the Soviet time. Songs, holidays, territories, passports, money, we had no borders. And the Army was united, and people didn’t divide the Motherland, as is now done,” said the Great Patriotic War veteran.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMxakrAqSnY

One of two veterans participating in the action, dressed in a uniform of a Soviet officer of the time of the Great Patriotic War, stated that the nationalism now cultivated in the country is very similar to Nazism, against which they fought 80 years ago – a fight that was impeded by foes – Ukrainian nationalists.

“Here we can’t have foes. Ours foes are there, in the Verkhovna Rada. They erased from the Kiev land the name of Vatutin district, the Street of Vatutin. They try to sweep away the remains of the General, who fought against fascism, from the walls of parliament – the main legislative body, where People’s Deputies sit. I stress – People’s ones. Only in this country are they called ‘People’s Deputies’. This is a pathetic bunch, the majority of them in the Rada, they are 252 people, who govern Ukraine as they want.

The most important thing – they spit on the souls of our people, who passed through such history that it is hoped that God doesn’t make anyone else pass through it. I give a deep bow to Vatutin on behalf of all the sane-thinking people of Ukraine,” said Vasily Nimchenko.

The veterans laid a flower basket before the monument to General Vatutin, which is located near the entrance to Mariinsky park, near the Verkhovna Rada. They tried to demolished this monument several times and it was desecrated many times.

Right after the flower-laying the protection saw the participants to their cars, then everyone left the park.

It should be noted that no police officer during the action was seen, despite the fact that this area is usually patrolled.

“Police officers scuttled away as soon as they learned that veterans and communists will come. They were afraid that Banderists may also come here and that they will be forced to intervene, and this isn’t necessary for them,” explained one of the activists to the correspondent of FAN.

Nikolay Vatutin is a famous Soviet military leader – a General. During the days of the Great Patriotic War he participated in the Stalingrad and Kursk battles, crossed the Dneper, and liberated Kiev from fascist aggressors. In March, 1944, in the West of Ukraine Vatutin was ambushed by Ukrainian nationalists and received a serious wound from which he subsequently died. The General is buried in Kiev in Mariinsky park.

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