Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

20:10:39
16/09/2018

strana.ua

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In Ananyev in the Odessa region the region’s first military memorial devoted to soldiers of the UPR army was solemnly unveiled. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

The event was timed with the anniversary of the city, which on September 12th celebrated the 265th anniversary of its foundation.

“We have immortalised a series of victorious fights that took place on April 16th-19th, 1920. Back then, thanks to their coordinated actions, local insurgents and units of the UPR army took control of Ananyev and the nearby villages, having forced the Russian Bolsheviks to leave their positions. This fight has glorified the Odessa region as the place of the victory of the Ukrainian weapon,” said the author of the project, the combatant Oleg Sobchenko.

The memorial is located at the entrance of the city and is a square paved with a granite stones. In the middle of the square, on a stone pedestal, there is a column topped with an enlarged copy of the award of the UPR army – the Iron Cross “For the Winter campaign and fights”, which is the first award in the history of the Ukrainian army.

On all four sides the pedestal is framed with granite stones with the names of Cossacks and officers of the UPR army. On the square, near the monument, there is a mast flying the national flag of Ukraine.

“On the monument there are the names of 106 soldiers who came from the Ananyev uyezd of the Kherson province and fought in the ranks of the UPR army for the independence of Ukraine against the white and red occupiers. The military rank of these people is now adequately noted,” noted the chairman of the board of the “Geroika” charity foundation Pavel Podobed.