On February 15, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of Participants in the War in Other States and the 33rd anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, many unindifferent Poltava residents traditionally gathered near the monument to the “Sons of Poltava Region Killed in Afghanistan 1979-1989”. Representatives of the student self-government led by the President of the Student Parliament Liudmyla Bylym, the Head of the Trade Union Committee of Students and Postgraduates Oleksandr Drobotia paid tribute to the fallen heroes and laid flowers at the foot of the monument to fallen soldiers in Afghanistan. Poltava Mayor Oleksandr Mamai, Poltava Regional State Administration Deputy Heads Kateryna Ryzhychenko and Maksym Kalinin as well as Deputy Regional Military Commissioner Eduard Borodai joined the community of comrades-in-arms, relatives of the fallen ones, combatants, and military personnel.
“For thousands of Ukrainian families, Afghanistan has become a formidable symbol of misery, uncontrollable mental anguish and inconsolable grief, another's war has taken away from them the most precious… You have passed the difficult test of war... You have preserved military brotherhood, defeated physical and moral injuries, especially through your solidarity and mutual support. You have become a worthy example of human devotion and heroism. Thank you for your courage! Gratitude for your heroism will forever remain in the hearts of our compatriots and those peoples, whose honor and dignity you helped to defend,” – Mayor Oleksandr Mamai thanked the participants of the war in Afghanistan.
A minute of silence was observed among all those present in honor of all the fallen soldiers.
“Together with the student youth of Poltava Polytechnic, we joined in honoring the memory of participants in hostilities on the territory of other states. Our countrymen, compatriots and relatives died in these military operations. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers passed through the terrible crucible of the Afghan war. According to statistics, 4,000 Ukrainians have died in Afghanistan, and 72 Ukrainian soldiers have been declared missing. Mothers lost their sons, half a thousand women became widows, and nearly a thousand children were orphaned. Thousands of soldiers returned wounded or disabled. Those who survived went through a rigorous trial of fate. Many of the veterans volunteered and went to defend our territorial integrity. We bow our heads in memory of the participants in hostilities on the territory of other states who gave their lives in the line of duty. Eternal glory to them!” – commented Adviser of the Rector of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Candidate of Military Sciences, Colonel Anatolii Martynenko.
According to President of the Student Parliament of Poltava Polytechnic Liudmyla Bylym, such events help modern students to realize the contribution of different generations of Ukrainians to our present, who gave their lives to serve the state: “Such anniversaries are worth remembering, since the worst thing for the people and history is complete oblivion. Our generation must remember the difficult historical stages that changed the lives of our families”.
For significant personal contribution to solving social issues of Afghan veterans, fruitful cooperation with local self-governments, active citizenship and on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, participants in hostilities in other states were awarded Honorable Diplomas of the Executive Committee of the Poltava City Council, citations, including the presentation of a badge and a monetary award from Oleksandr Mamai. Poltava resident – participant in hostilities Iryna Turhenieva received a certificate for housing.
The Day of Remembrance of Participants in the War in Other States is celebrated in accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine of February 11, 2004 №180/2004.
The war in the Republic of Afghanistan lasted from December 1979 to February 1989, tens of thousands of soldiers went through its hell, thousands of compatriots died in battle, died of wounds, contusions, injuries, diseases and went missing. There are now more than 150,000 Afghan war veterans in Ukraine, about 8,000 of whom are wounded, and more than 6,000 are people with disabilities.
In addition to the Afghan war, during the Soviet era, Ukrainian military took part in other local wars and armed conflicts in 16 foreign countries – they performed “international” duty in Chile, Spain, Egypt, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Syria, Angola, Mozambique, on the island of Cuba as well as other “hot spots”.
After Ukraine’s independence, our military experts became participants in peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the United Nations, NATO and other international organizations. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, since 1992 more than 44,000 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have taken part in 27 international operations and missions in different regions of the world.
Earlier, the university honored the memory of the deceased graduate Dmytro Koriak, and polytechnic students took part in the celebrations of the Day of Unity of Ukraine.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
