Evgeny Lyulin: "In our veins flows the blood of victors, who did not surrender either on the front lines or in the rear."

      On May 10, 2026, at 14:56, the city of Dzerzhinsk, which bears the honorary title of "City of Labor Valor," celebrated the 81st anniversary of the Great Victory with a series of events united by one theme - the memory of the feat of those who forged victory not only on the front but also in the rear. Among the participants were the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Evgeny Lyulin, the head of the city, Mikhail Klinkov, regional parliament deputy Yulia Garevskaya, public figures, and residents of the city of chemists.

      The day began with a solemn laying of flowers at the stele in Uzlovaya Square. It was here, among the factory buildings, that the fate of the country was decided during the war. "Every second Soviet shell and every third bomb was armed with explosives produced at the Sverdlov factory. And the first bomb dropped on Berlin in August 1941 was also made in Dzerzhinsk. And it's not just about numbers; behind them are the lives of boys and girls who slept at the machines so that the enemy wouldn't sleep in the trenches," said Evgeny Lyulin. Here, at the stele, soldiers, heroes of the special military operation from Dzerzhinsk, presented an icon to the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly. Evgeny Lyulin thanked the defenders and wished them strength of spirit, health, and a swift return home with victory.

      One of the main and most touching events of the celebration was the "Candle of Memory" action at Heroes Square near the Eternal Flame memorial. Poems about the Great Patriotic War were recited, and a creative performance with a violin told its poignant story. When the music fell silent, a hush descended, and hundreds of townspeople, youth army members, volunteers, and representatives of law enforcement lit candles. Honored guests and residents of the city took turns laying them at the foot of the memorial, paying tribute to the fallen. And when the minute of mourning was replaced by movement, a 100-meter St. George ribbon covered the square - it was unfurled and carried across the entire square by honored guests along with Dzerzhinsk families.

      "On May 9, Russia celebrates the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. On this day, we honor the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the Motherland, we pay tribute to all who fought on the front, worked in the rear, and all who forged Victory. The war touched every family, and each has its own Hero. They went to their deaths not for glory, but for their country, their children, their future. The lessons of courage and resilience from the generation of Victors teach us to cherish our Motherland and the truth about the Great Patriotic War. And we will preserve it and teach our children and grandchildren to do the same," said deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Yulia Garevskaya.

      The event continued on Victory Boulevard. Here, at the Alley of Memory, Victory volunteers conducted a tour for guests. They spoke about the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War, whose names are inscribed in granite, about their feats, and how the city lived and worked under the motto "Everything for the front, everything for Victory."

      At the Palace of Culture of Chemists in Wedding Square, in front of thousands of Dzerzhinsk residents, Evgeny Lyulin reminded how few witnesses of those years remain: "In all of Dzerzhinsk, there are currently only five front-line soldiers, just over two hundred rear workers, six child prisoners of concentration camps, and five blockade survivors. We owe each of them our deepest respect."

      Then came the nationwide minute of silence. To the sound of a metronome, which is played every year in Russia on May 9, the square fell silent. Thousands of people, frozen with St. George ribbons and flowers, paid tribute to those who did not return.

      Summing up the day, Evgeny Lyulin emphasized: "The blood of victors flows in our veins, who did not surrender either on the front or in the rear. Their feats have no statute of limitations. As long as we remember, as long as we pass on the truth about the war to our children - Russia will be invincible. Dzerzhinsk showed today what it means to be the heirs of victors!"

      "The light of the candles we light on May 9 at Heroes Square is a quiet appeal to everyone who forged Victory. To the soldiers who held the defense on the front lines. To the partisans who operated in the enemy's rear. To those who went through the horrors of camps and endured. To the women, the elderly, and the teenagers who stood by the machines day and night so that the front received everything it needed. This is a tribute to those who reached Berlin. Who in May of forty-five met a peace that was earned at a great cost. Who gave everything they had for it. As long as we remember - history is alive. As long as we pass this memory on - the feat does not become just a page in a textbook. Eternal memory to all who did not return from the battlefields. A low bow to those whose lives became the foundation of our peace. We must preserve this truth. And we will preserve it," noted the head of the city of Dzerzhinsk, Mikhail Klinkov. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.