Georgia marks 75th anniversary of WWII victory
This year, public gathering has been restricted within the state of emergency regulations aimed to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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On May 9 Georgia marks the 75th anniversary of victory over fascism when Nazi Germany was defeated by allied forces bringing World War II to an end.
Traditionally on this day, WWII veterans gather at Vake Park in central Tbilisi to lay wreaths at the memorial to the Unknown Soldiers.
Agenda.ge is proud to share with you the stories of Georgian heroes of the war ‘In Pictures’ on Victory Day of May 9, 2014. Unfortunately, some of them have passed away.
But this year, public gathering has been restricted within the state of emergency regulations aimed to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.
Mose Mdinaradze was called to serve in WWII when he was 22 years old. He put on his military uniform for the first time on January 1, 1940 and took this photo to remember that day. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Laying a wreath at the memorial to the Unknown Soldiers this morning, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said Georgia has sacrificed a lot for the victory.
PM Gakharia has meanwhile signed an order on awarding all of the Georgian veterans of the WWII with special medals commemorating the ‘75th anniversary of the victory over fascism’.
The veterans will also receive a GEL 600 social assistance, while the families of those heroes who have unfortunately passed away, will receive a GEL 300 social assistance.
A total of 750,000 Georgians served in WWII and over 300,000 died. 224,000 received different awards while 164 were given the title of hero. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Expressing her respect to the veterans, President Salome Zurabishvili wrote on Twitter that ‘75 years ago, the end of WWII brought us peace’.
Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani also stated that ‘the lessons learned from the war must strengthen UN efforts for peace, justice and human rights’.
????????still faces illegal RU military presence & severe human rights situation in occupied territories. residents still deprived basic rights, including medical service. Turning blind eye 2 violations ofUN principles poses threat 2 preventing future atrocities #LessonsForPeace
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) May 8, 2020
A surrender document was signed in Berlin, Germany, on the late evening of May 8, 1945, which was the early morning on May 9 in Eastern European time, that’s why Victory Day is celebrated today in Georgia.
Other countries in Western Europe mark the occasion annually on May 8.
A World War II-era Soviet cruiser, with service history spanning from the early 20th century and including World War I, has been discovered scuttled off Georgia's Black Sea coast by an expedition of the Ilia State University.