Artur Parfenchikov congratulated the residents of the republic on the 80th anniversary of liberation of Karelia from the German fascist and Finnish invaders
On September 30, the festive events dedicated to the feat of the Karelian Front soldiers were held throughout Karelia. They included flower- and wreath-laying ceremonies at memorials, a republic-wide minute of silence, thematic lessons at schools, the “Dedicated to the Karelian Front Soldiers” campaign at the cultural institutions of Karelia. Over 7,000 people attended the celebrations and concerts in Karelia during the day.
Throughout the day, concerts with participation of the leading groups and soloists of the republic, festive events and rallies, exhibitions, military films screenings and theatrical performances were held at schools, libraries, cultural and leisure institutions of the republic.
The highlight of the celebration was the performance of the “Kantele” Ensemble with a large concert program “The Memory of the Flaming Years” on the stage of the Musical Theater of Karelia. The concert was attended by veterans, homefront workers, juvenile prisoners, children of war, cadets, the SMO participants and their family members, the representatives of the government and the public, and the city residents. Artur Parfenchikov expressed deep gratitude to the veterans for their enormous contribution to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the feat that will forever remain in the history of Karelia and Russia.
– There is no family in Karelia that does not cherish the memory of the heroes who died at the front, who survived the terrible torments of the Finnish concentration camps, the hardships of evacuation. For us, it is a sacred day. This memory is very important especially today, when fascism has once again raised its head in Europe. Our fellow countrymen, our brothers, fathers, sons, husbands, like our great-grandfathers, are fighting fascism today. We know that we will win. In memory of our great ancestors and in the name of the happy life of our children! Dear fellow countrymen, happy holiday! – said the Head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov.
During the Great Patriotic War, songs and dances were not just art. They set the mood, allowed to distract and kept the spirit up in moments of despair. In those harsh years, the artists of the “Kantele” Ensemble performed several times a day in hospitals, military schools, industrial enterprises, railway stations, forest clearings and truck platforms. Overcoming all the hardships of war, fatigue, hunger, frostbite of hands and feet, the artists of “Kantele” firmly believed in the Victory and honorably fulfilled their civic duty. During the war, the group gave more than four thousand concerts, and with the money they got they purchased and donated a tank to the front.
On the festive day, the war years songs, romances, the Soviet composers’ works, a potpourri of songs on patriotic themes were performed on stage, and the best choreographic performances were presented.
