Astrakhan State University Prepared Special Gift for War Veterans

The holiday event dedicated to Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War 2 has taken place at the Cultural Center of ASU. It was backed by the city and the district administrations. Veterans who work at ASU have become distinguished guests at the event.

There was a field kitchen for everyone who wished to taste soldiers’ meals; the Art Salon of ASU arranged a special master class for kids and adults in the lobby; photo zones and thematic exhibitions were organized as well. Soldiers took part in the event organization, too: materiel of a military unit deployed in Astrakhan was demonstrated.

In his speech, Dr. Konstantin Markelov, Acting Rector of ASU, emphasized the great feat of war veterans and importance of this holiday for younger generations: “We shall always remember our nation’s accomplishments, as well as the peace that brave defenders of our country achieved. We’ll celebrate this holiday by taking part in the Immortal Regiment March, remembering our grandparents and great-grandparents. The most crucial thing is that the young ought to remember what veterans did for us all. Without that, it’s impossible to create anything new, teach, build, or contribute to the development of our country”.

The most remarkable part of the holiday event was the concert arranged by our Cultural Center. It led the audience to those faraway times when our entire country fought to gain peace on Earth. Even at those severe times, there was a place for life, hope, and love. It was the main theme of concert numbers performed by our students. The concert also included the contemporary documentary film fragments, which acted as a background for our students to play the roles of those boys and girls who went to fight Nazis many years ago.

Old songs that the whole country knows very well were sung; the audience accompanied the singers. The lyrical and touching composition “Oh, These Blue Clouds” was followed with the vigorous and daring song “Smuglyanka” (“The Dark Girl”); the scene was turned into either a battlefield, or a narrow and short street of a provincial town.

The touching moment of the concert was a slide show with archive photos of the war veterans who used to work at our University. Most of those veterans are no more, but memory about them never fades away. The last concert numbers showed pictures of a calm and happy life: the war is over; we celebrate the victory and live in the world that veterans donated to us. The final song “Day of Victory” was performed with the whole audience standing and singing together with the scene performers.

In his turn, Professor David Teply, Chairman of the Veterans’’ Council at ASU, remarked: “I’m grateful to all those who arranged this holiday event at our University. That’s solemn, magnificent, and pleasant for both mind and soul”.