CSTO PA representatives took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Piskaryovskoye cemetery

Today, January 27, a memorial wreath-laying ceremony was held to mark the 79th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege.

Veterans, citizens of St Petersburg, as well as representatives of the authorities including Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council; Aleksandr Gutsan, Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the North-Western Federal District; Aleksandr Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg; Aleksandr Belsky, Chairman of the city’s Legislative Assembly; Dmitry Kobitsky, Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat visited the Motherland monument at the Piskaryovskoye memorial cemetery. The participants paid tribute to the victims of the war and siege and laid wreaths and flowers.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO: Viktor Kogut, plenipotentiary representative of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus; Nurbek Satvaldiev, plenipotentiary representative of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic; Bakhtovar Safarzoda, plenipotentiary representative of Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan; Vladimir Bondurovsky, deputy Head of the Secretariat of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and Head of Expert and Analytical Department; Gennady Perekopsky, Secretary of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Defence and Security; and Aleksandr Stremoukhov, Secretary of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Socioeconomic and Legal Issues.

“79 years ago, Leningrad was completely liberated from the Nazi siege... Leningraders did not surrender. Thanks to their courage and strength of mind and belief in the Victory, the city has stood its ground. Their feat will never be forgotten. To prevent a repetition of the tragedy, we must not allow anyone to rehabilitate Nazism,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma and Chairman of the CSTO PA. His appeal is published on the website of the State Duma.

Mr Volodin said the residents of Leningrad had had to pay a “terrible price.” “Nearly a million people starved or died under the shells,” the CSTO PA Chairman added.

Visitors to the memorial cemetery also took part in the open mic poetry reading "Our Fallen Are Like Sentinels."

On the eve of the Day of Full Liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi Siege, Viktor Rogalyov, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, also laid flowers at the Piskaryovsky Memorial, honouring the memory of Leningraders and Kazakhstani soldiers who gave their lives to defend the city on the Neva.

To mark the 79th anniversary of the full liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi blockade, torches were lit on the Rostral Columns in St Petersburg. The flame on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island was lit on January 27 at 10:00 AM and will burn from 7:00 to 10:00 PM.