The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko with his wife Maryna Poroshenko in Day of memory and reconciliation, took part in the opening of the exhibition “the Fourth generation”, which presents 16 portraits of the Ukrainian military, along with photos of their relatives who fought against Nazism.
The head of state called unconditional feat of the Ukrainian people and a great contribution to the victory of anti-Hitler coalition in world war II, expressing respect to all the fighters against Nazism. “When our grandfathers and great-grandfathers in the 44th and 45th were advancing on Berlin, they had no idea, and in my wildest dreams to imagine that seventy years after his troops send to Ukraine Moscow. And will kill their grandchildren,” — said Petro Poroshenko.
The President has noticed that the portraits presented at the exhibition, depicts the faces of warriors APU — modern fighters for Ukraine, brave people and patriots, whose views are full of pride for belonging to the glorious cohort of defenders of their land. “Pictures of ancestors, who they hold in their hands, testify that to be a warrior, a defender of the Fatherland — a tradition that has long been revered by the Ukrainian people”, — said the head of state. He thanked the photographers for the high quality work of art.
Petro Poroshenko emphasized that “the”Fourth generation” — children of an independent Ukraine, those who are now 20-30 years old. It is the young flower of the nation. These are people who, mindful of their courageous ancestors, to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression. This generation, our modern heroes, who every day write the pages of history, writing with their blood, then. It is the “fourth generation”, now took up arms to save their country, encourages us again and again to browse the pages to learn and remember the lessons of the past and to honor the real heroes”.
The President noted that the photo exhibition “the Fourth generation” should be taken as a symbol of the indissoluble connection generations of defenders of Ukraine. “Today, defending the Motherland the descendants of the soldiers and the red army and the Ukrainian insurgent army (UPA prohibited in Russia, an organization — approx. ed.). They respect their grandfathers and great grandfathers. And those already in heaven must be very proud of the current generation of defenders. It is important to realize that a Day of remembrance and reconciliation this relationship is inextricable,” said Petro Poroshenko.
***
In his Twitter Poroshenko congratulated UPA fighters with a victory over the Third Reich. Glory to the veterans of the red army and the guerrilla movement! Glory to soldiers of the UPA and all the participants of national liberation movements! Thanks to all who defended Ukraine from the aggression of the Third Reich!” — he wrote.
Thank veterans Chervona an automated workplace . . partizanskogo the movement!
Glory to the UPA fighters that everyone knows, what does the participants of the national vizvolny zmagan!
— Petro Poroshenko (@Poroshenko) on may 8, 2017
***
He added that currently in Europe back to war. “Modern Russia as the successor state to the Soviet Union, could not and did not become a peace-loving nation. Remember the Moldovan Transdniestria, Georgian Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Ukrainian Crimea and Donbass. And Syria, she does not sleep. Imagine all this for only 25 years of existence of the Russian Federation. And before that it was Afghanistan in ’79, Czechoslovakia and Prague’ 68, Budapest, Hungary in 56-m,” said the President.
The head of state reminded that today with the removal of the epaulets and sketch paint tail numbers of tanks and armored vehicles of the Russian military in secret, under cover of night, cross the border of Ukraine in order without names, documents, uniform burn of the Ukrainian land and fill it with blood. “Right now the Ukrainian military is an honorable duty. But to be the Russian military means to carry out the orders of the state, which does not value the lives of their warriors without a twinge of conscience renounces their dead and wounded,” — said the President.
At the exhibition, in particular, presents a photo of Lieutenant Bogdan Worlds with a portrait of his great-grandfather, Nicholas Rostov, who fought against Nazism in the UPA. Addressing the meeting, the Ukrainian soldier said: “it So happened that for several centuries we are fighting with those who called themselves brother. We are at war with the state, which is an example of disgusting hypocrisy”. “To the blood that was shed for our Holy land, were not useless, we have only one way — to go only forward, only victory,” — he stressed.
Another one of the photos defenders — Junior Sergeant Alexei Vorobyov, who took part in the liberation of Slavyansk in 2014 and received the order “For courage”. His great-grandfather Vladimir Pishenin in the ranks of the red army took Berlin and fought in the far East against Japan.
Presidential couple visited the exhibition and talked with the military, pictures of which are presented in the exhibition. Heroes of portraits told stories of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers who fought with the Nazis more than 70 years ago.
Photo exhibition “Fourth generation” is located in the National Museum of history of Ukraine during world war II. Photos of the Ukrainian soldiers taken by photographer Roman Nikolayev in collaboration with photographer Sergey Lebedev.
