On the eve of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the great Patriotic war, the newspaper “Neutral Turkmenistan” published an article by Alexander Blokhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan. We publish the text of his speech below.

On the day of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the great Patriotic war, we remember with gratitude the unparalleled heroism of our ancestors who selflessly defended the freedom of their native land and saved the world from the fascist hegemony.

The great Victory is the common history of our fraternal peoples, including Russia and Turkmenistan, who fought shoulder to shoulder against the enemy and at the cost of huge human sacrifices gave a peaceful future to future generations. Victory day is forever inscribed in the history of our States, which always honor the traditions and values of patriotism, which for many centuries fed the spirituality of Russian and Turkmen society. Turkmen soldiers fought bravely at all times. They also showed incredible courage during the great Patriotic war.

The life path of front-line soldiers is an example of true patriotism, courage, bravery and selfless service to the Fatherland. About 300 thousand Turkmen soldiers passed through the military tests, more than 130 thousand of them were awarded orders and medals. 104 residents of Turkmenistan became Heroes of the Soviet Union, 15-full holders of the order of Glory. tens of thousands fell in battle, defending the common world of their own valuable life. Among the veterans were Berdimuhamed Annayev, the grandfather of the esteemed President of Turkmenistan for his personal courage and bravery shown in defending the Fatherland and the performance of military duty during the great Patriotic war, was posthumously awarded the medal "For bravery" decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

Turkmen soldiers fought on many fronts of the great Patriotic war-at Moscow, at Stalingrad, in the Caucasus, on the Kursk bulge, in Ukraine, in Eastern Europe and in Germany. The 87th Turkmen rifle brigade, the 97th and 98th Turkmen cavalry divisions were established here, and the 53rd Independent Central Asian army was based there. Its successful actions ensured calm on the southern borders of the country during the most difficult months of the war.

During the war, Turkmenistan was both a front-line region and a land of labor valor, where victory was forged in the rear. the uninterrupted operation of the Ashgabat railway and the Krasnovodsk port, which provided military transport in late 1942 and early 1943, contributed to the defeat of the Nazis at Stalingrad and the expulsion of the enemy from the North Caucasus. Oilmen of Turkmenistan, showing labor heroism, continuously supplied the front and the national economy of the country with fuel. During the war, the output of heavy industry in the Republic increased significantly.

165 thousand people who later joined the ranks of the red Army received military training here. By August 1943, 32,308 citizens who had been evacuated from the frontline and occupied regions arrived in Turkmenistan, including the future academician A.D. Sakharov.

With the participation of evacuated specialists, research in physics, chemistry, Agro chemistry and biochemistry was developed in Turkmenistan. Cultural figures worked here — the “Mosfilm” film Studio was also evacuated to Ashgabat.

Turkmenistan endured all the hardships of the war at the front and in the rear and made a worthy contribution to the fight against Nazism.

The dates of the most destructive and bloody war in the history of mankind go further into history, but the memory of the heroes who saved the world from fascism will live forever. Russia appreciates that modern Turkmenistan preserves the historical memory of the joint struggle against a common enemy, notes the careful attitude to war memorials and graves of dead soldiers, and the well-deserved respect that veterans of the front and home front workers are surrounded by here. Heavy trials brought our peoples closer together. We honor the traditions of good friendship and mutual assistance bequeathed by our ancestors, which helped us to achieve a great Victory together. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Great Patriotic war "left a deep mark on the fate of the peoples of the Soviet Union and the fate of the peoples of the Russian Federation, inseparable from the history of every Russian family. This is the basis of what we have done and will continue to do, namely, to protect the historical truth, to protect the names of our heroes."

It was the lessons of this terrible war that formed the basis of the modern world order and determined the need to settle all international differences on the basis of the principles of international law.

Today, more than ever, we are aware of the fragility of peace and the importance of these eternal values, which were confirmed by the creation of the United Nations in 1945 to maintain international peace and security and save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

This year, friendly Turkmenistan is also celebrating another anniversary - the 25th anniversary of the recognition of Turkmenistan by the United Nations as a permanently neutral state, whose foreign policy is based on the principles of good — neighborliness-the global recognition of the country's peacekeeping potential and significant role in strengthening economic, social, cultural and environmental cooperation in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region. Constructive and balanced approaches of neutral Turkmenistan to global processes contribute to strengthening the atmosphere of mutual trust and respect for the interests of all States and peoples.

Russia supports the country's peace-loving foreign policy pursued by the highly respected President G. M. Berdimuhamedov, as well as the important role that Ashgabat plays in strengthening peace on a regional and global scale.

I am sure that the unbreakable ties of friendship, hardened during the years of severe trials, will guarantee the further progressive development of the strategic partnership between Russia and Turkmenistan in the interests of the peoples of our countries.