Sergey Aksyonov: “The Nazis and their accomplices failed to break the spirit of the Simferopol residents, to undermine their faith in victory”

“I had to free many different cities, but I don’t remember such a meeting anywhere. We were so met! The day was warm, sunny. The people dumped into the streets and filled all the sidewalks «. So recalls the day on April 13, 1944, one of the liberators of Simferopol Nikolay Potapov.

And already in the evening, Moscow saluted the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front twenty artillery volleys of 224 guns in honor of the liberation of the capital of Crimea.

Behind there were 865 days of fear and pain, destruction and death. It is enough to say that according to the Extraordinary State Commission, which investigated the crimes of the Nazi invaders, the population of Simferopol decreased by more than doubled during the occupation-from 150 thousand to 67,319 people.

But the Nazis and their accomplices failed to break the spirit of our countrymen, to undermine their faith in victory. Partisans and underground workers fought with the Nazis from the first to the last days of the occupation, made a huge contribution to the victory over the enemy.

The events of those days are reminiscent of the T-34 monument with the on-board number 201 in the center of Simferopol. He was among the first to burst into the city in April forty -fourth. And almost 70 years later, in the days of the Crimean spring, the formation of the People’s militia of Crimea began here. The Crimeans actually proved that they are worthy heirs of the winners.

Happy holiday, friends! — The congratulation of the head of Crimea says.

Source: Information and press service of the Head of the Republic of Crimea