The 9th of May is a holiday that is very close to every citizen of the country. Now it’s already 71 years as Russia is living under peaceful sky thanks to the heroism of soldiers and officers who participated in warfare, as well as all those who selflessly fought for the victory in the rear.

On the eve of May 9 MEPhI with the active support of the Council of veterans has held a number of solemn events dedicated to this significant event.

On May 3, 2016 a celebration “Preserving Memory” was held in the Poklonnaya Gora park. There were competitions on military-applied sports; the Museum of the Great Patriotic war held a meeting with veterans; children laid flowers to the monument in the Hall of Fame and the Hall of Sorrow.

On the 4th of May the delegation of MEPhI students, faculty and staff traditionally made a visit in city Naro-Fomisk with laying flowers to the monument to Komsomol members who died in the battle for this city. The monument was erected in October of 1967 on the initiative of the MEPhI students. In 2009 Naro-Fominsk was awarded the honorary title “City of military glory”.

On the 5th of May students, cadets of the Military Department and staff of the University laid flowers to the Tomb of the Unknown soldier in the Alexander garden near the Kremlin walls in memory of the fallen in the Great Patriotic war.

After that MEPhI held a meeting dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the Great Victory. Veterans, representatives of the administration, lecturers, University staff along with students, postgraduates stood in line. It is they, the youth, who will preserve historical memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against the enemy, and pass it on to future generations.

Time is inexorable, and every year there is less and less of those who personally faced the horrors of war and looked in the eyes of death, who bravely fought for their country and survived in a terrible war. On this day the staff of the University thanked one of the few veterans of the war – MEPhI Professor Aleksandr Sergeevich Lukin, who was awarded the Order of the Red Star, the medal “For military merit” and jubilee medals.

Unfortunately, there are also fewer so-called “children of war” – generation of people who is the binding thread between those who fought and those who were born already after the war. One of them is thane employee of MEPhI V.V. Isachenko, who shared his memories fr om the childhood.

On the same day the veterans together with University students planted an alley of cherry and apple trees.

The event was continued with a festive concert, wh ere an Honored artist of the Russian Federation, the leading soloist of the Bolshoi theatre Yury Nechaev and soloist of the Bolshoi theatre, laureate of international competitions Natalia Levitina performed wartime songs and songs-congratulations devoted to the national holiday of Victory in the Great Patriotic war.

On May 6 the delegation of MEPhI laid wreaths to the monument of Soviet Union Marshal G.K. Zhukov at the metro station “Kashirskaya”. By the long tradition students of the Military Training Department with a copy of the Victory banner and the flag of MEPhI lined up around the monument to the Soviet commander in the guard of honour.