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Russia's Vladivostok awards memorial medals to WWII veterans

Xinhua, March 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday started to award memorial medals to war veterans to mark the 70th anniversary of the May 9, 1945 victory in World War II (WWII).

The head of Vladivostok's Pervorechenskiy district, Aleksander Zhirnov, handed the memorial medals marking the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day to 91-year-old Vasily Zinenko and his wife, 90-year-old Ekaterina Zinenko.

"These medals were established according to the Russian president's decree of Dec. 21, 2013," Zhirnov said, adding "on behalf of the Vladivostok mayor, I proudly hand them to you and praise your heroic deeds for our country. I wish you a long life and hope to see you at the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day."

Pervorechenskiy Veterans Council Chairman Ivan Panasyuk presented flowers to veterans, who wore uniforms with medals granted.

Ekaterina Zinenko recalled her experience in 1945, when she moved to the Soviet Far East with an army field hospital.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Konovalov, deputy chairman of the Pervorechenskiy Veterans Council, told Xinhua that there are 183 WWII veterans in the district and that some 150 of them fought Japanese aggressor troops in China.

Prior to the Victory Day celebrations this year, memorial medals awarding ceremonies are to be held around Russia. Some 4,000 war veterans are to receive medals within two months in Vladivostok.

Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9 every year to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII.Endi