SPbGASU representatives took part in events dedicated to the eightieth anniversary of the full liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi blockade.

On the morning of 27 January, the rector of our university, Evgeny Rybnov, joined the solemn funeral ceremony of laying flowers at the Piskarevskoye memorial cemetery.

Later, he led the SPbGASU delegation at the requiem concert held at the Gazprom Arena stadium. The presence at this event was an honor for our university, because representatives of those organizations and enterprises were invited who, during the years of the blockade and after its lifting, took an active part in saving and restoring the city. The concert was also attended by Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Sergey Mikhailov, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy Irina Lugovskaia, deans of faculties, teachers and staff of the university, members of the student council and other students.

A minute of silence in memory of the fallen was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who attended the event along with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. The head of the Russian state noted that the struggle and courage of the Leningraders, as well as the victory, “will forever remain one of the most tragic, but also the most triumphant pages in the history of our country, and the whole world.”

A large-scale requiem concert with the participation of leading Russian artists attracted more than 40 thousand spectators.

Speaking about the significance of the memorable date, Irina Lugovskaia noted: “This is a sacred date for us, and, of course, the 80th anniversary should have been celebrated on such a large scale - as a tribute to memory, respect, gratitude to everyone who survived and preserved the city. In addition, this and other events that took place at the end of January in the city on the Neva and throughout the country are very important for those generations who were born much later than the end of the war - for our youth. In the words of the poet, “it’s not the dead who need this! It’s the living who need it!”

“The event was primarily remembered for its scale and level of preparation, as well as the elaboration of the script and the brilliant performances of the best Russian artists. The significance of the date is that it is a reminder for us of the importance of preserving humanity, kindness and devotion to their homeland - qualities that were shown by the residents of besieged Leningrad,” noted Leonid Nikolaev, chairman of the SPbGASU Student Council, on behalf of the students.