The message reads, in part:
“The convention is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad, a key event of the Great Patriotic War. No other city endured such a brutal and torturous ordeal. However, the people of Leningrad continued to fight and persevere. The memory of this feat is sacred, and that is why the meeting that brings together war veterans, descendants of Leningrad’s defenders and residents of that time, researchers and experts holds special moral significance. Its aim is to preserve historical truth, to educate young people by introducing them to the heroic chapters of our Fatherland’s military history, which includes the histories of our families and will forever preserve the great biographies of the Victors’ generation.
I sincerely thank all the dedicated people who organised and supported the project ‘Grandchildren of Victory: Leningrad’ for their civic patriotic stance.”