On the eve of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and the 76th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II, teachers, staff, students and cadets of the Institute of Special Communication and Information Protection of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" honoured memory of their predecessors who did not return from that war.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the events, as last year, were held in a somewhat concise format - without the usual procedures in the meeting room of the Academic Council, greetings, memories, awards, concerts, gifts to veterans. Of course, fewer people took part in them than usual. However, they did not become less sincere. And just as always, the moment of silence of the participants of the celebrations to honour our compatriots who died in the Second World War was heartbreaking.
During flower-laying ceremony at the monument to Kyiv Polytechnicians who died on the fields of World War II, the rector of the University, Michael Zgurovsky said that more than 800 students and staff of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute fought on the fronts of the Second World War. 163 of them did not return from the war - they died or went missing. Their names are on bronze slabs at the foot of the monument. And above the plates the inscription "To courageous. Dedicated. Invincible.”
It is from this place that the celebrations of Remembrance and Reconciliation Day have traditionally begun for many years. However, in recent years, their participants have carried their flowers to another monument erected near the University Church of St. Nicholas, a monument-stele to Kyiv polytechnics who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine recently - in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Almost all of them voluntarily defended the Motherland. "Fourteen Kyiv polytechnics - students and staff - died defending the Motherland in this war, four of them were awarded with the title of Hero of Ukraine," Michael Zgurovsky reminded after laying flowers. - We are grateful to them for being able to work freely and build our country… Deep respect to our colleagues who gave their lives for our Motherland."