Against the background of attempts to distort and forget the Great Victory of the peoples of the Soviet Union over German Nazism, it is more important than ever to remember and honor the heroes who, at the cost of incredible hardships and their own lives, defended our independence and saved the world from the threat of fascist enslavement.
Veterans of the Great Patriotic War Vazgen Matsakovich Avetikyan and Vladimir Romanovich Rapatsky, who live in Armenia and celebrated their significant anniversaries this December, are worthy of imitation.
V.M.Avetikyan turned 100 on December 10, 2024. He grew up in a large family and was drafted into the Red Army in 1942. He served as a machine gunner in the ranks of the 110th Infantry Regiment of the Transcaucasian Front. Numerous relatives and friends, representatives of the Marshal I.H. Baghramyan Veterans Association and the Immortal Regiment–Armenia movement gathered together with Russian diplomats to congratulate the hero of the day, who lives in Vanadzor.
Vladimir Rapatsky turned 95 on December 16, 2024. Being an orphan, in 1942 he was evacuated to the Orenburg region, from where he escaped to the front and joined a military band in Moscow. As part of the 22nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st Ukrainian Front, he took part in the liberation of the territories of Ukraine and Czechoslovakia. The veteran still teaches at the M.Tavrizyan Vanadzor State College of Arts. In honor of the anniversary, diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Armenia presented Vladimir Rapatsky with congratulations from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
We wish all veterans of the Great Patriotic War the best of health and good spirits!
Source О поздравлении ветеранов с юбилеями – Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации
