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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Dear friends,

It is an excellent and important event that has brought us together today. This event has to do with difficult but at the same time glorious pages in our history. Today, here in the Kremlin, the documents conferring the lofty title of ‘City of Military Glory’ are being presented. This honorary and long-awaited title is being deservedly conferred on three of our towns: Velikie Luki, Veliky Novgorod, and Dmitrov.

During the terrible and fateful years for our country, it was the people of these towns who were the first to rise up and block the enemy’s way, selflessly rebuilt their land in the difficult post-war years, and always lovingly preserved the memory of the heroes of our Fatherland who fought in these places.

From the moment of its founding, Veliky Novgorod has been one of the advance posts of the Russian state’s development on its western borders, and has stood firmly in the way of invaders. It was here, at the walls of the St Sophia Cathedral, that Alexander Nevsky spoke his famous words, “Whoever comes to us by the sword shall perish by the sword”. From generation to generation for more than 1,000 years Veliky Novgorod has handed down the glory of Russia’s military traditions, and during the Great Patriotic War it was true to its earlier military glory. Fighting bloody defensive battles, the city’s defenders succeeded in stopping the advance of Hitler’s army and won the precious time needed to prepare for the defence of Leningrad.

Velikie Luky was one of the strongest fortresses guarding ancient Russia’s north-western borders. The town’s name has been immortalised in our country’s military chronicles in a whole number of very important battles, including the battle of Velikie Luki, which became one of the heroic pages of the Great Patriotic War. In this battle, Russia’s defenders managed to halt for a long time elite Wehrmacht divisions that were trying to advance towards Moscow.

The third town that has received this honorary title is the ancient town of Dmitrov, not far from the Russian capital. Dmitrov has known many dramatic milestones in its history. One dates back to the invasion of Bati Khan in the XIII century, when the town was captured and its people preferred to die rather than submit to the enemy. During the Great Patriotic War, Dmitrov again became a symbol of military honour and courage. Its defenders had to fight with selfless bravery superior enemy forces that were trying to encircle Moscow, but the enemy forces did not succeed in taking the town. Our soldiers managed to stay ahead of the enemy and keep the strategic initiative in their hands. Essentially, it was then, during the first days of the war, that the myth of the Nazis’ invincibility was debunked.

Dear friends, there are many truly heroic towns in Russia that have made an important contribution to the military and labour chronicles of our country and helped achieve the Great Victory of 1945.

Above all, I want to express my thanks to the main heroes of today’s ceremony – the veterans of the Great Patriotic War. You laid at that time the great solid foundation that went on to serve as the basis for the country’s reconstruction and development. Your moral strength has always been and will always remain a support pillar for our country and a powerful incentive for constructive work to revive our country and develop it in the years and decades to come.

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you, dear veterans, and thank everyone here, all the people of our towns that have received the title ‘City of Military of Glory’, and wish you all health, long life, and success.

***

Dear friends,

This ceremony is perhaps not very long, but it reminds us all and proves once again that these great pages in our country’s history will never lose their lustre. We honour and remember them, and this is the symbolic meaning behind the act of presenting the documents conferring the title of ‘City of Military Glory’ that has just taken place.

I think that for every resident of Veliky Novgorod, Velikie Luki and Dmitrov, this is not just an act of recognition on the part of the country’s leadership, not just a ceremony here in the Kremlin, but also an affirmation of the spirit and pride that each of us feels for their native city.

We realise that the conferral of honorary titles does not transform our towns into flourishing centres. This is long and difficult work from one day to the next. But I am nonetheless absolutely certain, and hope that the mayors and governors here today share my view, that the cities of military glory should be exemplary cities that offer their people a comfortable life, well looked after and maintained cities that care for the older generation, the pensioners and the Great Patriotic War veterans.

The conferral of these documents should therefore be followed by ongoing regular work to rebuild these cities. I am sure that if we work as we should, these towns will indeed fully measure up to the great feats of their past.

Allow me once more to congratulate you all, and especially the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, and all the residents of Veliky Novgorod, Velikie Luki and Dmitrov on the conferral of the honorary title of ‘City of Military Glory’.