THE ENSEMBLE PERFORMED IN THE ROSTOV REGION AT THE SOLEMN OPENING OF THE NATIONAL MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM COMPLEX "SAMBEKSKIE VYSOTY"

"The Sambek Heights" is another testament to the undying glory and heroism of our people in the Great Patriotic War. During the Soviet era, this chapter of military history was not often highlighted among the other significant events that shaped the course of the war and brought us closer to our Great Victory over the enemy.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Mius Front line, a German defensive line that the Red Army stormed in December 1941 and July 1942, but was only able to break through a year later during the Donbas Offensive in August 1943, was located in the Neklinovsky District of the Rostov Region. The Red Army suffered 800,000 casualties on this front, including 300,000 fatalities.

The grand opening ceremony of the museum complex in the Rostov Region took place on August 30, 2020.

Vladimir Gurb, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District, read out a welcoming telegram from President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to the participants of the opening ceremony of the Sambek Heights People's Military History Museum Complex of the Great Patriotic War.

In his welcoming telegram, the President of Russia noted that "the new museum and its educational, enlightening, and patriotic projects will arouse genuine interest among visitors of all generations and contribute to preserving our historical memory."

The Governor of the Volgograd Region, Andrey Bocharov, the Governor of the Rostov Region, Vasily Golubev, representatives of the federal executive authorities, and guests of honor, together with other participants of the commemorative event, paid their respects to the defenders of the Motherland by laying flowers at the Eternal Flame of the Memorial of Glory to the Heroes of the Breakthrough of the Mius Front and the Liberation of the City of Taganrog, and also visited the museum complex.

Construction of the museum complex began in 2018. It was primarily funded by public donations. The historical complex is located near the Memorial of Glory, dedicated to the breakthrough of the German "Mius Front." The open-air museum features 10 exhibition halls, a conference hall, a storage facility, and an interactive outdoor area with military equipment from the Great Patriotic War. The complex also includes a chapel, the "Cranes" stele, and an outdoor amphitheater. One of the main components of the museum is modern multimedia equipment that reproduces fragments of historical events with video and audio effects.

The Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova, representatives of federal ministries and agencies, representatives of the authorities of the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, home front workers, and representatives of public organizations of the Rostov Region took part in the solemn commemorative events. Among the guests of the holiday are representatives of different generations: both those who participated in the distant military events, and those who know about the war from films, books, and the memoirs of contemporaries.

On the occasion of the memorial's opening, the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation performed under the direction of its artistic director and chief conductor, People's Artist of Russia, Major General Viktor Eliseev.

Natalia Eliseeva, the ensemble's soloist and Honored Artist of Russia, performed the songs "You, My Russia" (music by S. Tulikov, lyrics by S. Ostrovoy), "A Snow-White Cherry Blossomed Under the Window" (music by M. Chumakov, lyrics by V. Burygin), and a medley of Leonid Utyosov's songs.

The audience warmly welcomed the performance by the ensemble's soloist, Natalia Eliseeva, and the renowned musical group.

Among the honorary guests at the opening ceremony of the museum complex was Grigory Petrovich Fomenko, an outstanding Soviet and Russian military leader and Lieutenant General.

At the end of the performance by the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, a meeting was held between the ensemble's director, Major General Viktor Eliseev, and Lieutenant General Grigory Fomenko. Two generals, two legendary lives. They share a long-standing friendship.

Lieutenant General Grigory Fomenko, a veteran of internal service, a participant in the events of maintaining law and order in the republics of Transcaucasia and Central Asia of the USSR, the Ossetian-Ingush and Chechen military conflicts, was the military commandant of Chechnya for many years. The Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, led by Major General Viktor Eliseev, often performed in hot spots at the location of internal troops units, commanded by Lieutenant General Grigory Fomenko. Since then, this strong male friendship has developed.

Festivities and veterans' gatherings continued into the evening. A celebratory fireworks display took place at 20:00.