Memory that was preserved: a restored monument to Ivan Panfilov was unveiled in Panfilovsky

In the village of Panfilovskoye, Chui region, the grand opening of the restored monument to the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Ivan Panfilov took place. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the authorities of Kyrgyzstan and Russia, diplomats, public figures, veterans, students and residents of the region.The project to restore the memorial was implemented by the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University with the support of the Panfilov regional akimiat, the investment fund Central Asia Capital, as well as a foundry «Dubrovin», whose specialists restored the monument and restored its historical appearance.The ceremony began with the opening of the monument and the laying of flowers. The memory of the victims was honored with a minute of silence. During the event, the national anthems of Kyrgyzstan and Russia were played, as well as songs of the war years and «Victory Waltz».Speaking to the ceremony participants, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kyrgyz Republic Sergei Vakunov emphasized the importance of preserving common historical memory and recalled the contribution of Kyrgyzstanis to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.«The Kyrgyz Republic sent 360 thousand of its fighters to the front. One third of them did not return 74 Kyrgyzstanis became Heroes of the Soviet Union. This is a very high price that Soviet Kyrgyzstan paid for the Victory», — the diplomat noted.Speaking about the feat of the soldiers of the Panfilov division, Sergei Vakunov emphasized:«Either forget, or remember and thank you for the fact that you and I live. Today we are unveiling a restored monument to the hero. Somewhere such monuments are being demolished, but we preserve our history and memory of those who defended the Motherland».The granddaughter of General Panfilov, deputy head of the National Military-Patriotic Center of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alua Baikadamova, noted that the restored memorial is a symbol of memory of all defenders of Moscow.«This is a memory not only of General Panfilov, but also of everyone who defended Moscow at the cost of their lives and their health», she said.Advisor to the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Chui region Samat Kozhobergenov emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory for future generations.«We must do this so that our children and the future generation are as proud of their ancestors as we are», — he noted.Rector of KRSU Sergei Volkov said that the initiative to restore the monument began after a meeting with university student activists.«KRSU student Maxim Belov drew attention to the condition of the monument and invited the university to begin restoring it. From that moment on, a lot of joint work began», — Volkov noted.On March 12, 2025, the rector of KRSU publicly appealed to the public to pay attention to the condition of the monument and support its restoration.«History cannot be cut down with an ax — memory must live!» — with this appeal, Sergei Volkov called on caring people and companies to join the restoration of the memorial.As part of the project, a comprehensive restoration of the monument and landscaping of the surrounding area were carried out. The square has lighting and benches, sports and children's playgrounds. According to the rector of KRSU Sergei Volkov, the development of the memorial complex in Panfilovsky will continue. It is planned to install samples of military equipment from the Great Patriotic War on the territory, as well as move the monument «No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten» to the memorial.The monument to Ivan Panfilov was erected in the village of Panfilovskoye in 1972 on the initiative of local residents. The memorial was created with public funds in memory of relatives who died during the Great Patriotic War. The author of the monument was Moscow sculptor Eduard Barclay. The history of the formation of the 316th Infantry Division under the command of Ivan Panfilov —it was from here that some of the fighters went to the front is also connected with the village of Panfilovskoye.