Memorial to Russians who fought in Afghanistan erected in Western Siberia

A memorial, devoted to the warriors who had taken part in the Afghan civil war of 1979-1989 on the side of the pro-Soviet Communist regime as part of, as was said then, the limited contingent of Soviet internationalist warriors, opened in Tyumen (administrative center of the eponymous region in Western Siberia).

November 2 is the Day for special commemoration of warriors /the so-called St Demetricus' Day/. It was established by the Great Prince Dimitry Donskoy in commemoration of Russian warriors who had perished in the Battle of Kulikovo with Mongolo-Tatars in 1380. Liturgies are served in Russian Orthodox churches on this day.

The Znamensky Cathedral first held a dirge for the dead, and then the ceremony of opening a memorial to "Afghan" warriors took place in a park near an arts college. The Afghan veteran charity fund "Shuravi" members think the new memorial is unique.

It represents an architectural composition of ten pillars, which symbolize the ten years of war, and sculptures the height of up to three meters. Marble plates contain engraved names of the 110 Tyumen residents who perished in the war.