MINSK, 5 May (BelTA) – I feel great respect for the way Belarus keep the memory of the war alive, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Belarus Ermek Ibraimov told reporters, BelTA has learned.
“I keep saying that I feel great respect for the way Belarus preserves the memory of the war. It makes a strong impression on me," Ambassador Ermek Ibraimov said.
On 5 May, the ambassador took part in a solemn ceremony of laying flowers at the Monument to Hero of the Soviet Union Jumash Asanaliev who committed a feat on a battlefield during Belarus' liberation operation in 1944. “One day, driving by, I stopped to look at the monument and was pleasantly surprised at the way local utility services and residents of nearby houses look after it. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to Belarus for preserving this memory," he said. “Kyrgyzstan also cherishes the memory of the Great Patriotic War. We honor our veterans and 9 May is a sacred holiday for us,” the diplomat said.
The monument to Hero of the Soviet Union Jumash Asanaliev was unveiled on 1 July 2005 at the initiative of the Kyrgyz Embassy in Belarus.
Jumash Asanaliev (10 May 1923 – 25 June 1944) was a machine gunner with the 199th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 67th Guards Rifle Division of the 6th Guards Army of the 1st Baltic Front. In a battle near the village of Labeiki, Vitebsk Oblast, on 25 June 1944, his crew was killed by an enemy mine. Left alone, Jumash Asanaliev continued to fight. When the enemy came very close, he drew his machine gun close to him, got down on his knees and pulled the pin of the last anti-tank grenade blowing himself up and approaching Nazi soldiers. Posthumously he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
