BREST, 15 November (BelTA) – The Brest city administration hosted a delegation of the Latvian association "Republican Society of Veterans”, BelTA has learned.
Welcoming the guests, Brest Mayor Aleksandr Rogachuk spoke about the civic position of the organization's activists. "Frankly, I doubted that you would make it to Brest. In the current political situation, this can be considered a feat," the mayor said. He personally welcomed each of the eight members of the delegation and expressed the hope that their stay in Brest would be fruitful.
According to Ilgarts Zeiberts, a member of the board of the Latvian association "Republican Society of Veterans", its representatives came to Brest to sign a cooperation agreement with the city council of veterans. "The goal is to exchange experience, to develop cultural relations. We want to maintain normal, good-neighborly relations, to communicate with each other so that friendship does not stop," the head of the delegation said.
The Latvian veteran organization consists of more than 300 people. These are mainly veterans of the Armed Forces, widows of officers of the Soviet army, former juvenile prisoners of fascism. One of them is Alisa Galileeva, a native of Vitebsk. In February 1943, at the age of four, she and her brother and sister were taken to the Salaspils concentration camp, and from there to Germany. Their parents were shot by the Germans for their association with the partisans. After the war, she moved with relatives to Latvia, but she tries not to lose touch with her homeland.
"Belarus is my homeland and Belarusians are my dear people wherever I meet them. At one time I traveled a lot. I was in Cuba, India, Lake Baikal, Lake Issyk-Kul. But this is my first time in Brest. Amazing city! The architecture is amazing, many beautiful buildings. It would be good to visit here in the summer or spring. People are the kindest," she shared her impressions.
The Latvian veterans will stay in Brest Oblast until Friday. They are set to visit Brest Fortress and Berestye Museum, Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Niemcewicz Estate Museum in the village of Skoki. The guests from Riga will attend a performance at the Academic Drama Theater, see the Brest tradition of lighting street lamps and meet with like-minded people from the city veteran organization.
