Defender of the Fatherland Day Celebrated at Kabardino-Balkarian State University

In the lead-up to February 23, events dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day were held at Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov.

The university’s administration and students gathered at the Monument to KBSU Faculty, Staff, and Students Who Died During the Great Patriotic War. Guests of the university included Timur Tkhagalegov, Member of the Kabardino-Balkarian Parliament and Chairman of the Regional Branch of the «VoIn» Organization of Military Disabled Persons; Mikhail Galushko, Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee of the Russian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan and the Second Military District, and member of the Kabardino-Balkarian Public Chamber; and Roman Kovalenko, a combat veteran and participant in the Second Military District. Those present laid flowers at the memorial.

The program of events continued with a concert. The presenters took the stage in military uniforms from 1918, 1945, and 2026, emphasizing the continuity of generations: from the Red Army to the modern Russian Armed Forces.

Khasan Shurdumov, Chairman of the KBSU Veterans Council, addressed the audience. He emphasized the importance of remembrance, support for active military personnel, and care for veterans of all generations.

«We bow our heads to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Sadly, there are very few of them left, and we must remember that they brought us Victory,» Shurdumov said. «Today we honor and thank the veterans of Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria. And, of course, special thanks go to the veterans of the special military operation. Thank you for your military service, your heroism, your heroism. I am confident that our guys, who are currently fulfilling their duty, will cope with the task and return victorious.»
The concert’s musical portion included both familiar tunes and new compositions. Honored Artist of the Republics of Adygea and Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Artur Dyshekov premiered the song «Tishe.» Soloists from the KBSU Song Theater «AmikS» performed a medley of wartime songs in three languages—Kabardin, Balkar, and Russian—followed by their version of Viktor Tsoi’s hit «Kukushka.» Artists from the KBSU Dance Theater «Kallisto» performed «Victory Waltz.»

The audience also watched a video for Artur Dyshekov’s song «Fight for Life.» Before this, German Shevchuk, head of the KBSU Center for Civic and Patriotic Education, a veteran of the Second Military District, and a member of the Kabardino-Balkarian Parliament, took the stage. He noted that the video was shot not by professional actors, but by real soldiers—his comrades in arms.

«This video isn’t about acting, it’s about the real us,» Shevchuk addressed the audience. «Every frame is a fragment from the lives of these guys who have endured difficult trials and never given up. My comrades in arms, Akhmed Kanukoyev and Aslan Zhashuyev, are also in the frame with me. We wanted the audience to see and feel what a soldier feels: the pain, the hope, and the faith that helps them return.»
The festive program concluded with a performance by the Russian National Guard’s military orchestra, conducted by Captain Pavel Krakhmalny.