A regimental celebration was held in Bendery in honor of the 227th anniversary of the formation of the 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment, a military unit whose history is closely linked to Pridnestrovie.
The regiment was created in 1798, and it received the name Podolsk in 1811. Its soldiers and officers participated in the Patriotic War of 1812 as part of General Peter Wittgenstein's corps, fought against Napoleon's troops, showed courage in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 during the defense of the Shipka Pass, and distinguished themselves in the Russo-Japanese War in the Battle of Sandepu. Natives of Pridnestrovie were among the regiment's soldiers. The last commander was Isai Parfelyuk from the village of Kitskany. The regiment was stationed in Bendery for a long period of time. Military parades were held here, the oath was taken, holidays were celebrated, and a regimental church in honor of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky operated.
The 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment, like other units of the old army, was disbanded after the revolution of 1917, but the memory of it was preserved. The tradition of annually honoring the heroes of the past was revived on the initiative of the President of the PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky. The date of the holiday was not chosen by chance: the Orthodox Church celebrates on August 29 the day of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and this is the patronal feast of the field church of the 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment.
The Head of the Pridnestrovian state, heads of government and administration bodies, military personnel, clergy, Bendery residents and guests of the city gathered today at the Military Historical and Memorial Complex, where soldiers of the Russian army who died in the wars of the 18th-20th centuries are buried. Addressing the participants of the memorial event, Vadim Krasnoselsky recalled that the Bendery necropolis became the final resting place of soldiers and officers of one hundred and fifty different regiments. According to the President, the military-historical complex of Bendery is a reflection of the military history of Russia and the Pridnestrovian land. Vadim Krasnoselsky noted that holding a regimental holiday and participating in such events is the preservation of historical memory and a unifying factor, the importance of which cannot be overestimated in the current geopolitical realities. The President wished modern defenders of the Fatherland to be worthy successors of the glorious traditions of heroic ancestors, and peace to all Pridnestrovians. Archbishop Sawa of Tiraspol and Dubossary held a prayer service in memory of the soldiers of different eras who gave their lives defending the Pridnestrovian land. The service was held at the church, which bears the name of the Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands, as once the regimental church of the 55th Podolsk Regiment. A ceremony of laying flowers at the Orthodox and Cossack crosses installed on the territory of the memorial complex took place afterwards. The procession went to the monument to the defenders of Pridnestrovie who died in 1992.
The event continued at the monument to Russian military glory, where a funeral litiya was held. Those present laid flowers at the obelisk installed in 1912. This monument, called "The Eagle" by the townspeople, was erected with funds from soldiers and officers of the imperial army. There is an inscription on its granite slabs: "Descendants to valiant ancestors. From the 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment".
The celebration ended with a prayer service in the Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, located near the citadel of the Bendery fortress. They prayed for the repose of all the soldiers who defended their native land and became an example of courage, loyalty and love for the Fatherland for their descendants.
