A solemn ceremony dedicated to the opening of the monument to Soviet-French Normandie-Niemen squadron was held on August 8th 2015. Pavel Konkov, the governor of Ivanovo Region, took part in the ceremony, IA REGNUM reports with reference to the press-service of the Ivanovo Region government. Representatives of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Culture and Embassy of France in Russia also participated in the ceremony.
The monument was erected in a park near school No.56 on Lezhnevskaya Street in Ivanovo. In March 1942 French Committee of National Liberation “Fighting France” offered the Soviet authorities to send a group of French pilots and aircraft mechanics to USSR in order to fight Nazi Germany.
In November 1942 the agreement between USSR and France on establishing the squadron in the territory of USSR was signed. The squadron was formed in Ivanovo in December 1942. In accordance with the wish of the members of this squadron, it was named “Normandie” in honor of French province, which suffered the most from German army. On November 28th 1944 in accordance with the order of Stalin the regiment was awarded with the title “Nemanski” for courage demonstrated during liberation of Lithuania and cutting across Neman River. Since that time the regiment was named “Normandie-Niemen”. 13 citizens of Ivanovo were members of the Normandie-Niemen.
We remind you that the memorial includes two persons – pilot and aircraft mechanic. The persons are made of bronze and the pedestal is made of natural stone. Surnames of all the French pilots and Russian mechanics of the squadron are engraved on the pedestal (in Russian and French languages). The composition of the monument has something in common with the one installed in Le Bourget (also dedicated to Russian-French brotherhood in arms), which was opened in September 2006.
