On 14 July, South Ossetia celebrates Peacekeeper’s Day. On this day, 29 years ago, on the basis of the four-sided (Russia, Georgia, North and South Ossetia) Agreement “On the principles of the settlement of Georgian-Ossetian conflict” signed in Sochi on June 24, 1992, the Joint Support Forces were introduced into the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, who contributed to the suspension of the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia and for many years became the guarantor of peace and tranquility in the region.
In August 2008, the peacekeeper’s bases became one of the main and priority targets that were aimed by the Georgian army. Despite significant losses, they remained in their post to the end and honorably fulfilled their duty.
Today the names of the fallen heroes-peacekeepers were remembered in the Republic.
A flower-laying ceremony was held at the Monument of the Defenders of the Fatherland, the Poklonny Cross at the walls of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s barracks that burned down in 2008, the monument to Hero of Russia Denis Vetchinov, the monument to the fallen peacekeepers on the territory of the Border Directorate of the FSB of the Russian Federation in the Republic of South Ossetia, the Stele in memory of soldiers and officers of the peacekeeping forces.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the leadership of the Republic, headed by the President of South Ossetia Anatolii Bibilov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to South Ossetia Marat Kulakhmetov, deputies of the Parliament of the Republic, military personnel, former peacekeepers, and representatives of the public.
Tskhinval, 14 July of 2021