During the extraordinary session of the Legislative Assembly on March 12, 2020 deputies unanimously supported the proposal to apply to the Russian Federation President for awarding Penza the honorary title "City of Labour Valour"
It is the President's initiative for the honorary title to be awarded to cities whose residents showed mass labour heroism during the Great Patriotic War, made a great contribution to the victory over fascism and provided uninterrupted production of military and other products.
"I believe that Penza is certainly worthy of this honorary title" Valery Lidin, the speaker of the regional Parliament, said. "During the war about 50 enterprises were evacuated to our region, which provided the front with ammunition, military aircraft parts, overcoat cloth and equipment, and also hospitals worked. The money collected by Penza residents was spent on building submarines, tanks and planes".
13.5 thousand Penza residents were awarded the medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The labour feat of the Penza Bicycle factory teams during the war was awarded the order of Lenin, and that of the Penza watch factory was awarded the 1st rank Order of the Patriotic War. In 1985 the city of Penza was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour for its great contribution to ensuring Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
35 regional public, veteran, youth and patriotic organisations, national and cultural autonomies as well as the Civic Chamber made a proposal to nominate the city of Penza for the award of an honorary title. In accordance with the established procedure, the city administration provided the necessary materials.
The decision on this issue was unanimous: to support the proposal of the Penza city hall and to petition V. Putin, the RF President, to assign the city of Penza the honorary title "City of Labour Valour".
Earlier the Penza Oblast Governor expressed his opinion:
"Penza was founded in 1663 by decree of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich as a fortress on the South-Eastern edge of the Russian Kingdom to protect the borders. The city's fate saved it from terrible shocks, for which it received the name of the God-saved one, but its natives glorified the region on the battlefields in all wars and on all fronts, and in the rear our people of all ranks and social classes collected the necessary things and funds to support the militia. When the Great Patriotic War broke out 300 thousand of our countrymen went to the front, 200 thousand of them never returned home, and their wives, mothers and children worked with machines and went to the field to ensure Victory at any cost," Ivan Belozertsev said.
"During the wartime the Penza Oblast became a major centre of evacuation industry of military-industrial complex enterprises. The contribution of the region, its residents and labour collectives to the Victory was awarded with state awards. The city deserves an honorary title," the head of the region commented.
