A monument dedicated to the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers joining the fight to defend Moscow in Russia’s Great Patriotic War (1941-45) during World War II (1939-45) was inaugurated in the Russian capital on Monday.

A high-ranking Vietnamese defense delegation led by Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang participated in the inauguration ceremony at Patriot Park on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin and Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi were also present at the ceremony.

Sculpted by Alexey Chebanenko, the 'Allies – Vietnamese Soldiers' monument depicts three Vietnamese soldiers, Ly Nam Thanh, Ly Anh Tao, and Ly Thuc Chat, wearing the Red Army uniform of the Soviet Union while on duty in the defense of Moscow.

During the ceremony, Minister Giang reiterated the deep appreciation of the Vietnamese defense ministry and the Vietnam People's Army for the Russian Ministry of Defense for erecting the monument in honor of these Vietnamese volunteer soldiers.

Minister Giang also noted that this monument, along with the one in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam dedicated to Soviet/Russian and Vietnamese servicemen who fell for regional peace and stability, clearly demonstrates the ongoing efforts to strengthen the traditional solidarity and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

Deputy Defense Minister Goremykin highlighted the significant role of the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in the defense of Moscow, emphasizing that such monuments preserve the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and contribute to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Between 1926 and 1930, a group of patriotic Vietnamese youths, introduced by Nguyen Ai Quoc -- later known as President Ho Chi Minh -- traveled to Moscow to study.

When Nazi Germany launched its attack on the Soviet Union, these young men voluntarily joined an international regiment of a special motorized infantry brigade under the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Internal Affairs to help defend Moscow.

During the harsh winter of 1941-42, these Vietnamese volunteers fought bravely alongside Soviet troops and civilians to protect Moscow, ultimately driving the Nazis back.

In the course of these battles, Ly Nam Thanh, Ly Anh Tao, and Ly Thuc Chat made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield.

In 1986, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet posthumously awarded noble accolades to these three Vietnamese soldiers.

In 2020, the Russian Ministry of Defense asked the Vietnamese side to coordinate in searching for and obtaining more information about the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who took part in the defense of Moscow in order to add it to the archives of the 'Road of Memory' Museum at the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in the Patriot Park.

Such coordination has led to the designing and building of the monument, with the Vietnamese side contributing opinions to the sketching of the commemorative work.

The attendance by General Giang at the monument inauguration was part of his working trip to Russia from August 10 to 14 at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Andrey Removich Belousov.

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