The winners of the military-patriotic competition "I would join the army" were the team from Vitebsk State Medical University

This was proven by the participants of the open military-patriotic competition "I Would Go to the Army," dedicated to Victory Day and the Year of Belarusian Women, which took place at Vitebsk State Medical University.

The project, which started as an intra-university and then a republican one, has grown to an international level. More than 100 female students from 10 higher education institutions in Belarus, Russia, and Uzbekistan took part in it.

– We see the demand for such a project. It is gratifying that not only medical universities but also strong, talented, and purposeful girls from other countries are participating in the competition, ready to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and sincere love for their Motherland, – noted the Rector of VSMU, Alexey Chukanov.

In the greeting from the Minister of Health of Belarus, Alexander Khodjaev, which was read by the Rector of VSMU, it was emphasized that all participants of the patriotic competition are united by the memory of the Great Patriotic War, where female medics fought shoulder to shoulder, provided assistance to the wounded on an equal footing with men, carried their comrades from the battlefield, and stood at the operating tables in partisan hospitals.

The participants demonstrated their skills and training during the military-applied all-around competition "Strength. Agility. Speed," "Chemical Alarm," which was held at the base of the 103rd Vitebsk Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. A 12-kilogram body armor and helmet are not exactly the "best friends" of the girls, but nevertheless, they coped with the obstacles in this equipment, acted competently upon the "Chemical Alarm" signal, and disassembled and assembled a submachine gun.

Physical activities did not prevent them from later showcasing their creative abilities at the "This Day of Victory" competition, their erudition in the "Know-it-alls" intellectual tournament, their marksmanship in the "Sniper. Accuracy. Skill. Mastery" shooting biathlon, and their culinary skills in the "Soldier's Delicacy" cooking contest.

The large-scale event concluded with a patriotic motor rally and a solemn laying of flowers at the memorial complex in honor of the Soviet soldiers-liberators, partisans, and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region on Victory Square.

The exciting moments of summing up the results arrived, and the winners were announced. The first place in the competition was taken by the hosts – the team of Vitebsk State Medical University, the second place by Grodno State University, and the third place by Grodno Medical University. The Rector's prize of VSMU for the will to win was awarded to the team of Belarusian State Medical University, and the prize of the Head of the Military Department of VSMU went to the team of Pskov State University.

Igor Demyanenko, Head of the Department of the Russian Embassy in Vitebsk:

– Participation in the competition gives young people an opportunity to demonstrate their civic stance. In our turbulent times of geopolitical shifts, it is very important to demonstrate each country's readiness to defend its independence, to feel its sovereignty so that it is in the heart, in the soul. Participation in this event is a small, but at the same time personal, significant contribution to the defense capability of the states that the girls represented.

Kakhira SHERMAMEDOVA, captain of the team from Samarkand State Medical University:

– We prepared for the competition! For many girls, it was not easy to disassemble and assemble a Kalashnikov rifle, shoot a pneumatic rifle, throw a grenade, and climb over a high obstacle. Personally, my experience helped – I participated in the "Patriots' Games" in Grodno. Even during the solemn opening of the "I Would Go to the Army" competition, listening to adults and my peers, we once again became convinced that our peoples have much in common, and we are united by the memory of the Great Patriotic War.

Valeria POPOVA, 3rd-year student of the pediatric faculty of Volgograd State Medical University:

– Russia and Belarus are friendly countries, we support each other. We were glad to receive an invitation to participate in the competition and actively prepared. A military-patriotic event was also recently held on the territory of our university, where we demonstrated and practiced our skills with teachers from the departments of life safety and disaster medicine. Projects like "I Would Go to the Army" bring students, youth, and most importantly, patriots of different countries closer together.

Vitebskie Vesti