Published on: 2026-04-09
Employees of AVTOTOR honored the memory of the heroes of the storming of Königsberg
Source: AVTOTAZ – Avtotor motor vehicles – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In honor of the 81st anniversary of the storming of Königsberg, employees of AVTOTOL took part in a wreath-laying and flower-laying ceremony at the monuments to Alexander Kosmodemyansky and Prokopiy Shanaurin. Together with the Autotol employees, representatives of veterans’ organizations paid tribute to the memory of the heroes.
Flowers were laid at the monument to Alexander Kosmodemyansky, in whose honor the neighborhood where the AVTOTOTO plant is located was named. He was a Guards Senior Lieutenant, commander of a battery of self-propelled artillery installations, distinguished himself in battle in East Prussia, and died in April 1945 during the storming of Königsberg. For his courage and bravery, Alexander Kosmodemyansky was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Participants of the ceremony also laid flowers at the monument to Prokopiy Shanaurin — Hero of the Soviet Union, a participant in battles in East Prussia, whose name became a symbol of the resilience and military valor of Soviet soldiers.
In 2026, the anniversary of the storming of Königsberg will be celebrated for the first time in a new status — as the Day of Military Glory of Russia. The federal law establishing the commemorative date of April 9 was adopted in November 2025.
The storming of Königsberg took place from April 6 to 9, 1945, and became one of the most important operations of the final stage of the Great Patriotic War.
The medal “For the Capture of Königsberg” was awarded to 760,000 people. This award became the only one in the USSR established for the capture of a fortress-city, rather than for the liberation of a European capital. 216 soldiers and officers who participated in the assault were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Natalya Legkaya, Vice President — Director of Social Development at AVTOTOTO:
“This year, this date has a special status — the anniversary of the storming and capture of Königsberg is being celebrated nationwide for the first time as the Day of Military Glory of Russia. For the Kaliningrad region, this event has particular significance. Kaliningrad is a city born of Victory. We gratefully remember the heroes who brought it closer. Our duty is to honor the memory of their feat and pass it on to future generations.”
Representatives of veteran organizations joined the ceremony, including Iraida Chemeris, head of the primary organization of the Veterans’ Council of the Alexander Kosmodemyansky neighborhood in Kaliningrad.
Iraida Chemeris:
“There are such lines: “The day will come when the lists run out, when there will be no more meetings of comrades-in-arms… One — the last — veteran will step to the obelisk rising into the sky.” These words especially sharply remind us how important it is today to be close to veterans, to surround them with attention, care, and respect. Unfortunately, with each year there are fewer of them, and the opportunity to express words of gratitude to them and to preserve the living memory of their feat becomes all the more valuable.”
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