SPbGASU Keeps in Memory: Students Take Part in Victory Day Events

Victory Day is one of the most important dates in the history of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. During the Great Patriotic War, teachers and students of the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute, as the university was then known, stood up to defend their homeland. Some went to the front lines, others worked in hospitals and medical battalions, and served in the air defense forces. The specialists who remained in besieged Leningrad oversaw the construction of defensive lines, bomb shelters, anti-tank ditches, and the installation of anti-aircraft gun and machine gun emplacements on the roofs of buildings.

In anticipation of the holiday, SPbGASU students, teachers, and emploees paid tribute to their heroic deeds.

"Victory Dictation"

On 24 April, the SPbGASU held the "Victory Dictation". This year, the dictation was dedicated to Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, whose 130th birthday is celebrated in 2026, and other Soviet military leaders, as well as the events of the Great Patriotic War, the anniversaries of which fall in 2026. A separate set of test questions focused on the heroes of a special military operation.

SPbGASU students tested their knowledge of history and received certificates of participation.

"Garden of Memory"

On 27 April, SPbGASU students, teachers, and emploees held the international environmental and patriotic event "Garden of Memory." Through joint efforts, 39 cherry tree saplings were planted. Each sapling is a living memorial dedicated to those who defended their homeland during the Great Patriotic War.

"Obelisk"

On 1 May, activists from the patriotic club held the "Obelisk" campaign: they cleaned up the mass grave of Soviet Baltic pilots who died fighting the Nazis in the village of Lebyazhye, as well as the mass grave of soldiers who died in 1941–1945, at the site of the village of Gotobuzhi, which was burned by the German invaders.

Hikes

On 3 May, SPbGASU students from the "Whisper of a Fire" hiking club took part in the all-Russian events "Memory Hikes" and "First Hikes – More Than a Journey."

The students took a weekend trip to the city of military glory, Kronstadt, and the Baltic Fleet base. They visited the Museum of Naval Glory, the Alley of Heroes of the Russian Navy, the Wall of Glory on Anchor Square, the Siege Stickleback Memorial, and Patriot Park to honor the memory of the city's defenders, who survived 872 days of siege.

"Victory Windows"

On 5 May, SPbGASU joined the All-Russian "Victory Windows" campaign. St George ribbons, carnations, an eternal flame, and other symbols of Victory appeared on the university's windows.

And on 8 May at 9:45 pm the word “VICTORY” lit up on the main facade of the dormitory on Fontanka.

Creative groups

On 6 May, a ceremonial event dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Great Victory was held at St Petersburg State University of Civil Engineering.

Creative groups from the Kirpich Student Creativity Club actively participated in the event. They prepared a performance at the Memorial Boards, and in the assembly hall, they performed wartime songs, themed dances, and a play dedicated to Vasily Terkin, a character in Aleksandr Tvardovsky's war poem and a soldier of the Great Patriotic War.

Laying of flowers

On 6 May, student activists from SPbGASU, led by Tatiana Meshechko, senior lecturer at the Department of Transport Maintenance, laid flowers at the Motherland monument at the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery.

On 8 May, SPbGASU representatives laid flowers at the monument to the people's militia of the Leninsky District near the Baltic Station.

Event of the International Students Council

One of the meetings of the Russian Conversation Club of the SPbGASU International Students Council was dedicated to Victory Day. Instead of the usual games, participants this time discussed family memories, films and songs from the war years, and the significance of this May day.

The most heartwarming moment was creating St George's ribbons with their own hands. The guys approached this with great respect: each one tied their ribbon with a purpose. Some had their ribbons embellished with additional elements, while others preferred the classic version.

Visiting places of military glory in Vyborg

On 6 May, a trip to Vyborg was held for the Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport (FFLCT). The route was planned to include not only iconic sites such as the picturesque Monrepos Park, the Vyborg Castle Museum-Reserve, which houses exhibits on the city's history, the Round Tower, and the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The main objective, in the lead-up to Victory Day, was to pay tribute to all those who died defending our homeland.

After a walk through the city's historic center, the students visited the "City of Military Glory" stele on Vyborg Regiments Square—a symbol of respect and remembrance for the heroes. Here, the students recited poems about the Great Patriotic War and sang wartime songs.

The tour participants also visited the Karelian Isthmus Military Museum and viewed its exhibits. The museum's atmospheric design further immerses the visitor into the era.

The students themselves served as tour guides, each sharing a specific point of interest. The trip was organized by the curator, Associate Professor at the Department of Legal Studies, Irina Talyanina, and Deputy Dean of the FFLCT for Educational Work, Associate Professor at the Department of Forensics, Oksana Karnaukhova.

The memory of our ancestors who defended their homeland during the Great Patriotic War is not just a page of history, but a living moral compass passed down from generation to generation.