Visitors from St. Petersburg paid tribute to Fidel Castro

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Nov 25 (ACN) Evgeny Grigoryriev, chairman of the St. Petersburg Foreign Relations Committee, and Viktor Koronelli, ambassador of the Russian Federation to Cuba, paid tribute today Fidel Castro, at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in the Cuban eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, on the eighth anniversary of his death.

Accompanied by the governor of the province Manuel Falcon, and in the framework of the "St. Petersburg Days in Havana and Santiago de Cuba", the small delegation from that city laid a wreath in front of the monolith that guards the remains of the eternal Commander in Chief.
In the patrimonial cemetery, the visitors received detailed information about the country's history, the figures of the wars of national liberation that rest in that sacred land, and toured the path of the heroes to pay tribute to the National Hero Jose Marti, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes and Mariana Grajales, father and mother of the Homeland, respectively.

Grigoryev commented that Cubans have to teach the world the importance of preserving history, and said he felt moved at Fidel's tomb, as he considers him a leader not only of the Cuban Revolution, but also of the entire free world.

Cuba is a symbol of freedom and deserves much respect, he said; and it is also essential that Russia, particularly St. Petersburg and Santiago de Cuba, are united.

Russian ambassador to the Caribbean country expressed the honor of walking along the path of the founding fathers of the nation, and referred that in Moscow, his hometown, a few years ago a monument dedicated to Fidel Castro was unveiled, an equally impressive work in which flowers are always placed on its pedestal.
Manuel Falcon, governor, highlighted the coincidence of the visit with the 50th anniversary of the brotherhood ties between the two cities, and argued the joint efforts to continue strengthening ties, particularly economic, commercial and cooperation ones.

The St. Petersburg Days in Cuba will take place from November 20 to 26, an initiative that includes conferences, exhibitions, film screenings, among other activities.