Bhubaneswar: Russia will honour former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik on May 9, the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, for his valiant role in aiding Soviet Red Army in the Battle of Stalingrad against Nazi Germany in the early 1940s.
The Russian Embassy in New Delhi has extended an invitation Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik, who is the younger son of the legendary leader, to attend a special reception in recognition of his father’s bravery on the Eastern Front during World War II.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar will be the chief guest at the event.
“In this solemn moment of pride, grief, and unwavering remembrance, we honour those who stood together against Nazism in the anti-Hitler coalition and commemorate the heroic deeds of the people of the former Soviet Union and its allies who bore the brunt of the most brutal conflict in human history. Among the heroes to whom we pay tribute is your late father,” the Russian Ambassador said in a letter to Naveen.
The letter described Biju as a ‘towering personality and a valiant pilot’ who participated in the Stalingrad Operation, supplying weapons to the besieged Red Army. In recognition of his contribution, Russia had awarded him the Jubilee Medal in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of Victory Day, for his bravery and courage.
Biju died two years later.
As a pilot with Indian National Airways, the former CM had played a key role in supplying weapons to the besieged Red Army during the Second World War. His efforts were part of the broader support to the Allied forces during the critical battle of Stalingrad.
