On August 5, Belgorod celebrates the 83rd anniversary of liberation from the Nazi invaders. According to tradition, the festive events began with prayer singing and Divine Liturgy in the Pochaev Church in Belgorod.
The day before, on the occasion of the City Day and in consideration of the works for the benefit of the residents of Belgorod and St. Belogorie, Metropolitan John presented episcopal awards to the staff of the Belgorod city administration.
After the service, members of the Regional Government, deputies of the Regional Duma, and city leaders observed a minute of silence and laid flowers and wreaths at the Grieving Mother memorial complex on Belgorod Cathedral Square and the City of Military Glory stele.
Also, for the City Day, a new chess gazebo was opened in the Central Lenin Park of Culture and Recreation, a unique art object made at the legendary Kaslin factory with more than 270 years of history. The 9×12-meter structure is decorated with columns in the form of sculptural chess pieces created according to the author's sketches of artists and sculptors. The space is divided into an enclosed area with panoramic windows and an outdoor summer area that can accommodate up to 50 people. There are 20 chess-marked gaming tables inside, and soft table lighting is provided in the evenings. The roof is made of copper tiles, the floor is made of marble. On the opening day, the most massive chess tournament in the history of Belgorod was held here, which was attended by about 150 players, from professionals to young amateurs. 
In continuation of the celebration of the Day of Liberation of Belgorod from the Nazi invaders, a city solemn meeting was held at the Energomash City Palace of Culture, where honorary guests made welcoming speeches.
Addressing the audience, Metropolitan John emphasized the providential connection between the date of liberation and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and recalled the heroic journey from Prokhorovka to Berlin: "August 5 is the day of the Icon of the Pochaev Mother of God. Belgorod is the beloved city of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are under the shelter of the Mother of God. We know that the victory began with the Battle of Prokhorov, when the Kursk Root icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" appeared. And those hordes of tanks that were technically superior to our tanks stopped. But the truth was on our side. Therefore, we liberated Belgorod with lightning speed after the Battle of Prokhorov and reached Berlin. 1954 kilometers in a short time is the time of our courage."
The Metropolitan spoke about the resilience of Belgorod residents who do not allow shelling and air alarms to break the urban order: "When you enter a park filled with the latest technologies today, you see that children are playing chess, organizing tournaments, sewing things. At this time, a siren sounds, but life does not stop. It only freezes for a while, but then it is revived with even greater force — this is all what is called "living life." These are the real Belgorodians!"
These words were confirmed by the fact that when the lights went out in the hall, the guests of the celebration all began to sing their favorite "Katyusha" and "Horse".
Congratulations from the stage were continued by Hero of the Russian Federation, military correspondent of VGTRK Evgeny Poddubny, who noted the courage of the region's residents in the face of modern challenges. In his speech, the head of the Belgorod City Administration, Valentin Demidov, summed up the results of the city's development over the past year and thanked the defenders.
***
During the Great Patriotic War, Belgorod experienced two occupations by the Nazi invaders. The first one lasted from October 24, 1941 to February 8, 1943. However, on March 18, the Germans occupied the city again. In total, Belgorod was under the Nazis for 20 long and terrible months — exactly until August 5, 1943, when Soviet troops finally liberated the city from the Nazis. 
The liberation of Belgorod took place during the Belgorod-Kharkov strategic offensive operation, the final operation of the Battle of Kursk. On August 5, 1943, the battles for Belgorod began. The troops of the 69th Army entered the city from the north. Having crossed the Seversky Donets, the troops of the 7th Guards Army reached the eastern outskirts of the city, and from the west Belgorod was blocked by formations of the 1st mechanized Corps. As a result, by 18 o'clock Belgorod was completely cleared of Nazi troops.
By order of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, No. 2 dated August 5, 1943, an artillery salute was given to the troops who liberated Belgorod on this day in Moscow. This salute was the first during the Great Patriotic War, therefore the name "the city of the first salute" was fixed for Belgorod.