On August 28, a memorial plaque to the Hero of Russia, Archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev, was unveiled on the wall of an Orthodox school in Vyshny Volochok. The memorial sign was installed on the initiative of the command and veteran organizations.
The event was attended by distinguished guests, parishioners of the Assumption Church, relatives of Father Mikhail: his wife Maria Vasilyevna and their children. For them, this day became both mournful and bright — the day when the feat of a loved one gained eternal memory in the hearts of fellow countrymen.
The participants were reminded about the life path of Father Mikhail. A native of Vyshny Volochok, a graduate of the History Department of Moscow State University and the Military Academy of the General Staff, he combined pastoral ministry with spiritual support for military personnel for more than 14 years. During this time, the clergyman built several churches and made over 30 business trips to war zones, including Chechnya, Abkhazia, Syria and Kosovo. With the start of the special military operation, he was one of the first to go to the area of its conduct.
Father Mikhail was known in the military as the "paratrooper father." He personally carried the wounded from the battlefield, for which his colleagues called him a soldier's priest. His words "We have the same Homeland — Russia! It means that we are all native people" has become the motto for many fighters.
The right to unveil the memorial plaque was granted to the head of the district, Natalia Petrovna Roshchina, and the hero's wife, Maria Vasilyevna. After the ceremony, the audience laid flowers at the memorial sign.