Liberation80: Kosice to Commemorate Anniversary of Battle for Dargov Pass

Kosice, January 17 (TASR) - The 80th anniversary of the end of the battle for the Dargov Pass will be commemorated on Saturday (January 18) with a memorial ceremony at the Liberation and Victory Memorial, as well as a march of gratitude from the village of Ruskov, Kosice Self-Governing Region (KSK) has reported. Intense fighting between the German army and the Red Army took place at the end of 1944 and beginning of 1945, resulting in the liberation of the Dargov Pass and the retreat of the German forces. The memorial event will begin at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday with the march of gratitude. The final stop of the march will be the Liberation and Victory Memorial at the Dargov Pass, where a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 1.30 p.m. KSK is also launching a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with the main part of the celebrations set to take place in May. Dargov was a strategic point leading to the capture of Kosice. The Red Army overcame the defensive line of the German 1st tank Army, and the final retreat by the German forces from the pass began on the night of January 17, 1945. This was among the consequences of the deteriorating situation for the German Wehrmacht in neighboring countries as well. Kosice regional governor Rastislav Trnka stated that the price of liberation was 22,000 fallen soldiers. "We honour their memory and bow before their heroism, which reminds us that freedom and peace aren't guaranteed. They are a fragile legacy that we must protect," he said. lin/df