A memorial commemorating the tragic events of 25 February 2026 was unveiled at Dorogobuzh, an Acron Group company, as part of the first stage of the company’s new science park. The artistic composition featuring a monument sign and a fire engine honours the fallen employees of the Dorogobuzh Fire and Gas Rescue Unit and the Railway Department. In a truly heroic display of courage and dedication, firefighters Alexander Popov, Anton Blinnikov, Ivan Tsuprikov, Sergei Sysoev, and their squad commander Vladimir Ivanov, deputy head of the Fire and Gas Rescue Unit for field work Denis Ryabchenkov, and the Railway Department shift supervisor Natalya Sachenko fulfilled their duty, protecting the lives and health of the company’s workers during the terrorist attack on 25 February.
The ceremony was attended by Dorogobuzh CEO Vladimir Kunitsky and Executive Director Roman Dmitriev, Deputy Chairman of the Smolensk regional government Alexey Titov, Major General of the Internal Service Alexey Nazarko, representative of the command of the 1st Order of Lenin Special-Purpose Air and Missile Defence Army Artem Trofimenko, Head of the Dorogobuzh municipal district Konstantin Serenkov, Chairman of the Dorogobuzh District Duma Vitaly Taranov, member of the Smolensk Regional Duma Igor Gulitsky, colleagues, relatives and friends of the fallen, and personnel from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations fire units based in Dorogobuzh, Yartsevo, Kardymovo, Safonovo and Yelnya.
‘Today we are unveiling a memorial that was not originally part of the science park’s plans. But it is now, because memory is stronger than any tragedy. Because we must never forget those who remained on duty until the very end that day. Engraved on the memorial are the names of our heroes. Next to it, on a pedestal, stands a fire engine that was on duty with the crew on the morning of 25 February — their final watch. For all of us, this memorial is more than just metal and stone. It is a place where we can come and stand in solemn silence, pledging: We remember. We are grateful. We will never forget,’ said Vladimir Kunitsky.
To the sound of fire engines’ sirens, Vladimir Kunitsky and Alexey Titov unveiled the memorial, and Father Alexey Kulikov held a consecration ceremony. Irina Ivanova and Elena Blinnikova, the relatives of the deceased firefighters, expressed their sincere appreciation for the creation of the memorial, for the company’s support, and for keeping the memory of their fallen loved ones’ heroic deeds alive.
The idea for the monument was proposed by Vladimir Kunitsky and Roman Dmitriev, and was approved by the Smolensk regional government. It was designed by Oksana Voronina, an artist and designer from the Dorogobuzh Industrial Aesthetics Department. The company’s fire engine, which forms part of the composition, was damaged during the attack on 25 February. The Dorogobuzh Central Repair Workshop restored it, and the Industrial Aesthetics Department created the landscaping and park around the memorial.