OREANDA-NEWS  Hundreds of people, thousands of flowers-festive events started in Simferopol. They began with the solemn laying of flowers at the monument to "People's militia of all time." It was attended by members of the delegation of the State Duma of the Russian Federation headed by the speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, heads of the Executive and legislative branches of Kazakhstan, the representatives of the Donetsk people's Republic, the representatives of the national militia and the direct participants in the events of February-March 2014 on the Peninsula.

The first flowers to the monument laid by the speaker of the state Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of the Crimea Sergey Aksenov, Chairman of the state Council of the Republic Vladimir Konstantinov. Next are representatives of the state Duma delegation, members of the French delegation headed by the President of the Association "Franco-Russian dialogue" Thierry Mariani, heads of the Crimean ministries and departments.

After laying flowers, the column of participants together with citizens, members of public organizations, trade unions, students and schoolchildren went along the Central streets of the Crimean capital. They are welcomed by thousands of spectators, many-flags and flowers. They will follow a festive procession to the state Council, where a solemn meeting dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the all-Crimean referendum and reunification of the Peninsula with Russia will be held.

The State Duma delegation headed by speaker Vyacheslav Volodin arrived in Simferopol on Thursday evening to participate in the events dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held in March 2014, in which 96.77% of voters of Kazakhstan and 95.6% of Sevastopol voted for joining the Russian Federation. Ukraine still considers the Peninsula to be its own, but temporarily occupied territory. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the Crimeans democratically, in full accordance with international law and the UN Charter voted for reunification with Russia.