14 March, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Br1 billion will be allocated for the reconstruction of military glory sites in the Vitebsk region in 2012. This was announced today at the solemn plenum of the Vitebsk Regional Veterans Organisation, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the veterans' movement in the region, by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, Alexander Atyasov, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The allocated funds will be used for the improvement of mass graves in the agro-town of Ostrovno, Beshenkovichi District, at the military cemetery on Titov Street in Vitebsk, at the memorial complex in the Borok tract, Glubokoe District, and at military glory sites in Dubrovno, Gorodok, Liozno, Miory, Rossony, Senno, Polotsk, Ushachi Districts, and Orsha. "Veterans are a shining example of service and love for the Motherland, and their civic example is a noble moral guideline for other generations, primarily for young people. It is you, representatives of the older generation, who are today the main custodians of our spiritual heritage and preserve the continuity of traditions," emphasised Alexander Atyasov. He noted that the veterans' organisation represents the interests of more than a quarter of the residents of the Vitebsk region. Care for veterans and their social protection are the most important directions of the state's social policy. The country's leadership and local authorities show maximum attention to veterans in order to solve problems, provide support in difficult times, and offer necessary assistance. In the Vitebsk region, every fourth resident is a pensioner. Of the 300,000 elderly citizens, 20,500 are lonely, and 104,000 live separately from children and close relatives.