On May 9th, Russia Celebrates Victory Day In The Great Patriotic War

By Andrey Podelyshev

World War II was the largest tragedy in human history, claiming, by various estimates, approximately 70–75 million lives. Key and most fierce stage of the war was the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 during which the Soviet Union faced the main offensive of Nazi Germany and its allies. The leaders of Nazi Germany considered the territory of the Soviet Union up to the Urals to belong to their “living space” which in the long term was planned to be colonized by representatives of the so-called Arian race and accordingly cleansed of those whom Hitler’s elites labeled as “subhumans.” On June 22, 1941, Germany launched an attack on the Soviet Union implementing Operation Barbarossa aimed at destroying the Soviet state, seizing its territories and resources and carrying out the mass genocide of its population.

Germany’s war with the Soviet Union became the largest land war in history: the main forces of the German Wehrmacht were concentrated in this area and it was there the fate of the entire Second World War was decided. From the very first days the Soviet people proved their exceptional resilience. The Battle of Moscow (1941), the Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943), and the Battle of Kursk (1943) are known worldwide. The fact that Nazi Germany’s heaviest losses occurred during the war against the Soviet Union is a well-known historical fact. The irrecoverable losses of the German armed forces alone numbered around 7 million soldiers including those killed, missing in action, and captured. It was on the Soviet-German front that the main forces of the Nazi war machine were destroyed. Regardless of all the hardships of war and suffering the Soviet Union not only survived but also came out victorious. The liberation of Eastern and Central Europe followed by the storming of Berlin in the spring of 1945 were the result of the efforts of the Red Army. May 9, 1945, became a symbol of Victory—the result of the unity of the frontline and the tremendous work of the nation and its people. The price of this victory was overwhelming. The Soviet Union’s total losses amounted to nearly 27 million people including military and civilian casualties.

The subject of genocide and Nazi crimes holds a special place in the chronicle of events of the Great Patriotic War. Throughout the entire front, the Nazis and their collaborators perpetrated appalling crimes against humanity. In the territories occupied by the invaders, a policy of systematic extermination of the population was carried out. Between 14 and 19 million civilians lost their lives. Millions of people were executed, burned alive in villages, died of starvation and disease, or perished in death camps. During the Siege of Leningrad which lasted 872 days from 1941 to 1944, at least 1 million residents of the city died from bombings, starvation and disease. According to various estimates, about 200,000 people were shot in the Babiy Yar during the occupation of Kiev. The name of the Belarusian village “Khatyn” has become a common name for the atrocities committed by the Nazis: on March 22, 1943, 149 people were burned alive, 75 of which were children. Such actions were carried out systematically and are now classified as genocide.

Nazi Germany’s system of large-scale atrocities had been devised even before the invasion of the Soviet Union with the aim of drastically reducing the Soviet population during the war. A key component of the Nazi genocide program was a strategy of organized starvation, which was intended to kill 30 million Soviet citizens by winter of 1941–1942.

Preserving historical truth is important not only for those who gave their lives, but also for future generations. Regrettably, the indisputable truth established during the Nuremberg Trials is now being rewritten to accommodate current political interests. Any attempts to revise the outcome of World War II, undermine the role of the Soviet Union, or misrepresent the facts are unacceptable. It was the contribution of the peoples of the Soviet Union that was the decisive factor in the victory over Nazism. The peoples of the Soviet Union not only defeated the Wehrmacht on their own territory but also brought life, liberation and rescue to other people of Eastern and Central Europe. The Red Army and Soviet soldiers literally brought the Nazi machine of destruction to a stop and shut down the crematoria of the Holocaust. Those who deny this are clearly supporting the resurgence of Nazism and the seeds of neo-Nazism.

The Victory over Nazi Germany marked a pivotal moment that shaped today’s system of international relations. It was in the aftermath of World War II that the foundations of the international legal system were laid, the Organization of the United Nations was established, and general principles prohibiting aggression, genocide, and racial discrimination were formulated.

Commemorating the Great Patriotic War is not only a tribute to the past but also a warning for the future. It serves as a reminder of the price of peace and the inadmissibility of Nazism, racism and all forms of human hatred. This year we are celebrating Victory Day for the 81st time. It is the most meaningful holiday for the Russian people. It is a holiday filled with tears as we remember and mourn the millions of Soviet heroes and those who gave their lives in the fight against the fascist invaders.

We must know and remember their sacrifice.

No One Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Forgotten.