Having gone through all the horrors and trials of that war, in 1945, our grandfathers — Soviet soldiers, immigrants from 15 Union republics of the USSR — won a victory over fascism. Victory was forged by the whole world, by all the people. And today in the entire post-Soviet space there is not a single family whose history, in one way or another, is not connected with the Great Patriotic War.
Each of us, living today, is a direct descendant of those who, with arms in their hands, fought against fascism, those who forged a victory at the machine tool, those who lay down their heads in concentration camps or went missing on the battlefields. Each of us has a genetic memory of that war. And while our people remember their heroes, they have a future. Recent history has allowed our states to gain their independence, however, we all share the memory of that war and that victory. And no matter how they try to rewrite history for the sake of modern political realities, mankind is unlikely to want to survive the horrors of fascism again.
On the eve of the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, we decided to appeal to the heads of the diplomatic missions of the CIS countries in the UAE in order to once again, with their help, emphasize the significance of that Great Victory for modern history and talk about what holiday events will be dedicated to this day in different countries, including the UAE.
Below we publish the answers received from the heads of diplomatic missions of the CIS countries to the following questions:
- What is the significance of the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War in your country today?
- What does Victory Day mean for you and your family members personally?
- What celebrations dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory are planned to be held both in your country and in the UAE?
Editorial Expression
Thanks to the diplomats who answered our questions and congratulates all our compatriots, both in the UAE and abroad, on the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory! As long as we remember, not a single hero of the Great Patriotic War will be forgotten.
The feat of the people is immortal. The memory of that war is eternal.
Andreyev Andreyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the UAE, with his wife.
1. The significance of Victory Day for our people can not be overestimated - this is one of the most important holidays from the point of view of history and today's development of Russia. He is deserved and suffered by our entire nation and is therefore close and dear to everyone. This is the joy of victory and tears in connection with the losses that the Russian people had to suffer. This is a memory of feat and heroism. The victory in the most difficult and bloody war in history, no doubt, proved the great strength of the spirit of our people, their steadfastness and selflessness in the face of the danger that threatens the Homeland. Victory Day is truly a popular, visual symbol of patriotism, independence and unity of the nation. Its importance is growing today in conditions when our people need to unite even more in the fight against new global challenges, and, above all, terrorism. And for a large number of our compatriots living outside of Russia, Victory Day is an inexhaustible source of joy, strength and pride for Russia.
Preparing to meet with dignity on May 9, we cannot pass by the existing attempts to falsify the historical truth associated with the victory of our people in the Great Patriotic War. It is deeply regrettable and alarming that in a number of countries former Nazi collaborators who took part in the crimes of the Nazis openly heroized under the pretext of fighting the Soviet regime. Someone is even trying to put an equal sign between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The height of historical revisionism was the attempt to balance two different events - the conclusion of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact and the German attack on Poland. What can be said about this? During the war years, it would not have occurred to anyone to compare the militant Nazism and the policies of the Soviet Union that threaten all of humanity, which turned out to be the only force capable of defeating the war machine of Germany. In this connection, I would like to call for objectivity and, in particular, not to politicize history, not to use it as an instrument for political struggle.
2. Victory Day has a special place in my life. First of all, this is due to involvement in the events of the Great Patriotic War, in which my father, Andreev Vladimir Ivanovich, also took part. While still very young, he went through the wounds and trials of wartime with valor, was awarded many orders and medals. However, this is not the only point. Over the years, you begin to feel more sharply the significance of victory over fascism, to appreciate what was done in the name of it by older generations. Therefore, today I want to say thank you and congratulate all those who, not sparing their lives, stood at the origins of the Great Victory. Paying tribute to their heroism, we honor and remember everyone.
3. Preparations for the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in our country are given very serious attention. The Pobeda organizing committee was formed under the chairmanship of President of Russia D. A. Medvedev. In general, it is expected that in all major Russian cities celebrations will be held on the occasion of Victory Day with the involvement of the widest public. The most large-scale events will take place, of course, in the capital of our country, the city of Moscow, where it is planned to hold almost 200 holiday events. On the eve of the celebration, an informal summit of the heads of CIS countries will be held there, who will visit the capital of our country to participate in celebrations. Also, many European leaders have already announced their intention to visit Russia during the holidays. On May 8, according to tradition, wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the monument to Marshal G.K. Zhukov and the obelisk "Moscow is a Hero City". In the presence of the President of Russia, a stele dedicated to the cities of military glory will be opened in the Alexander Garden. May 9 will be a big parade on Red Square, as well as a reception in the Kremlin. In all districts of the capital, festivities and meetings with veterans, as well as the laying of wreaths at memorial complexes, will take place. As for the parade on Red Square, there will be presented advanced models of Russian military equipment and the latest military developments.
It is planned to participate in the parade and our famous aerobatic teams Swifts and Russian Knights. In addition, servicemen of the CIS countries were invited to participate in the parade. The military units of the leading countries of the anti-Hitler coalition — the United States, Britain and France — have also already confirmed their participation in the parade.
The cultural part of the holiday is also expected to be organized at a high level. Various mass events will be held in most cities of Russia immediately after the Victory Parades.
As for the UAE, here the Embassy of the Russian Federation organizes a number of events. Stands with photographic materials have already been prepared, informational work is actively ongoing. The ceremony will be crowned with a small concert and an exhibition of drawings dedicated to Victory Day.
Semeshko Alexander Viktorovich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the UAE, with his wife.
1. Victory Day has a special place among our other holidays. This is not so much a reason for carefree joy and a fun pastime, as an opportunity for each of us to touch the sacred memory, to think about the moral and ethical meanings of being that are important for man and society. Every year the Victory Day is echoed in our hearts with pride and bitterness. Pride - for the samples of true courage, true patriotism of our fathers and grandfathers. Bitterness - for an endless list of losses in this crazy world fire.
For our country, these losses were colossal. Not one of the countries involved in the war has experienced such terrible destruction as Belarus. Due to its geopolitical situation, its entire territory was an arena of battles, and their horrors and consequences affected every inhabitant. So it was before, almost all the wars of previous centuries between East and West, North and South completely captured our state and were destructive for it. But the last war was especially devastating. Every third inhabitant of Belarus was killed, more than 200 (out of 270) cities were destroyed. Our capital, the city of Minsk, was almost completely destroyed. Destroyed more than 9 thousand villages. Today, they are reminded of only the ringing of bells at memorials erected in memory of the victims. Therefore, for our people, who paid such a high price for the Victory, both the Great Patriotic War and Victory Day are still a very "living" story.
In Belarus, May 9 Victory Day is celebrated at the highest political level. And July 3 - the Day of the liberation of Minsk from Nazi invaders (July 3, 1944) is Independence Day in Belarus. Last year, we celebrated the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Minsk. In the framework of the Minsk operation (known as Operation Bagration), carried out by three Belarusian fronts, representatives of almost all nationalities of the former Soviet Union fought shoulder to shoulder with Belarusians. Many of them remained forever in the Belarusian land. This is reminded of the obelisks on mass graves and the names of the streets of Belarusian cities. For heroic actions during the Minsk operation, 52 formations and units were awarded the honorary name Minsk.
For our country, the global recognition of its contribution to the victory over fascism was Belarus joining the UN founding states. Belarus has taken and is taking an active part in the work of the UN, is the author of a number of initiatives aimed at maintaining peace and security, and developing effective and equal international cooperation.
Celebrating Victory Day today for us is, first of all, a tribute to the people, thanks to whom we have the opportunity to live on free land. This is our knowledge of the past, our memory of it, as well as the translation of this knowledge in time. It is Memory "divides time into the past, present and future." Without understanding and reverence for the past, "the present will always be random, and the future uncertain." 2. The war affected almost every family in Belarus. She rediscovered the fate of our parents.
Three sons, three brothers, went to the front from my grandmother's house in 1941. Two did not return, and my father was seriously wounded in the battles near Novorossiysk, was captured, went through all the horrors of a concentration camp, which subsequently affected his health and shortened his life. The older brothers of my mother also fought. One of them died in the first days of the war, the second met Victory Day in Germany, and today he, the 90-year-old colonel in reserve, will give God, will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Victory.
His wife's parents lived in Western Belarus. On the eve of the war, his father graduated from high school and was going to continue his studies at the university, but was interned in Germany, where he had to go through completely different "universities", to see from the inside the picture of the Nazi madness of the "superhuman" who put the world on the brink of disaster. At the end of the war he served as part of the Belarusian Front. During the capture of Koenigsberg, the elder brother of his father died.
A lot of hardships and trials fell on those who remained in the German occupation for three years. To survive, huge mental strength was needed. We can say that our families fully shared with the country all its sorrows and sufferings.
Under the influence of parental stories, our worldview was largely shaped. It was not always possible to "talk" to parents. Reluctantly, they recalled their military youth. But when this happened, we received "first-hand" such knowledge about the world, about a man in a war, about the price of Victory, which we could hardly get from books. And today, for our family, Victory Day is also a day of light sadness, commemoration of our deceased relatives and our already gone parents, grandfathers, grandmothers, and a life-affirming holiday of an incredibly difficult, painful, but Great Victory.
3. Traditionally, Victory Day in our country is celebrated on a large scale and at all levels. Ahead of the holiday, a number of events will be held within the framework of programs of social support for war veterans (I note that in 2009 the amount of such support from the republican and local budgets exceeded 120 billion rubles).
Festive events (more than 60 are planned) dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Victory will be held in all cities of Belarus. These are military parades, ceremonial gatherings and festive concerts, laying of wreaths and flowers at memorials, obelisks, a procession of veterans and various sports and youth events, festivals and fireworks. Particularly solemn and exciting will be the festive events in the Brest Fortress. On April 30 - May 3, the International Motor Rally "Victory Roads" will take place along the route Moscow - Minsk - Brest - Smolensk - Moscow, in which more than 100 motorists from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine will take part.
Many foreign delegations will take part in the celebration of Victory Day in Minsk, in particular from cities having twin cities with Minsk (Moscow, Berlin, Vienna, etc.). Veterans and participants in the war will be awarded the medal "65 years of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War." On behalf of the President of Belarus, they will receive congratulatory letters in the form of the “Victory Triangle” and gifts.
Naturally, this day will be festive, solemn for the staff of the Embassy. We will try to convey this mood, this atmosphere to all compatriots.
Happy holiday to all of you, dear friends!
Alexander Vasilyevich Khomyak, Chargé d'affaires of Ukraine in the UAE
1. The victory was the result of the extraordinary heroism of the peoples that were part of the USSR. Heroism, based on the greatest patriotism. Of course, May 9 is of great importance - starting with the very fact of victory in this fierce war and taking into account its influence on the further development of Ukraine. Any person born in the post-war years on the territory of Ukraine, feels and realizes the magnitude of that tragedy, the significance of the heroic deeds of those who defended their homeland in the name of victory and the existence of the state, the next generations. I am sure that this lives in every Ukrainian. Yes, and it's hard to imagine what could be somehow different. The Ukrainian people took upon themselves the entire magnitude of the aggressor’s blow. I think that there is practically not a single Ukrainian family that would not have felt the consequences of the Great Patriotic War.
2. For my family, as, probably, for the families of many Ukrainians, this day is of great importance. Two of my grandfathers participated in the Second World War and passed it from beginning to end. One of them, Vladimir, started the war as a sapper, then he was an artilleryman. He was awarded a number of military awards, and on May 9, 1945 he met in Prague. I well remember his stories about the war. Despite the fact that they talked about the most difficult military everyday life, hardships, hardships, the tragedy of retreat, they perfectly conveyed the energy of the warrior of the victorious army. It had an indescribable educational effect on me, then a boy. A copy of the award letter to my grandfather Vladimir, signed personally by Marshal Zhukov, has been preserved in our family archive. He received a certificate for the fact that in one of the operations he ensured the successful conduct of the offensive by the actions of his artillery crew.
My second grandfather Matvey went through the war as a simple ordinary infantryman. He also happened to take part in the partisan movement. Among my relatives there are those who have not returned from the front.One of them, in particular, died during the defense of Leningrad.
3. In Ukraine, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of Victory Day on May 9, festive parades will be held in the heroic cities of our country - Kiev, Odessa, Sevastopol and Kerch. In total, 6108 soldiers, including nearly 300 troops from the Russian Federation, will take part in the celebrations in Ukraine. To participate in the parade in the city of Sevastopol, it is planned to attract 9 ships from the Ukrainian fleet and 5 from the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation.
By joint agreement of the leadership of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, this year the Victory Train project will be implemented. It is planned that the train with veterans of the Great Patriotic War will pass along the route through the hero cities of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia with their final destination in Moscow, where the “Victory Train” will be personally met by the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Military personnel of the Armed Forces of Russia (about 70 people) will also take part in the military parade in Kiev on May 9. The summary ceremonial calculation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will be held along Khreshchatyk after a company of drummers of the Kiev Military Lyceum named after I. Bogun, who, according to established tradition, open the parade. Representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will also become participants in the celebrations in Moscow on Red Square on Victory Day. In particular, a parade battalion consisting of 75 Lvov cadets, students of the Petr Sagaidachny Institute of Ground Forces will take part in the parade in the Russian capital. An orchestra of the Western Territorial Center for Military Musical Art from Lviv has also been invited to perform in the Russian capital.
As part of the celebration of the 65th Victory Day in World War II, in all educational institutions of Ukraine in April-May 2010, memory lessons will be held.
Traditionally, a spectacular parade will be held in the Ukrainian capital. This year, celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9 will be attended by more than 2.5 thousand troops of the Armed Forces and other military units of Ukraine. The standards of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Ukrainian fronts and the “Ukrainian partisan front”, combat flags of the formations and military units that took part in the Great Patriotic War will also be carried along Khreshchatyk. There will be 5 ceremonial calculations, dressed in military uniforms during the Great Patriotic War. Musical accompaniment of the parade will provide 17 military bands. For a demonstration on the main street of the Ukrainian capital, from Independence Square to the European Square, 22 samples of weapons and military equipment will be exhibited, including modern developments of the domestic military-industrial complex (in particular, Oplot tanks, BTR-4 Rook tanks) and lightly armored vehicle Dozor-B). The parade of troops in the hero city of Kiev will end with the passage along Khreshchatyk of the legendary tank of the Great Patriotic War T-34 with the symbol of the Victory Flag on the tower, ZiS-5, GAZ-67, M-72 and Willis vehicles. During the Victory Parade, a new passenger plane An-158, the brainchild of ANTK im. Antonova.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all veterans on the Victory Day, sincerely thank them for their feat and courage shown during the Second World War, and also wish them good health. Eternal Glory to the heroes!
Melikyan Vahagn Gurgenovich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the UAE, with his wife.
1. Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War in Armenia was celebrated every year, and will also be celebrated this year with particular care, since each time, unfortunately, there are fewer veterans, and the younger generation should remember the people we all owe their lives. Numerous documentaries and feature films released in recent years are all the more valuable. Fascism, in any manifestation, should be condemned, and this is precisely the reason for holding events on Victory Day.
2. For my family, this is one of the most important holidays of the year. My mother’s grandmother and grandfather Armine from the mother’s side, Tkachev Ivan Karpovich and Skorik Maria Samoilovna, both fought and were injured, and grandfather also went through all the hell of the concentration camp in Dachau, miraculously surviving. Both were awarded numerous orders and medals, and later participated in the annual rallies of veterans - their military comrades. Now their rewards are carefully stored in the family archive.
And for me personally, this day is also valuable because on May 9, 1945, on Victory Day, my mother was born, whom they even intended to call Akhtanak (Victory), but then, curbing their emotions, they called Laura. So, on this day, along with congratulations, be sure to commemorate all those who laid their heads on the long road to Victory, and thank everyone who fought on the fronts of the then united Motherland.
3. In Armenia, the following events are being prepared for the upcoming celebration. On May 9, wreaths will be laid in Armenia at the Monument in Victory Park and at the monuments of those who died in World War II. The National Assembly and the Ministries of Defense, as well as Science and Education organized numerous meetings with veterans. An exhibition of archival documents will be held under the heading: "The Republic of Armenia during the Great Patriotic War", and a book with the same name will be released. The Scientific Academy of Armenia, State University and the National Archive of Armenia organized a conference on the theme: "Participation of the Armenian people in the Second World War". A book album on this subject will also be issued by the Ministry of Culture of Armenia. Planned issue of the anniversary postage stamp.
A youth procession to the graves of fallen soldiers will be held as part of the action: "We are the heirs of Victory." Conducted concerts in the capital and regions, screenings of films and documentaries, as well as numerous sports competitions dedicated to the holiday. A school essay competition will be held on the theme: “We are the Victory Generation”, a drawing competition for Victory Day, a drawing competition on asphalt on the theme: “A World Without War”. And this is far from a complete list of events.
Musinov Askar Akhmetovich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UAE
1. Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War remains one of the most important holidays in Kazakhstan for all generations of residents of the republic. The past war, in its scope and consequences, has no analogues in the history of mankind, victory in it was obtained at the cost of innumerable sacrifices and suffering of millions of people.
Along with other countries, Kazakhstan made a huge contribution to the victory over fascism. Our fathers and grandfathers fought on almost all fronts. They were one of those who stopped the enemy near Moscow in the 41st, defended Stalingrad in the 42nd, fought on the Kursk Bulge in the turning 43rd, liberated Ukraine and Belarus, the countries of Eastern Europe in the offensive 44th, took Berlin and hoisted the Victory Banner on the Reichstag in the victorious 45th. 
More than 1 million 700 thousand Kazakhstanis were participants in the war, about five hundred of them were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including Bauyrzhan Momyshuly, Manshuk Mametova, Aliya Moldagulova, Ibrahim Suleimenov, Talgat Bigeldinov, Sergey Lugansky. In the year of the 65th anniversary of the Victory, more than 15 thousand war heroes are honored throughout Kazakhstan.
Our country has made a worthy contribution to the training of officer personnel and reserves for the army and navy. In military schools for 1941-1945. more than 42 thousand young Kazakhstanis were sent, and 27 military educational institutions that existed on the territory of the republic released, according to incomplete data, 16 thousand officers.
An integral part of rearrangement was the reception and deployment of evacuated enterprises. 220 factories, factories, workshops, artels and industrial complexes arrived and were commissioned in Kazakhstan (during the war 20 of them were re-evacuated). The largest number of enterprises accounted for food (54 plants and factories), light and textile industries.
Multinational literature of the peoples of Kazakhstan served as a powerful spiritual weapon. Works on the heroes of the front and rear were written by such masters as M. Auezov, S. Mukanov, I. Shukhov. September 6, 1941 in the newspaper "Leningradskaya Pravda" the verses of the great Kazakh akyn Zhambyl Zhabaev "Leningraders, my children! Leningraders, my pride!" Were published. This publication almost coincided with the beginning of the blockade.
It is impossible to overestimate the significance of these lines in the heated atmosphere of the autumn of 1941. The feat of Tulegen Tokhtarov, who broke into the headquarters of the German unit in the village, will forever remain in the memory of the fighters. Borodino and destroyed 5 German officers. He was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Remembering the battles for Moscow, the brave Tulegen Tokhtarov, the legendary hero of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, the famous writer B. Momysh-ula wrote: “We are Soviet people, our hearts are not steel. But the fire of our revenge can melt, burn any steel ... we have the most powerful weapon that conquers fear - this is love for the motherland. "
Immortal glory of Alia Moldagulova - one of two female Kazakh women, awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. She was born in the village of Bulak, Khobdinsky district, Aktobe region. Alia lost her parents early. Shortly before the war, she ended up in one of the children's homes in Leningrad, which at the beginning of the war was evacuated to Rybinsk. Here Alia filed an application with the military enlistment office with a request to send her to the front, and was enrolled in a sniper school. In October 1943, she arrived on the Leningrad Front. Corporal Alia Moldagulova more than once showed courage and courage in battles. In the last battle, she destroyed 28 fascists. Mortally wounded Moldagulova continued to shoot point-blank attacking Nazis. The command of the unit where Aliya served wrote to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan: "Thank you, dear comrades, on behalf of the command of the unit, thank you for such ardent patriots as Alia Moldagulova. Her name is immortal and belongs to the great people of the Union of Soviets. We ask you: tell the Kazakh people about her exploits and selfless devotion to our Motherland. " In St. Petersburg, the name of Alia is the street where her orphanage was located, and a museum was created in school number 140, where she studied. In 2005, in honor of the 80th anniversary of A. Moldagulova, a monument to the legendary sniper was opened in St. Petersburg.
Manshuk Mametova is the first Kazakh woman who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. The machine gunner of the 21st Guards Rifle Division of the 3rd Shock Army of the Kalinin Front, Guard, sergeant Mametova died the death of the brave when, on October 15, 1943, in heavy fighting for the liberation of the city of Nevel in the Pskov Region during the defense of the prevailing height, one of the machine gun crews remained, being seriously wounded, destroyed 70 enemy soldiers.
Kazakhstan front-line soldiers do not divide the veterans and participants of that terrible war into Ukrainian, Belarusian or Georgian, for them the Great Victory is a common victory of all the peoples of the Soviet Union over a common enemy. 2. For me and for my family, Victory Day is one of the greatest and most significant holidays. We are surely trying to get together and honor the memory of the dead front-line soldiers, especially since there are people in our family who have not returned from the front-line fields.
My mother's cousins are frontline members. For one of them, the war ended in battles for Poland, where after severe wounds he was sent to the rear, and the second died defending his homeland. My grandfather was an active participant in propaganda brigades and was often on the front line. For services during the war, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War.
3. Traditionally, the celebration of Victory Day in Kazakhstan begins with the celebration of war veterans. In honor of the 65th anniversary of the Victory, the Government of Kazakhstan allocated a large monetary reward to all veterans, as well as rear workers. Each participant and disabled person of the war will be paid one-time assistance from the budget. The total amount allocated by the state in 2010 for social support for WWII veterans will be more than 10 billion tenge. Persons equated with participants and invalids of the war, parents, spouses of servicemen who died during the Great Patriotic War, spouses of the dead war invalids and disabled people equated with them, and workers of the rear services of war years will not be left without material support. This is a tribute to our fathers and grandfathers for their selfless struggle and victory, for the fact that they provided us with a peaceful life.
The main events to celebrate May 9 will be held in the capital of the country Astana, as well as in the largest city of the country - Almaty, where wreath-laying will be held at the Glory Memorial dedicated to the 28 Panfilov guards who defended the approaches to Moscow at Dubosekovo junction. About 200 war participants are expected to attend events in Astana. All expenses will also be paid from the republican budget. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, will take part in the celebrations in Moscow. In addition, more than 130 Kazakhstani war veterans will take part in the festive parade on Red Square in Moscow, and I am sure this will leave an indelible impression on their hearts. In turn, we intend to hold a solemn meeting on May 9 at our Embassy dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the great Victory.
