Lessons of WWII must never be forgotten: Russian Envoy in Dhaka

The Ambassador of Russian Federation in Dhaka Alexander Khozin has said any attempt to distort the historical truth, to whitewash Nazi criminals and their accomplices, to diminish the role of the Soviet people in the victorious end of the war are blasphemous and must be stopped.

Addressing a reception organised on the occasion of the Victory Day in Dhaka on Sunday, he said this year celebrations carry special significance since they mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the Great Patriotic War on May 9, 1945.

He said Russia as the country that suffered the most from the horrors of the World War II and the Great Patriotic War, for the sake of restoring peace on the continent, will never allow the lessons of the past to be forgotten.

High-ranking Bangladeshi officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, media and bussiness communities attended the reception held at Le Meridien Dhaka, the Russian envoy said the Great Patriotic War cost the Soviet Union 26.6 million human lives.

“In the German occupation zone alone, 7.4 million Soviet citizens were exterminated. 2.2 million died from forced labor in Germany. Hundreds of thousands of civilians fell victim to bombings of cities. In the blockade of Leningrad alone, according to various estimates, up to one million civilians died from hunger, disease, and shelling,” he said.

Alexander Khozin said the Nazis' attack on the Soviet Union was powerful and destructive. On 22 June, 1941, Russian faced the most combat-ready army in the world at that time, which employed the industrial military potential and economy of almost all of Europe.But, the enemy was confronted by the incredible courage and self-sacrifice of the Soviet people. They managed to accomplish what seemed impossible, both at the front and in the rearland.

In the shortest possible time, in the Russian regions remote from military operations, the production of weapons and ammunition was established, which began to arrive at the front during the first military winter, and by 1943, it exceeded the entire military production of Germany and its satellites.

Overcoming all difficulties and carrying out decisive battles, the Russian people eventually won the long-awaited Victory. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote in his message to Joseph Stalin on September 27, 1944, that "it was the Russian army that tore the guts out of the German military machine and is at the present moment holding by far the larger portion of the enemy on its front".

Indeed, while the Western allies defeated 176 Nazi divisions, the Soviet troops destroyed 607 divisions.

The peoples of the Soviet Union not only defeated Wehrmacht in its territory, but brought salvation and liberation to the peoples of Eastern and Central Europe. It came at a high price. 69 thousand Soviet soldiers died in Romania, 140 thousand in Hungary, 140 thousand in Czechoslovakia, 38 thousand gave their lives to free Vienna.

At the same time, “we remember and honor the joint efforts of the Allied Forces. April 25 marked the 80th anniversary of the legendary meeting of Soviet and American soldiers at the Elbe River. The Spirit of the Elbe is not just a figure of speech, but serves as a powerful example of how Russia and the United States can set aside their differences, build trust and work together on achieving a shared and noble goal.”

“We honor the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, we bow before their feat, we mourn the innocent victims of the fascist aggression. Any attempts to distort the historical truth, to whitewash Nazi criminals and their accomplices, to diminish the role of the Soviet people in the victorious end of the war are blasphemous and must be stopped,” said the Russian Ambassador.

In his speech, he said Russia was forced to launch the special military operation to prevent Ukraine, captured by a neo-Nazi regime, from becoming a forward base for aggression against our country. The goals of the special military operation will be achieved. The antihuman ideology will be uprooted and will cease to be a threat. This is our duty to the generation of victors in the Great Patriotic War.

The 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World War II is inextricably linked with the UN jubilee. It was the defeat of fascism, carried out with the decisive role of the USSR that laid the foundation for the modern architecture of international relations with the Universal Organization at its core.

“The UN retains its status as the key institutional structure of multilateral diplomacy. It is imperative to strictly adhere to the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, totality and interrelation. Attempts to replace its provisions with a "rules-based world order" are categorically unacceptable,” Alexander Khozin said.

The war has remained forever in the people's memory. These are bitter and at the same time heroic pages of our history, written in blood into the destinies of our nations. We will pass on the historical truth about the war and the memory of it, inherited from our ancestors, to our descendants, he said.

The reception programme was followed by colourful cultural programme consisted of the performance by the Russian folk ensemble "Obraz" brought to Dhaka by the National Group company. The repertoire included ballet and folk dances from different Russian regions.

The guests could also enjoy the exhibition "Way to Victory" with archive photos of the key events of the Great Patriotic war.