Victory Day is a sacred and deeply significant holiday not just for Russia, but for many former Soviet republics, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the international forum “Great Legacy – Shared Future.”
“In Russia, as in many countries of the former Soviet Union, Victory Day is one of the most meaningful and revered holidays,” Putin stated. “During the war, our peoples endured immense hardships together, defended their independence and future. The defeat of Nazism is our shared legacy.”
Putin also announced that Russia expects leaders from a number of countries to attend the celebrations in Moscow. “We greatly value the fact that military contingents from many of the nations represented here will march side by side with Russian troops on Red Square during the Victory Parade,” he said.
The Russian president paid tribute to the bravery and resilience of the Red Army and the unity of the Soviet people, calling them an unbreakable force. He noted the symbolic significance of hosting the forum in a “hero city where the fate of the world was truly decided”—a reference to Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). “It was here, on the banks of the Volga, that the enemy was halted and crushed. The Nazi war machine suffered a decisive blow, a turning point was reached, and the road to Berlin and the Great Victory was opened,” Putin emphasized, referring to the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II on May 9.
He also mentioned visiting the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, where the two leaders reflected on the heroism of the defenders of Stalingrad. “They fought to the death—like the heroes of Brest Fortress, the defenders of Minsk, Leningrad, Sevastopol, and other cities and frontlines,” Putin said.
He praised the forum’s organization, noting it had brought together parliamentary leaders, public figures, scholars, and experts from around 20 countries—including from Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He thanked Lukashenko for attending and emphasized that participants had held productive discussions on important themes such as preserving historical memory, shared moral values, and educating younger generations in a spirit of patriotism and civic duty.
“I am confident that these core principles are shared not only in Russia and Belarus, but across the countries represented at this forum,” Putin concluded.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS