Russian President Vladimir Putin has underscored the sacred memory of Russia's victory over Nazism in World War II, marking the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day. His message was read aloud by Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar during a commemorative ceremony held at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow.
In his greeting, Putin acknowledged the immense grief and suffering caused by the Second World War, the enormous sacrifices made by Russia's ancestors for the country's freedom, independence, and victory over Nazism. He highlighted the moral judgement passed on those responsible for heinous crimes against humanity.
"Fidelity to these lessons, preserving the memory of the tragedy of war is a principled position of our state and society, the entire multinational people of Russia. This memory is sacred to us," Putin stated.
The Russian president recalled the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army in January 1945, which shocked the world with new evidence of the Holocaust's horrors. He noted the tragic fate of millions of Jews, Roma, Russians, and others who were executed for their culture, language, or origin.
Putin stressed the significance of active citizenship and the diligent work of all those striving to uphold historical truth, restore the names of fighters, biographies of concentration camp prisoners, and victims of Nazi punishers. He separately thanked the Russian Jewish community for their significant contributions to this cause.
"I hope that this meeting will serve to consolidate society around the values of humanism, harmony, and civil peace," Putin concluded.
January 27 marks the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date was chosen as it was on this day in 1945 that Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, located in Poland. Over 1.1 million people, including approximately 1 million Jews, were killed there during the operation of the concentration camp.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS