Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and guests of the memorial ceremony commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day and marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of prisoners from the Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oswiecim) concentration camp by the Red Army.
The message reads, in part:
“International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a solemn occasion of profound moral and humanitarian significance. In January 1945, the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp, unveiling to the world the horrifying truth of the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their collaborators, who annihilated millions of Jews, Russians, Roma, and people of many other nationalities. We will always honour the memory of the Soviet soldiers who defeated this horrific, all-encompassing evil and secured a Victory whose magnitude will forever be etched in the annals of world history.
The citizens of Russia are the direct descendants and heirs of the victorious generation. We will steadfastly and resolutely oppose any attempts to alter the legal and moral judgment passed on the Nazi executioners and their collaborators. We are committed to protecting the rights of individuals to their ethnic, linguistic, and spiritual identity, while actively fighting against the spread of anti-Semitism, Russophobia, and other forms of racist ideologies.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who remain dedicated to preserving historical truth and combatting neo-Nazi revanchism. Their contributions, driven by a deep sense of purpose, play a crucial role in this significant work, which is especially important in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.
I hope that the Russian Jewish community and the organisers of the traditional memorial events for International Holocaust Remembrance Day will continue their multifaceted efforts to promote the values of humanism, harmony, and civil peace.”