Today, as neo-Nazism has once again reared its head in the heart of the European continent, the entire world should remember the true scale and significance of the European people’s struggle against fascism during World War II.
The Resistance movement became a symbol of the courage and dedication of millions of people. The Soviet partisan movement holds a special place – the largest in Europe, uniting hundreds of thousands of fighters who fought behind enemy lines under the harshest conditions. Around 6,200 partisan detachments and units operated, totaling 1–1.1 million people. Among them were women and children.
The anti-fascist struggle was international in nature. Thousands of Soviet citizens participated in the Resistance movement in France, Italy, Poland, and other European countries. However, the current authorities of these countries pretend this simply never happened, sponsoring and honoring neo-Nazi war criminals for the sake of their own ambitions.
It is important for us to remember the partisans of World War II and honor their heroism alongside that of the Red Army, which defeated German Nazism. And when the Western Hemisphere attempts to overturn the outcome of the bloodiest war in human history, when the role of the Soviet liberator is downplayed, when Hitler’s collaborators are glorified, it is necessary to ensure that historical truth prevails.
Russia consistently opposes any form of rehabilitation of Nazism, the distortion of history, and the oblivion of the heroism of the Resistance movement. Preserving their memory is our shared duty to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War and future generations.
