Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
THE Russian Federation commemorated the 80th anniversary of Victory Day this Friday, marking eight decades since the end of the Second World War. This solemn occasion honours the immense sacrifices made during the war while promoting the importance of unity and historical integrity.
In Zimbabwe, the Russian Embassy hosted a commemorative ceremony in Harare on Saturday, bringing together diplomats, government officials, and citizens to remember the heroism of World War II veterans.
“When we bow our heads in memory of our grandfathers the Soviet people for their heroism and sacrifice, we remember and honour the courageous people of China, the glorious partisans of Serbia, the gallant members of the French Resistance, governments, servicemen and common people of the Allied Nations, the United Kingdom and the United States in the forefront, who fought the German Nazis, the Italian fascist and Japanese militarists and supplied the Soviet Union with arms, ammunition, food, raw materials and even military intelligence.
“We pay tribute to one million Africans who fought the aggressors in Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya, as well as in Europe. So, the event we celebrate today matters for all of us. The Victory in the Great Patriotic War in May facilitated the end of the Second World War in September 1945. Such an outcome made it possible for the United Nations to be established. And the United Nations contributed significantly to the triumph of the liberation movement across the globe, including in Africa,” Russian Federation Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Nikolai Krasilnikov said.
The government says the tribute in remembrance of the lives lost on Victory Day inspires the world to come together in unity for a better future.
“Today we pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of all those who endured the judgement of all soldiers and civilians alive. From many nations who together faced the challenges of those difficult years, their resilience and determination helped bring about the end of hostilities and laid the foundation for a new generation, a new era of international cooperation. As we reflect on the lessons of history, let us reaffirm our shared commitment to dialogue and understanding, the peaceful resolution of differences.
“The legacy of Victory Day is not only about remembering the past but also about inspiring us to work together for a future of stability, prosperity and mutual respect. Let us honour the memory of those who gave their lives and let us strive to build a world where such sacrifices are never again required,” the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Honourable Sheilla Chikomo said.
“As we reflect on this history, we acknowledge the lessons it imparted on us and the lessons it imparted particularly on our youth today. These are lessons of bravery, perseverance, and the importance of standing for what is right. Let no one change that history. Let no one rewrite the facts. In Zimbabwe, we celebrate our youth as the backbone of our nation, as the vanguard,” Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Honourable Kudakwashe Mupamhanga said.
“Some of the political members here were also in the war for liberation. They sacrificed their youthfulness for our independence. The youth are the torchbearers of our present and our future, and they carry with them the dreams and aspirations of generations. So our youth today in Zimbabwe should learn from and value the sacrifices made by Russian youth during the Second World War.
Embassies of China, Belarus, and Serbia also expressed their solidarity with the Russian Federation.
“China stands in solidarity with Russia and its history. The attendance of the victory day celebrations to Moscow by my President Xi Jinping is testament to this solidarity between our two countries and people,” Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding said.
“A total of 1.3 million Belarusians fought in great army. Another 400 000 partisans and underground fighters fought against the invaders behind enemy lines. Within the framework of the ongoing investigation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people during World War II, more and more facts of the crimes of Nazi Germany and its European allies are being established.
“Against this background, we consider attempts to rewrite history. Whitewash Nazism, glorify the Nazis, and their compliance is absolutely inadmissible and the fact that nowadays modern Germany does not recommend at the official level to invite representatives of Belarus and Russia to participate in commemorative events is an outright shame and the spit on the face of millions of citizens of our countries, whose ancestors gave their lives for the liberation of Europe from fascism,” Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of Belarus, Mr Roman Kozyr said.
“Preserving the memory of the great heat of arms of the people who resisted fascism is the key to the non-repetition of new large-scale bloody wars and conflicts. You know, when you touch historical documents, photos, movie footage, you are completely immersed in the terrible reality of that hardship, when the people of the USSR had to fight survival every minute,” Ambassador of Serbia to Zimbabwe, Radisa Grujic said.
Zimbabwe enjoys cordial relations with the Russian Federation and the attendance to the Victory Day parade in the Kremlin’s Red Square and subsequent meetings between Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vladimir Putin further cement these ties which date back to days of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
