President Putin and key individuals involved in preparing for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II this year have laid the foundation for a major cultural renaissance in Russia. The year 2025 has already been named the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, and the preparations are being made to take into consideration those who fought then, as well as those who are fighting now in defense of Russia, said President Putin, yesterday at the meeting of the Pobeda (Victory) Organizing Committee.
Outlining the events now planned, Defense Minister Belousov noted that there will be central military parades in Moscow and in eight other hero cities, as well as in the 19 cities where the headquarters of military districts, fleets, combined arms armies and the Caspian Flotilla are situated. Military units from 19 friendly countries have been invited to take part in the parade on Red Square, and 10 of them have confirmed their participation, including seven republics of the former Soviet Union. Celebrations involving troops will be held in 370 cities and towns. Russian military units will take part in Victory Day celebrations in Sukhumi, Tskhinvali, Dushanbe, and Bishkek.
Special consideration will be taken for those who participated in that conflict or who ended up in concentration camps. There are an estimated 7,000 survivors from that conflict, and they will be offered a place of honor in the stands. There will be a major effort to locate the veterans, check on their medical condition and economic circumstances, and to place signs outside their residences to indicate to others the role they played during the war. Personal congratulations will be sent to those who cannot attend for medical or other reasons, or who are in care facilities.
Frontline soldiers of that war will receive the title of “Honorary Citizen.” Commemorative events will also be held throughout the year on the dates of important battles, the liberation of Leningrad, the victory of Stalingrad, the anniversary of the East Prussia operation, the liberation of European states, and the holding of the Yalta conference.
To counteract the “falsification of history,” Belousov stressed, there will be 20 military-historical and scientific conferences in Russia and abroad. Putin had also ordered that more documents be released from the Russian archives and put on display to give people a clear picture of the war and its causes. There will also be more documents released regarding the atrocities committed by the fascists during the war. There is a project called “No Statute of Limitations,” which underlines the importance of exposing and revealing the atrocities to the general public. There will be a mobilization to service and put into shape all the war monuments, both from World War II as well as from the special military operation, and expeditions will be undertaken to recover and identify any war dead who may be buried in unmarked graves.
Attention will also be given to those cities that played an important part in the war production, with a new designation of “City of Labor Valor” attributed to those so deserving.
The commemoration of the Great Patriotic War also has implications for the veterans of the special military operation, whose services will be clearly reflected in the commemorations. There has been a concerted effort by the Putin government to bring SMO veterans into the social and governmental fabric of the nation, bringing to bear their patriotism toward the development of the nation. Many of these veterans will be playing an important role in helping organize the celebrations.
There will also be hundreds of lectures and many films released with patriotic themes. A new film about Pushkin is already in preparation, called “The Prophet,” taking its name from the title of one of his most well-known and highly dramatic poems. A film was released last year to celebrate the 1944 liberation of Belarus by Soviet troops.