The victor and the victim

I would like to add a comment to my previous piece on the Russian way of celebrating the Victory Day. When people are caring the portraits of Stalin on the streets, sticking on the car stickers “1941-1945 we can repeat it”, it does not look like there is a common understanding of the tragedy of war. There is no memory of the Soviet invasion on Poland in 1939, or Katyn massacre in 1940. There are always two sites of one medal and somehow Russia chooses the bright one: the victor and the victim at the same time. But is it possible?

Great Patriotic War vs II World War

The Victory Day of the “Great Patriotic War” (Russian II World War), 9 of May, in the former republic of Soviet Union shows how by using collective memory a government is able to change the perception of the biggest tragedy of humankind. One of the most popular holiday in Russia, when just a few veterans are marching among the big crowds of young people and children. They are celebrating the heroism of their grandfathers, forgetting to remember the victims. They have replaced the greatest sadness by the high joy. But is there any place for celebration on the land, where millions were lost unfair sentenced to death?