DEFEND OUR VICTORY: THE FIGHT AGAINST THE FALSIFICATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR IN RUSSIA TODAY

Abstract

This country has celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. Over the past years the political struggle over the historical interpretation of the War is becoming more and more violent. Unfortunately we are not at the forefront of this struggle. The problem is not just that foreign historians and politicians attempt to seize the initiative in this struggle but that our domestic historians, at times, do assume attitudes that are not assertive enough. This is due to both objective an subjective reasons. But what matters most is that we all are getting farther from this important historic event and the younger generation, given that they get knowledge about the Great Patriotic War based only on books and movies, not always able to make an objective assessment to these far-off events. Modern politicians present it differently as well, sometimes for certain political or tactical reasons. We have seen, how the presidents of Ukraine, Poland and some other politicians make “judgments” on the World War II. With celebration of further anniversaries, one can feel, how judgments and approaches to this important event are gradually changing. The countries that have once been our allies in this war had significantly reconsidered a history. This is proved by the very fact that official representatives of the USA, Great Britain and some other countries, which have fought against fascist aggression, have not attended the celebration of our shared Victory over fascism. Though the major conclusion from those tragic events should be that robust political forces in the world, despite ideological controversies, and differences in economic settings and political systems can unite if any threat to mankind emerges.