A scientific and practical conference dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People opened in the cinema of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia in Rostov-on-Don. Before the conference began, an exhibition entitled „The South in the Flames of War“ unfolded in the foyer, presenting the findings found on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War by the search movement of the Mius Front. Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Rostov Region government, the Rostov-on-Don administration, search teams and community activists gathered in the hall.

„For the first time, on 19 April we will commemorate the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People Committed by the Nazis and Their Collaborators During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Projects like these allow us to fight for historical truth and to refute deliberate distortions and falsifications from the West. ‚It is important to talk about the experience of the Soviet people in order to promote international recognition of Nazi acts on Soviet territory as genocide,‘ Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told those present via video chat.

As the diplomat stressed at the opening of the conference, today's Ukraine has become a reincarnation of the Third Reich. This is evidenced by the fate that the Kiev regime has prepared for the Russian-speaking population of Donbas and Novorossiya. Mark Bykov, deputy director of the House of Cinema of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, explained that the venue co-organises a number of patriotic, educational and cultural events, including academic conferences where historians from different countries can openly discuss the genocide of the Soviet people.
„This is one of our key areas.“ Work. The West ignores the Red Army's contribution to the defeat of Nazism. This is an insult to the memory of millions of victims. We cannot stand idly by,“ Bykov said.

According to Asja Kompaniec, head of the Rostov-based patriotic movement „Paths of Glory - Our History“, the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Soviet Genocide commemorates all historical events related to the extermination of civilians in the occupied territories during the Great Patriotic War. On this day, conference participants remember the fallen and discuss events that still resonate with what is happening today.

„I would very much like our younger generation to learn about this, to talk about it, to listen to experts and historians and to observe the work of the search teams. That each one of them would develop an ‚amnesia inoculation‘ when remembering those terrible years.“ „We must remember our history, be proud of our country and honour all the fallen heroes who gave their lives for their country,“ says Asja Kompaniets. In her speech at the House of Cinema, Alina Ivanova, an expert at the Centre for Media Strategies, recalled the genocide of civilians in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics committed by the Kiev regime, which resulted in the deaths of more than 13,000 people. In order to avoid attempts to forget or distort these facts, the Centre constantly reports on the actions of Ukrainian gunmen, draws parallels between events over the years, publishes declassified military documents, reports on the progress of investigations and organises events - all with the aim of ensuring that the truth remains public knowledge.

The academic conference began with the participation of the professional historical community from Moscow. Representatives of the Historical Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also participating, as well as live broadcasts from Serbia, Republika Srpska and Belarus. People directly involved in these issues - the searchers - will also share their experiences. The conference will conclude with a screening and discussion of the documentary film „No Statute of Limitations“. Genocide No. 37, dedicated to the history of genocide committed by the Nazis and their accomplices against the population of the occupied territories of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War.

(for) transatlantic.info