74th anniversary of victory over fascism celebrated

In celebration of the 74th anniversary since the victory over fascism, which ended the sufferings of many and ceased the killing of millions of people, the Russian Embassy on Thursday commemorated this milestone with the Guyanese community.

During World War Two, the Soviets were the first to reach the German capital of Berlin, which caused Germany to surrender in May of 1945, shortly after the suicide of Adolf Hitler. As a result of this, the Russians attained victory over fascism, which ceased the suffering of all.
Shortly after Germany surrendered, the Nazi regime was systematically dismantled through the allied powers. From 1945 to 1949, many Nazi leaders were convicted of war crimes for which they received the death penalty. This restored peace among many countries which were fighting for freedom.
At the Theatre Guild, Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Alexander Kurmaz, briefly explained that this day is seen as a medium to pay respect to the ancestors, martyrs and heroes who sacrificed their lives to fight fascism.
“Our task, personal and historic at the same time, (is) not only to hold in remembrance that incredible feat, but also to tell people the truth about the real events of those years, about the role of the Soviet people and the Red Army in the victory over fascism.”
The ambassador said the Soviet Union had experienced a great deal of adversity, and there was mass destruction across the nation.
“None of the peoples experienced such a scale of horror of war as our country, the Soviet Union. The enemy rushed on our earth, for years killed our family, burned our houses; and in no mercy, destroyed our schools, museums, temples, monuments, plants, factories, hospitals…In this war, the question was raised ambiguously, ‘to die or win?’ And the Soviet people not only resisted, but also made a decisive contribution to a common victory over fascism,” the ambassador said.
World War Two lasted for 2,195 days, and 61 countries participated. It is said that the Soviet Union lost 26.6 million people during the war. China lost some 11.3 million, Germany lost over seven million, Japan lost 1.8 million, and Poland lost 6.85 million.
Great Britain, the United States of America and the French and Dutch empires also suffered losses.
Last year, the Russian Embassy commemorated this day with a photographic exhibition held at the National Library, wherein was captured images before, during and after the war.