Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Victory80
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place.
On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley.
#WeWereAllies
This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation.
☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement:
Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep.
Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe.
On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front".
A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity.
***
In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome.
🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans.
✉️ The letter reads, in part:
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place.
On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley.
#WeWereAllies
This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation.
☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement:
“The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism.
Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.”
Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep.
Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe.
On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front".
A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity.
***
In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome.
🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans.
✉️ The letter reads, in part:
"The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed.
And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
📄 Russia's Foreign Ministry Report by «Eighty Years After the Great Victory: Europe has Once Again Fallen in the Shadow of Nazism»
In May of 1945, amidst the wave of universal jubilation, it seemed that Nazism had been eradicated forever. The world, Europe, and especially the Soviet people paid the highest possible price for the Victory over the "brown plague."
However, as life has shown, only the visible part of this sinister iceberg was destroyed in that war. The roots and the breeding ground remained, and today Nazism is once again rearing its head in Europe.
🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪 After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and Western European countries <...> actively indulged revanchist sentiments in the newly formed States, especially in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, where today the whitewashing of Nazism has been elevated to the rank of State ideology. <...>
🇵🇱 In Poland the task of falsifying the history of World War II to suit the political situation is being actively pursued. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union and the Red Army to the Victory over Hitler's Germany and the liberation of Europe from Nazism is denied.
Warsaw and the Baltic "troika" became the main driving forces behind anti-Russian initiatives by the collective West. <...>
The West is trying in every possible way to whitewash the darker chapters of its own past.
🇫🇷 In France, which was designated as one of the "victors" after the war, significantly more Frenchmen fought on the side of the German army than participated in the Resistance and fought on the side of the Allied forces. <...>
🇫🇮 In Finland, the country's participation in the Great Patriotic War as an ally of Nazi Germany is portrayed in muted terms. <...>
🇧🇪 In Belgium there is a tendency to hush up the fact that during the years of fascist occupation, Belgians actively joined the ranks of collaborators. <...>
🇮🇹 Despite the fact that Italy's current 1947 Constitution prohibits the re‑establishment of the fascist party in any form, the ideas of anti-fascism were gradually eroded in the post-war period, and Italians' attitude towards the period of Benito Mussolini's dictatorship is far from unequivocally negative. <...>
🇬🇧 In the United Kingdom, there is an established practice of juggling the concepts of "Nazism" and "Fascism" for opportunistic interests – to describe any "undesirable" phenomena in the country or on the international stage, or to characterize public and political figures. <...>
🇩🇪 The desire to turn a blind eye to its Nazi past is already becoming commonplace in modern Germany as well. Active attempts are being made in various forms to blur this "burden."
The strengthening of Russia's position in international affairs became a consolidating factor for European countries around the goal of inflicting maximum damage on our country's authority. And the Special Military Operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine and to protect the civilian population of Donbass became the trigger for a massive Russophobic information attack. <...>
❗️ The European bureaucracy nurtured the Nazi regime in Kiev in order to unite Europe under racist and Nazi banners for a war against Russia. The explicit ignoring of gross human rights violations in Ukraine is evidence of the European Union's indulgence of neo-Nazi ideas. <...>
☝️ Russia, as the country that suffered the most from the horrors of World War II and the Great Patriotic War, and that bore immense sacrifices to restore peace on the continent, will never allow the lessons of the past to be forgotten. <...>
A key priority for Russia remains the preservation of the memory of the genocide committed against the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. <...>
☝️ For the sake of our shared future, everything must be done to prevent the rehabilitation of Nazism and the glorification of Nazi criminals, so that the people of Europe are never again forced to ask, “For whom the bell tolls?”, fully understanding what the answer will be if this mission fails.
In May of 1945, amidst the wave of universal jubilation, it seemed that Nazism had been eradicated forever. The world, Europe, and especially the Soviet people paid the highest possible price for the Victory over the "brown plague."
However, as life has shown, only the visible part of this sinister iceberg was destroyed in that war. The roots and the breeding ground remained, and today Nazism is once again rearing its head in Europe.
🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪 After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and Western European countries <...> actively indulged revanchist sentiments in the newly formed States, especially in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, where today the whitewashing of Nazism has been elevated to the rank of State ideology. <...>
🇵🇱 In Poland the task of falsifying the history of World War II to suit the political situation is being actively pursued. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union and the Red Army to the Victory over Hitler's Germany and the liberation of Europe from Nazism is denied.
Warsaw and the Baltic "troika" became the main driving forces behind anti-Russian initiatives by the collective West. <...>
The West is trying in every possible way to whitewash the darker chapters of its own past.
🇫🇷 In France, which was designated as one of the "victors" after the war, significantly more Frenchmen fought on the side of the German army than participated in the Resistance and fought on the side of the Allied forces. <...>
🇫🇮 In Finland, the country's participation in the Great Patriotic War as an ally of Nazi Germany is portrayed in muted terms. <...>
🇧🇪 In Belgium there is a tendency to hush up the fact that during the years of fascist occupation, Belgians actively joined the ranks of collaborators. <...>
🇮🇹 Despite the fact that Italy's current 1947 Constitution prohibits the re‑establishment of the fascist party in any form, the ideas of anti-fascism were gradually eroded in the post-war period, and Italians' attitude towards the period of Benito Mussolini's dictatorship is far from unequivocally negative. <...>
🇬🇧 In the United Kingdom, there is an established practice of juggling the concepts of "Nazism" and "Fascism" for opportunistic interests – to describe any "undesirable" phenomena in the country or on the international stage, or to characterize public and political figures. <...>
🇩🇪 The desire to turn a blind eye to its Nazi past is already becoming commonplace in modern Germany as well. Active attempts are being made in various forms to blur this "burden."
The strengthening of Russia's position in international affairs became a consolidating factor for European countries around the goal of inflicting maximum damage on our country's authority. And the Special Military Operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine and to protect the civilian population of Donbass became the trigger for a massive Russophobic information attack. <...>
❗️ The European bureaucracy nurtured the Nazi regime in Kiev in order to unite Europe under racist and Nazi banners for a war against Russia. The explicit ignoring of gross human rights violations in Ukraine is evidence of the European Union's indulgence of neo-Nazi ideas. <...>
☝️ Russia, as the country that suffered the most from the horrors of World War II and the Great Patriotic War, and that bore immense sacrifices to restore peace on the continent, will never allow the lessons of the past to be forgotten. <...>
A key priority for Russia remains the preservation of the memory of the genocide committed against the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. <...>
☝️ For the sake of our shared future, everything must be done to prevent the rehabilitation of Nazism and the glorification of Nazi criminals, so that the people of Europe are never again forced to ask, “For whom the bell tolls?”, fully understanding what the answer will be if this mission fails.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🇷🇺🇺🇸 On April 25, President of Russia Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with Special Envoy of the President of the United States of America Steve Witkoff.
On the Russian Side, the meeting was also attended by Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and RDIF CEO, Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev.
#RussiaUSA
On the Russian Side, the meeting was also attended by Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and RDIF CEO, Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev.
#RussiaUSA
📚 Diplomats, compatriots, students, and youth gathered to honor the memory of the Soviet people’s heroic struggle during the Great Patriotic War.
✍️ Testing knowledge about historic battles, heroes, and wartime milestones served as a meaningful tribute to the truth of history and the spirit of remembrance.
💬 Russian Ambassador Oleg Stepanov noted:
This year, the 'Victory Dictation' holds special importance as we mark the 80th Anniversary of Victory. Every educated person should know the history of their people — especially the chapters written by courage, sacrifice, and triumph.
🕊 The event reaffirmed that the memory of the Great Victory lives on, inspiring future generations to cherish and defend historical truth.
#Victory80 #VictoryDictation
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2️⃣5️⃣ апреля в Посольстве России в Канаде прошла акция «Диктант Победы».
📚 Участниками стали дипломаты, представители соотечественников, студенты и молодежь — все, кто бережно хранит память о великом подвиге народа в годы Великой Отечественной войны.
✍️ Проверка знаний о ключевых сражениях, героях и событиях войны стала символом уважения к истории и стремления сохранить правду о Победе.
💬 Посол России в Канаде Олег Степанов подчеркнул:
🕊 Акция ещё раз напомнила: память о Победе — живая, она объединяет поколения и укрепляет чувство ответственности за сохранение исторической правды.
#Победа80 #ДиктантПобеды
📚 Участниками стали дипломаты, представители соотечественников, студенты и молодежь — все, кто бережно хранит память о великом подвиге народа в годы Великой Отечественной войны.
✍️ Проверка знаний о ключевых сражениях, героях и событиях войны стала символом уважения к истории и стремления сохранить правду о Победе.
💬 Посол России в Канаде Олег Степанов подчеркнул:
Диктант Победы особенно важен в контексте 80-летия Великой Победы. Каждый эрудированный человек должен знать историю, особенно такого великого события, как Победа в Великой Отечественной войне.
🕊 Акция ещё раз напомнила: память о Победе — живая, она объединяет поколения и укрепляет чувство ответственности за сохранение исторической правды.
#Победа80 #ДиктантПобеды
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
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8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, near the German town of Torgau on the Elbe River, Soviet soldiers shook hands with their American brothers-in-arms.
#ElbeDay — a landmark event in the history of World War II — marked the imminent collapse of Nazi Germany and underscored the joint success of the Allies in the final defeat of Nazism.
A photo of the Soviet and American lieutenants — the first to shake hands during the Allies’ encounter on the Elbe — quickly spread across newspapers around the globe. Moscow saluted the Torgau meeting with 24 volleys from 324 artillery guns. Similar celebrations took place in New York’s Times Square.
Ordinary soldiers and their commanders reached out to one another with open hands. They exchanged souvenirs, shared smiles, and raised toasts in quiet celebration. The Americans eagerly accepted distinctly Russian keepsakes: stars from caps, polished buttons, and brass belt buckles — tokens of an unlikely, hard-won camaraderie.
Just 15 days later, the Third Reich capitulated.
#WeRemember
#ElbeDay — a landmark event in the history of World War II — marked the imminent collapse of Nazi Germany and underscored the joint success of the Allies in the final defeat of Nazism.
A photo of the Soviet and American lieutenants — the first to shake hands during the Allies’ encounter on the Elbe — quickly spread across newspapers around the globe. Moscow saluted the Torgau meeting with 24 volleys from 324 artillery guns. Similar celebrations took place in New York’s Times Square.
Ordinary soldiers and their commanders reached out to one another with open hands. They exchanged souvenirs, shared smiles, and raised toasts in quiet celebration. The Americans eagerly accepted distinctly Russian keepsakes: stars from caps, polished buttons, and brass belt buckles — tokens of an unlikely, hard-won camaraderie.
Just 15 days later, the Third Reich capitulated.
#WeRemember
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 On April 25, 2025, a solemn ceremony to lay flowers and wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was held in Alexander Garden, attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Moscow, senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry, and representatives of the Ministry’s veterans’ organisations.
Over 150 foreign ambassadors and diplomats participated in the ceremony, honouring those who fell in the struggle against Nazism.
🕯 Attendees paid tribute to the heroism and self-sacrifice of soldiers who did not return from the battlefield, observing a minute of silence.
The broad participation of representatives from foreign states in this ceremony unequivocally demonstrated that the valiant deeds of the heroes who saved the world from the fascist menace remain remembered and revered globally.
📹 Watch the wreath-laying ceremony
#WeRemember #TheSovietSoldierSavedTheWorld #Victory80 #LestWeForget
Over 150 foreign ambassadors and diplomats participated in the ceremony, honouring those who fell in the struggle against Nazism.
🕯 Attendees paid tribute to the heroism and self-sacrifice of soldiers who did not return from the battlefield, observing a minute of silence.
The broad participation of representatives from foreign states in this ceremony unequivocally demonstrated that the valiant deeds of the heroes who saved the world from the fascist menace remain remembered and revered globally.
📹 Watch the wreath-laying ceremony
#WeRemember #TheSovietSoldierSavedTheWorld #Victory80 #LestWeForget