Day of Remembrance vs. Victory Day

Last weekend’s worldwide observances and festivities were as varied as many countries’ and nations’ characters and governments are different. The United States staged a relatively peaceful observance of the end of World War II by honoring veterans and flying the original WWII airplanes. In Paris, France, and other capitals, the ceremonies were also more of remembrance and reconciliation, including honoring the veterans still with us and the fallen, and the laying of flowers.

    Russian Federation President Putin went out of his way to have thousands of military units and most modern military hardware parading in Moscow to demonstrate Russia’s might. The publicity, including speeches, emphasized the role of Russians in defeating Nazi Germany and either ignoring or minimizing the role of the U.S. and its “land lease” without which the Soviet Army would not be able to continue to fight, and the role of other ethnic groups constituting the Soviet Union.

    Ukraine, once a member of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, now engaged in a de facto war with Russian Federation represented by terrorist bands and Russian military “volunteers” in the southeastern part of Ukraine, chose to recognize WWII on the “Day of Remembrance” without military parades.

    The Russian Federation and its predecessor central government of the Soviet Union over the years minimized the role of Ukrainians and Ukraine’s sacrifices during WWII. Between 8 million and 10 million Ukrainians lost their lives in WWII skirmishes, more than the total loss of U.S., Canada, Great Britain and France combined, not counting the loss of millions of civilians. It was never mentioned that a disproportionate percentage of high officers and generals of the Red (eventually renamed the Soviet Army) were Ukrainians, including Gen. Kuzma Derevyanko, who signed Japan’s capitulation act. The name of Ukrainian Soviet Army Officer Oleksiy Berest, who posted the Soviet flag over Reichstag in Berlin, was crossed off the list of personnel to be honored by Gen. Zhukov personally, because Berest was “khakhol” (a derogatory Russian name for Ukrainians).

    There was never any mentioning of the Ukrainian Soviet Army units liberating the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz, or the fact that thousands of Ukrainians had fought Nazism in military components of the U.S., Great Britain, France, Canada and Poland. Ukrainians fought heroically and eventually victoriously in the bloodiest battle of WWII in Monte Casino in Italy as members of the Polish Army Second Corps.

    Ukrainian observances of the end of WWII including the solemn commemorative session of Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament), with President Petro Poroshenko delivering the main address, and many non-military parades throughout the country on May 8-10 in observance of Mother’s Day. In many cities parade participants displayed signs taunting Putin, such as “Our grandfathers defeated Hitler, we will defeat Putler” (popular derogatory name for Putin). In L’viv and other cities, the streets and plazas were flooded by women and girls parading in the traditional beautifully embroidered attire.

    On Monday, massive gatherings took place in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and small gatherings in Moscow and several other Russian cities, to demand freedom for Ukrainian Air Force Lt. Nadia Savchenko, illegally kept in Moscow’s prison. Monday was Nadia’s birthday.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn