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🕊️🇷🇺 On Victory Day, May 9, "Times of Malta" published an article by the Ambassador of Russia to Malta, Andrey Lopukhov, dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, its enduring historical significance, and the power of shared memory to unite generations and nations. 📖 Read the article here. #VictoryDay#GreatVictory#Victory81

🗓#OnThisDay in 1984, Hero of the Russian Federation, Air Force Major Roman Filipov was born. At school, Roman Filipov dreamt of a career in the Air Force, following in his father’s footsteps. After completing his 11-year secondary education, he enrolled in the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School. ✈️ At the age of 18, he was assigned to the 187th Guards Air Assault Regiment based in the village of Chernigovka, the Primorye Territory. He quickly rose through the ranks, starting as a senior pilot and eventually becoming deputy air squadron commander at an assault air regiment of the Eastern Military District. He was then deployed to the Air Group of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria. Upon arrival, he took part in military operations as a flight commander, piloting Sukhoi Su-25SM ground-attack aircraft. Roman Filipov was an ace Class 1 Pilot and frequently participated in Russia’s national Aviadarts exercises. His total flying time was 1,300 hours as he completed 80 combat sorties. ▪️ He perished in the line of duty in Syria on February 3, 2018, while returning to base after a fly-by over the Idlib de-escalation zone. His Su-25SM was shot down by terrorists using a portable surface-to-air missile system. He tried to keep his plane airborne, diverting it from houses on the ground. Once he successfully accomplished this, he ejected from the aircraft. He was encircled by militants on the ground, conducted an unequal battle against the enemy, became severely injured, and, when the enemy forces approached him at minimum distance, exploded himself with a grenade, shouting: “This is for our guys!”. 🎖 Major Roman Filipov was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously) for his heroism, courage and bravery in the performance of military duty. #WeRemember

Благодарю Глеба Отчика-Председателя Союза Художников Белоруссии 💚❤️🤍🖼️🖼️🖼️ За приглашение на два культурных мероприятия в красивейшем праздничном Минске Во Дворец Искусств И в Белорусский Государственный Академический Музыкальный Театр 🎼🎹 На мероприятия, Посвященные 80-летию Победы В Великой Отечественной Войне 🕊️❤️‍🔥🔥 #Belarus #Minsk #LiubovBarykina #Art #Culture #9May

🌹 On May 9, 2026, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin. The event was attended by Russian Ambassador to Germany S.Yu. Nechayev, Defense Attaché Colonel A.A. Andreyev, staff of the Russian diplomatic mission, including the Department for the Perpetuation of the Memory of Those Who Died in Defense of the Fatherland, the Trade Mission, the Russian House in Berlin, and students from the Embassy School. 🌐Representatives of the military-diplomatic corps of the CIS countries honored our shared memory of the heroism of Soviet soldiers. 🕯 Activists from German public organizations involved in memorial work and concerned local residents paid tribute to the Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our homeland, for a world without Nazism. 🔹 The Tiergarten Memorial is one of the largest Soviet military cemeteries in Berlin, containing the remains of approximately 2,500 servicemen. Its construction began immediately after the end of the war by decision of the Military Council of the 1st Belorussian Front in memory of the Soviet soldiers and officers who fell in the bloody battles to capture the city. The monument's unveiling took place on November 11, 1945. #Victory81#Germany#Berlin

🗓 On January 23, 1930, Tanya Savicheva, a schoolgirl who kept a diary during the Siege of Leningrad, marking the days and hours of her relatives’ death, was born. She grew up in Leningrad together with her elder sisters Yevgenia (Zhenya) and Nina and her brothers Leonid (Lyoka) and Mikhail. Their father died in 1936. In late May 1941, Tanya finished the third grade. When the Great Patriotic War broke out the family stayed in Leningrad, working in the rear, doing everything they could to help the Red Army. On September 8, 1941, the Siege of Leningrad commenced. According to Hitler’s plans, all its residents were supposed to die. 📖 One day, Tanya found a notebook her elder sister left behind. It was in that notebook that she made her short and horribly tragic entries, which make your heart ache: • Zhenya died on December 28 at 12 noon, 1941. • Grandma died on January 25 at 3 pm, 1942. • Lyoka died on March 17 at 5 in the morning, 1942. • Uncle Vasya died on April 13 at 2 in the morning, 1942. • Uncle Lyosha, May 10, at 4 in the afternoon, 1942. • Mom, May 13 at 7:30 in the morning, 1942. • The Savichevs are dead. • Everyone is dead. • Only Tanya is left. Keeping the diary helped Tanya cope with anxiety, fear, and loss. Amid hunger, constant shelling, bombings, and the death of her loved ones, the piece of paper and pencil became a form of self-comfort and support. After her mother’s death, the severely ill Tanya lived in an orphanage, which was evacuated to the Gorky region in August 1942. She fought for her life for almost two years. In March 1944, Tanya, who was diagnosed with bone tuberculosis, scurvy, dystrophy, nervous exhaustion and blindness, was transported to a nursing home. She succumbed, worn out by her diseases. 🕯 Tanya Savicheva passed away on July 1, 1944, at the age of 14. The only Savichevs who survived the war were her sister Nina, who was registered as missing, and her brother Mikhail, who joined the partisans. Nina, upon returning to Leningrad, found Tanya’s diary. In 1946, the public saw Tanya’s diary at the exhibition about the heroic defence of Leningrad. In 1953, the diary was transferred to the Museum of the History of Leningrad (St Petersburg), where it has been kept since then. Tanya Savicheva’s diary is one of many heartbreaking testimonies of the Great Patriotic War, Nazi crimes, and the inhuman trials endured by the Soviet people. Tanya became a symbol of true courage and the tragedy of besieged Leningrad. #WeRemember#NoStatuteOfLimitations

🕯 June 22 marks the Day of Memory and Sorrow in Russia. At dawn on June 2️⃣2️⃣, 1941, enemy aviation launched massive attacks on airfields, railway stations, Soviet naval bases and numerous cities along the entire western state border to a depth of up to 250-300 km. This opened one of the most tragic chapters in our country’s history. The Great Patriotic War broke out. Hitler had a lightning war in mind. Operation Barbarossa implied a crushing defeat of the Red Army and the defeat of the Soviet Union within a few months with the help of the hitherto faultless blitzkrieg tactics. Romania, Italy and other countries joined Germany to form a united front against the Soviet Union. However, the Red Army’s fierce resistance and the efforts of all Soviet people foiled the Third Reich’s plans. 🎙 The news about German invasion and the beginning of the war was announced over the radio. At noon on June 22 the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs V.Molotov addressed the Soviet citizens with a phrase that went down in history: “Ours is a righteous cause. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours”. The Great Patriotic War lasted 1418 days and nights and ended on May 9, 1945 with the victory of the Soviet Union and the complete rout of the Nazi bloc. ❗️ The Soviet people perished amounts to 40% of all human losses in WWII, i.e. 26.6 million people! Of them, more than 8.7 million died in combat, 7.42 million were intentionally exterminated by the Nazis in the occupied territories, and over 4.1 million died from the atrocious conditions of the occupation regime. • Since 2009, the day marked by the Candle of Memory nationwide action. Candles are lit throughout Russia in the silence of the night in memory of all those who died during the Great Patriotic War protecting our peaceful life. Since 2020, an annual nationwide minute of silence has been held at 12:15 Moscow time the exact time when the Soviet government announced Nazi Germany’s invasion. 🔗Read our full material for more information #Victory79#WeRemember

🗓 On October 14, 1943, the only successful mass uprising in the Nazi death camp took place in Sobibor. Red Army Lieutenant Alexander Pechersky, a prisoner himself, led the inmates to their successful escape. 🕯 Sobibor was one of the death camps created exclusively for the extermination of people the Nazis considered inferior. At Sobibor, 250,000 people were mercilessly gassed or shot . Prisoners were tortured, starved and subjected to medical experiments. The victims were predominantly Polish Jews, though many were brought from Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands. At the time of the uprising, there were approximately 550 prisoners in the camp. They considered the arrival of the Soviet prisoners of war, including Alexander Pechersky, as a source of inspiration. One of the survivors, Kalmen Wewryk, later wrote in his memoirs: They had combat experience and knew everything there was to know about rifles, bullets, etc. They did not hesitate to engage in close combat. Pechersky literally exuded authority and confidence. Although many perished in the attempt, 300 prisoners managed to escape. Unfortunately, Polish peasants turned most of them in to the Nazis, whereupon the Ukrainian collaborationists executed them by firing squad. The Sobibor case formed part of the charges against Nazi criminals at the Nuremberg Trials, and the accounts of eyewitnesses and participants in the uprising have become the basis of numerous books and several feature films. #Victory79#WeRemember

#Victory81 🌟 On May 8, 1949, the iconic monument in the Soviet War Memorial in #TreptowerPark in Berlin — aka the Soldier-Liberator — was unveiled, right there, at the sacred site of the mass grave of 7'000 Red Army soldiers and officers who perished in the fierce Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945. This iconic #WW2-era memorial is one of the most worldwide recognizable symbol of the Soviet people’s Great Victory over Nazism. The bronze statue of a Soviet soldier, carefully holding a rescued German girl to his chest and breaking the Nazi swastika with his sword, embodies the noble mission of the Red Army, which liberated Europe from the shackles of Hitler's occupation and put #WWII to its final end. Inside the foundation of the #LiberatorSoldier monument, there is a memorial hall crowned with images of the Order of Victory. Adorning the wall, there is an inscription: Today, it is globally acknowledged that, through their selfless struggle, the Soviet people saved European civilisation from annihilation by fascists. This stands as the Soviet peoples' historic feat for humanity. *** The architectural design of the memorial in Treptower Park commemorates the heroic deed of Red Army soldier Nikolay Masalov. On April 30, 1945, during the fierce street combat in Berlin, the Red Army soldier risked his life to rescue a three-year-old German girl from Nazi gunfire. The memorial complex took three years to build, from 1946 to 1949. The project was coordinated by famous Soviet monumental sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, architect Yakov Belopolsky and artist Anatoly Gorpenko. The very site for the future monument in Berlin was chosen for a particular reason. Treptower Park, located along the Spree River, had been a cherished public park for Berliners. The architects envisioned the memorial as an enduring testament to remind to future generations of who had truly defeated the Third Reich and brought back freedom to the German people and all European nations. The historical importance of the memorial in preserving the memory of the Soviet soldiers’ heroism can be seen in the architects' note for the initial sketches for the Soviet monuments in Berlin. The note reads, in part: When designing the projects, the objective must be to create enduring, monumental structures that embody the idea of commemorating the glorious memory of the Soviet Army’s liberating mission, for which these soldiers gave their lives… The TREPTOWER monument must be especially grand. German sculptors also contributed to its creation, while the choice of building material — the granite taken from the ruins of the defeated Hitler's Reichskanzlei — was imbued with powerful symbolism. 🎖 The monument was officially unveiled on May 8, 1949. During the ceremony, Berlin’s military commandant, Major General Alexander Kotikov, delivered his famous address: This monument in the heart of Europe, in Berlin, will forever remind the peoples of the world when, how, and at what cost Victory was achieved, our Motherland was saved and the present and future generations of humanity were preserved. *** Each and every year on May 9, despite the authorities’ ongoing efforts to stifle our sacred #VictoryDay commemorations, thousands of compassionate citizens — our compatriots, and Germans alike — gather at Treptower Park to cherish the memory of Liberators who saved the world from Nazism. 💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman MariaZakharova (excerpt from briefing of April 24, 2026): This memorial features the statue of a Soviet soldier holding a German girl. Not a Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Tajik, Armenian, Azerbaijani, or Jewish girl, but a German girl. This, I believe, represents the highest expression of humanism: a Soviet soldier is portrayed as a liberator, first and foremost, of the German people from Nazism, even though his own family had been destroyed, his home obliterated, and Soviet towns and villages burned down. Yet he protects a German girl. #WeRemember

#NoStatuteOfLimitation 🗓 Today marks 10 years since the massacre of May 2 in Odessa took place. On that day in 2014 the Ukrainian neo-Nazis set fire to the House of Trade Unions with people inside, i.e. set... people on fire... 🕯 This barbarous act of intimidating dissenters – essentially, an act of terror, aimed at squashing any potential dissent or free-thinking, perpetrated with inhumane cynicism and cruelty – killed several dozen people. Most of them were burned alive; some died of carbon monoxide poisoning, others perished after jumping from the upper floors of the burning building. Ukrainian neo-Nazis murdered those who survived the fall, escaping fire, jumping out of the windows. ❌ Ten years following the tragedy the perpetrators of this cruel, inhuman massacre have yet to be duly punished. We will never forget this heinous crime and will continue our efforts to make sure that all those involved in this tragedy are identified and receive what they deserve. #WeRemember

🇷🇺🇸🇰President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, who arrived in Moscow to take part in the Victory Day celebrations(Moscow, May 9, 2026) 💬Vladimir Putin: Last year, on this festive day, you and I met in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, and we are grateful to you for deciding to be with us again today. I know that, as last time, there were certain difficulties with your visit to Moscow. You have just briefly told me that this time it was a little easier. What matters is that you are here, and we are very grateful to you for that. Your consistent position on preserving the historical truth about the events of the Second World War and the role of the Red Army in liberating Europe from Nazism commands respect. ☝️I would like to note that Slovak fighters who resisted the Nazi forces also made their contribution to the Great Victory. We remember the events of the Slovak National Uprising of August 29, 1944. We are grateful to the leadership and people of Slovakia for their respectful treatment of monuments and burial sites of Soviet soldiers who fell in battles against the Nazis on Slovak soil. I know that the central military memorial cemetery of the Red Army in Michalovce is expected to be solemnly opened soon. Thank you very much for paying such attention to this matter. For many years, including during your previous terms as Prime Minister, Russia-Slovakia relations were marked by a high level of political dialogue and steady cooperation. Of course, we understand that today they are complicated by events related to what is happening in Ukraine, as well as by the foreign policy climate and the confrontational line which, as we see it, is being imposed on all of us by the EU and NATO. At the same time, your Government is striving to pursue a sovereign foreign policy and to build a pragmatic course towards Russia. We welcome the gradual restoration of bilateral cooperation, which was effectively frozen through the efforts of the previous Slovak authorities. 🤝 I can say here as well: we will do everything to meet the Slovak Republic’s demand for energy resources, just as we stand ready to cooperate in other areas of mutual interest. Read in full #RussiaSlovakia#Victory81

🌟#SovietSoldierSavedTheWorld #Victory81

#FacesOfVictory 1️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ years ago – on March 30, 1901 – Major General Alexey Fyodorovwas born. A legendary Soviet partisan commander, one of the outstanding organisers of the resistance movement during the Great Patriotic War, a two-time Hero of the Soviet Union. Born into a peasant family in Lotsmanskaya Kamenka (near Dnepropetrovsk), he rose from a Red Army volunteer and Civil War veteran to become First Secretary of the Chernigov Regional Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of the Ukrainian SSR. After the Great Patriotic War began, when the enemy approached the Chernigov region in September 1941, Alexey Fyodorov took charge of the regional HQ of the partisan movement and of the local partisan formations. It was in those dark years that his exceptional talent as an organiser of underground resistance and his instinct as a military commander came fully to the fore, making him one of the architects of Soviet partisan warfare. 📄 From Order No. 1, approved by Alexey Fyodorov, of the regional HQ directing the partisan movement in the Chernigov region on organising the struggle against the Nazi occupiers and their accomplices (October 30, 1941): The bandit forces of German fascism, having invaded the territory of our sacred Soviet land, are carrying out mass terror with the help of contemptible nationalist scum – executions, violence, and the plunder of our people. I hereby order: 1. To establish a unified partisan detachment in the district from among Communists, Komsomol members, Soviet activists, collective farmers, and representatives of the intelligentsia. 2. The task is to destroy fascist railway trains, motor vehicles, and depots, and to wage an all-out struggle against the German occupiers. By March 1942 alone, the Chernigov partisan detachment under Fyodorov’s command had fought16 engagements, eliminating around 1,000 Hitlerite troops, destroying 33 road and railway bridges, derailing 5 enemy trains, and blowing up 5 depots and 2 factories. The Germans and their accomplices among the Ukrainian nationalists repeatedly tried to eradicate Fyodorov’s formation, even redeploying front-line units reinforced with armour and artillery for that purpose. 🎖 On May 18, 1942, for courage and heroism displayed in partisan struggle behind enemy lines against the German invaders, Alexey Fyodorov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, together with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. By early 1943, the formation under his command comprised 12 partisan detachments with a total strength of more than 5,000 fighters. From March to June 1943, it significantly expanded the zone of active operations behind enemy lines – across Belarus, as well as the Bryansk and Oryol Regions. 🥇 In April 1943, Alexey Fyodorov was promoted to the rank of Major General. During “Operation Kovel Junction” ( July 7, 1943 – March 14, 1944) his partisans destroyed 549 enemy trains with ammunition, fuel, military equipment and manpower. 🎖 For exemplary fulfilment of combat missions, heroism and bravery, Fyodorov was awarded a second Gold Star medal on January 4, 1944, becoming twice a Hero of the Soviet Union. In April 1944, Alexey Fyodorov was assigned to senior Party and state work. In his final post as Minister of Social Security of the Ukrainian SSR, he served for 22 years. His glorious wartime path was immortalised in his memoir The Underground Committee Carries On (1955), as well as in the multi-part film released in 1979 under the same title. 🕯 Alexey Fyodorov passed away on September 9, 1989. His memory was honoured throughout Ukraine in monuments, busts and memorial plaques. Regretfully, the descendants of those whom Alexey Fyodorov and his partisans fought are today trying to erase the name of this outstanding man from historical memory. The neo-Nazi Kiev regime is destroying monuments and other memorials to Soviet soldiers in an attempt to strip its people of their true history, their memory, and their Victory. ❗️But #WeRemember – and we will not allow the memory of our heroes to be desecrated.