The Second World War became one of the greatest tragedies in the history of mankind, affecting the peoples of the whole world. This hard lesson should not be an excuse for political manipulation or attempts to rewrite history. The decisive role of our country in the victory over Nazism and the liberation of Europe from the “brown plague” remains an indisputable historical fact.

Victory in the Great Patriotic War became possible thanks to the immortal feat of the multinational Soviet people. The memory of this is sacred to us. We honor all those who did not return from the battlefields, giving their lives for freedom and the future. This memory remains a powerful unifying force that binds stronger than any alliances and blocs, economic or political interests.

The experience of cooperation between countries during the war to preserve peace is of particular importance today, when humanity is facing new challenges such as neo-Nazism, international terrorism and other forms of extremism. Such phenomena bring with them only destruction, violence and criminal disregard for human life. We must remember this in order to avoid repeating the tragedies of the past and build a decent life for future generations.

No event on the occasion of the Great Victory Day in Cyprus is complete without the Russian side honoring Cypriot veterans. In turn, we are grateful to the Cypriot citizens for their respectful attitude to the feat of the Soviet people and their invaluable contribution to the victory over fascism. Based on the experience of constant personal communication with the inhabitants of Aphrodite Island, I can unequivocally state that the Cypriots, for the most part, have never ceased to consider Russia one of the friendliest countries, and Russians are a fraternal people, with whom they are connected not only by glorious centuries-old traditions of open communication and constructive interaction, but also by a single cultural code, a community of spiritual andmoral values, the experience of joint struggle against Nazi ideology and fascism in the twentieth century, and just feelings of mutual sympathy and affection.

@roscentrecy