TIMES REPORT
ISLAMABAD: On April 17, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan held an official opening ceremony for a photo exhibition dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People, perpetrated by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.
The event brought together Ambassadors of the CIS countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; heads of diplomatic missions of friendly states – Cuba, Iran, Kenya, Rwanda, Syria and Zimbabwe; as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and the Embassies of Kazakhstan, Egypt, and other countries.
Russian compatriots residing in Pakistan and members of the Pakistani academic community also attended the event.
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Albert P. Khorev noted that the Nazi Germany’s attack on the USSR in 1941, which marked the beginning of the bloodiest war in history, was aimed at seizing Soviet territories and resources, as well as destroying a significant portion of its population.
The Ambassador placed particular emphasis on the scale of crimes against civilians: of the 27 million lives lost, around 14 million were victims of a deliberate policy of extermination through mass executions and torture in concentration camps.
Ambassador Khorev also shared a personal account of his great-grandmother’s forced deportation to Germany for slave labor—a tragedy that affected millions of Soviet families during the war.
It was further noted that the decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to designate April 19 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People is based, inter alia, in the verdict of the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal of October 1, 1946, which underscored the systematic nature of Nazi crimes.
In concluding his remarks, the Ambassador stressed the importance of preserving historical memory and preventing any distortion of the events of the Great Patriotic War, reaffirming Russia’s committment to countering manifestations of neo-Nazism in Europe and Ukraine.
During the event, Dr. Gul-i-Ayesha Bhatti, Director of CAPES Eurasian Chapter, also addressed the audience, highlighting that the immense sacrifices and unparalleled heroism of the Soviet people during World War II enabled the free and independent development of Europe.
The ceremony concluded with participants lighting candles in memory of Soviet citizens who perished at the hands of the Nazis, followed by a minute of silence.
The photo exhibition, featuring archival materials on the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, will remain open to visitors at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts until April 19.
The Embassy expresses its sincere gratitude to the leadership of the Victory Museum and the State Historical Museum for providing the exhibition materials.
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