Putin declared 2025 the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the next year, 2025, the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. As the head of state said on December 20, such a decision was made in honor of the participants of the Special Military Operation (SMO) and in memory of the exploits of all ancestors.

"Next year we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. In this regard, I propose to declare 2025 the Year of Defender of the Fatherland. In honor of our heroes and participants of the special military operation today and in memory of the feats of all our ancestors who fought in different historical periods for the Motherland," the president said during a meeting of the State Council on family support in the Russian Federation.

He added that the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland will be established in glory of fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers who crushed Nazism.

Days in memory: what the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory will be remembered for

500 thousand volunteers will be involved in the events of the anniversary, its logo is based on the image of the monument "Motherland Calls!"

Earlier, on December 19, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia would invite representatives of the anti-Hitler coalition countries to celebrate Victory Day. The diplomat noted that organizational issues of the upcoming event, including the list of participants, are being worked out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the presidential administration.

Prior to that, on November 28, Putin invited military units of the CSTO countries to take part in the Victory Parade on May 9 on Red Square in Moscow. In October, the Russian leader said at the CIS summit that the countries of the commonwealth will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War together, and the year 2025 will become the year of peace and unity in the fight against Nazism.

On October 30, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow intends to invite world leaders in addition to the heads of CIS countries to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in 2025. He noted that everyone who wants to come to the celebration will be welcome in the capital.

It is known that the invitation was accepted, in particular, by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic agreed with Fitzo to go to the Victory Parade in Moscow. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also expressed his hope to come to the holiday.

In 2025, May 9 marks 80 years since the victory in the Great Patriotic War. In January 1945, the USSR army launched an offensive on Berlin. As a result of the fighting at 00:43 Moscow time on May 9, the commanders-in-chief signed an act of unconditional surrender of Germany, which served as the end of the Great Patriotic War.