Slovakia called it unacceptable to forget about the feat of the Red Army

To forget the feat of the Red Army during World War II would be a disgrace to the entire state. Peter Marcek, a former member of the Slovak Parliament, said this in an interview with Izvestia on April 4.

This day marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bratislava by the soldiers of the Red Army. Commenting on this date, he stressed that his country cherishes the memory of the past.

"Slovakia takes care of the memorials to the fallen soldiers of the Red Army. Everything is beautiful, well maintained, clean. Not a single memorial has been destroyed here <...> The state tries to keep the memory very carefully, because we must never forget that 80 years ago we were liberated by the Russian army. <...> To forget about it would be a disgrace for all our people," he said.

According to him, young people in Slovakia are brought up in the same spirit, the memory of the Red Army's feat is passed on to them not only through schools, but also through parents, grandparents. Meanwhile, he continued, it is now a trend in the West to rewrite history and claim that it was the Anglo-Saxons who saved the world from fascism.

"In no case will we allow history to be changed, because a person who does not remember his history, or a state, or a people who does not remember their history, has no future. It is very important to remember your history," he added.

"In Slovakia, the memory of Soviet soldiers is preserved very carefully"

Natalia Balanova, a member of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots, speaks about historical memory, monument protection and cases of vandalism.

Earlier that day, the chairman of the club, military historian Peter Bacha, told Izvestia that about 413 Soviet soldiers died on the territory of Senica and were subsequently exhumed in Bratislava. The Zagorye Military History Club, organized to study the history of the Second World War, is searching for the bodies of dead servicemen, he added.

Natalia Balanova, the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots in Slovakia, said in an interview with Izvestia that an action "Immortal Regiment" is planned to be held in Slovakia in May this year. It has been held in the country since 2015.