Russia declines invite to Auschwitz liberation anniversary ceremony
Russian diplomats will not participate in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oświęcim, announced Sergey Andreev, the Russian ambassador to Poland.
Many of the reports provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are a part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.
Sergey Andreev informed in an interview with the pro-Kremlin agency RIA Novosti that Russia would not participate in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oświęcim.
Boycott of the commemorations in Oświęcim: the Russians make a decision
"They published a message that there will be events - whoever wants, let them go. Theoretically, we can, of course, appear there, but attend an event at which no one will remember who liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp and Europe... We don't need it. We will mark this anniversary in our own circle and appropriately," said Andreev.
Ceremonies commemorating the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp are planned for January 27. It is expected that government delegations from several dozen countries will arrive in Oświęcim on that day. "Representatives of Moscow were not invited to the event," reported the RIA Novosti agency.
The Russians emphasised in a press release that it was the Red Army that liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on January 27, 1945.
Auschwitz-Birkenau is the largest Nazi death camp and one of the symbols of the Holocaust. Between 1941 and 1945, about 1.4 million people lost their lives there, including 1.1 million Jews. Two years after the end of World War II, a museum was established on the site of the former camp to remind of the tragic events and educate future generations.
In 1979, the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
