Those commemorating the victory of the USSR in the war regret the removal of monuments, no incidents were recorded – BNS REPORT (photos)

Vilnius, May 9 (BNS). On Thursday, as Russia commemorated the victory of the Soviet Union (USSR) over Nazi Germany in the Second World War, part of Lithuanian Russian-speakers also went to the cemetery to mark the 9th of May traditionally.

After Lithuanian intelligence warned about possible provocations on the eve of the so-called Victory Day, the police claim that they did not record any incidents until early afternoon.

Commemoration – without prohibited symbols

Several dozen people came to the Antakalnis cemetery in the capital from morning to noon.

Most of them claimed that they were commemorating the victory against the “fascists” in this way, paying respect to their dead grandparents and other relatives. The largest commemoration took place in Klaipėda, where about 150 people gathered at the former Soviet memorial in the city center.

Some Lithuanians, who support the Kremlin’s policy or cherish nostalgia for the Soviet era, decided to celebrate May 9, only in Russia and some former USSR countries, as the significant date of the end of the war.

This year, the police somewhat increased their vigilance at the Antakalnis cemetery and its approaches – there were about 20 officers here. According to the police, the incidents were avoided, and those who arrived did not bring with them the usual Soviet symbol, which was banned in Lithuania after the Russian invasion of Ukraine – George’s ribbons.

Some of those who came to Antakalny were angry about the removal of the Soviet memorial, near which for many years they had gathered and laid flowers to commemorate this date – by the decision of the capital’s authorities, the sculptures of Soviet soldiers were removed at the end of 2022, and the pedestal was also removed later. On Thursday, one of the visitors brought a poster announcing that “a monument to anti-fascists stood here, it was demolished by fascist defenders!”.

In this place, on the stairs, and on Thursday, flowers with candles were placed, wreaths of some post-Soviet countries – Kazakhstan, Russia’s ally Belarus – representations in Lithuania were also brought here, but there was no wreath from the Russian Embassy or other obvious signs of respect.

Erika Švenčionienė, who came to the cemetery and is currently on trial for aiding a foreign state to act against Lithuania, was asked if it was appropriate to celebrate the Soviet victory during Russia’s war in Ukraine. She said that she was celebrating the “victory of all nations”.

“Today I celebrate Victory Day. Ukraine must understand that it is necessary to be with us on Victory Day. Because it was a victory for all nations”, E. Švenčionienė told journalists.

Most of the attendees have traditionally avoided media attention, hoping to receive questions about Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Soviet occupation of Lithuania.

Senior Valerijus told BNS that he comes to the Antakalnis cemetery every year because it is a tradition, besides, his grandfather also fought in the Second World War and celebrated the “victory against the fascists”.

“There are fascists everywhere. Fascism is not dead, it is not only in Russia. You think it’s not in Ukraine?” he said.

Margarita, an elderly woman who came to help the flowers, was asked about the occupation of Lithuania by the USSR that lasted almost half a century after the Second World War, and she followed the traditional Russian narrative that the Soviets “liberated her from fascism”.

“This is our history, you have to respect people, they died for us. And politics is irrelevant here, here they freed people from fascism, but for that they occupied Lithuania. Fascism is worse than occupation. You don’t know, but my grandmother and my mother know how they lived, what occupation really is,” the woman from Vilnius told reporters.

Indignant at the “war on monuments”

In Klaipėda, the Russian-speaking community celebrating Victory Day gathered at the memorial to Soviet soldiers on Daukanta Street, next to the Sculpture Park, on Thursday at noon.

The memorial changed after the start of the Russian war in Ukraine – the bronze sculptures of soldiers were removed from here, and the sword was gone. The dead are remembered by memorial plaques with carved names.

“My relatives, grandfather, great-grandfather, many of them, they fought near St. Petersburg, then there was Leningrad, almost all of them are already in heaven. I come out of respect,” said Igor Volkov, who has been living in Klaipėda for 50 years.

According to him, history can be treated differently and “you will not know how it really was”.

“I am sorry that there is a war with the monuments. (…) Here it is very disgusting that you can go to war without enemies”, said the Klaipėda citizen.

When asked if Lithuania was occupied, I. Volkovas said that, looking at history, both India and Australia were occupied.

Another person from Klaipėda, who did not want to be identified, told reporters that after the removal of part of the memorial, the community no longer wants to come here. According to him, May 9 symbolizes liberation from Nazism, that is, from “what threatens us now.”

A man from Ukraine living in Klaipėda for about half a century communicated in Russian. He said he was following the situation in Ukraine, the man repeated that Russia was fighting “fascists”, he said he knew all the news he was following by watching Russian channels.

According to Darius Petraitis, head of the Public Order Service of the Klaipėda County Chief Police Commissariat, there is a larger force of officers on duty at the monument on Thursday than usual, and they will be on duty until Friday morning. The area is also monitored by video cameras. No incidents have been recorded so far.

The end of the Second World War in Europe is commemorated on May 8, marking its end determined by the joint efforts of all the warring states and the unconditional capitulation act signed by Germany on this day in 1945.

At the time, Russia and some other Soviet-ruled states commemorated May 9 as a day of World War II victories over Nazi Germany. In Lithuania, larger commemorations on this day are held in Vilnius and Klaipėda, where larger Russian-speaking communities live.

Authors: Austėja Eglynaitė, Ignas Jačauskas, Jurgita Andriejauskaitė

You can open the photo gallery prepared by the BNS Photo team illustrating this message by clicking on the link: https://www.bns.lt/nuotraukos/3537

[email protected]+370 5 205 85 08, Lithuanian news department