Tag Archives: history

WWII Veteran Stanislav Lapin: “I had my own score with Hitler”

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The article below is my translation from Russian of an account of one of the participants of the Victory Parade of 1945, as published in “Argumenty i Fakty” on the 6th of March 2015.

As we locate the still-living participants of the Parade, “AIF” will print their memories. The first word to Stanislav Vasilyevich Lapin – a simple but heroic soldier of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

If not for the war

– I am a kid from Moscow. Year of birth: 1923. At 16 I went to the factory. Got the fourth grade (proficiency). Everything would have been fine if it were not for the war… The factory produced military products. Therefore, for my grade I was given a reservation and was to be to sent, along with the machine, to the Urals. When the equipment was loaded onto the platform, I said, I’ll go for a walk. I left and never returned. Simply put, ran to the front. I could not be worse than all the rest! The very next day I got myself right to fight! Took the oath on November 4, 1941 – and strait to the battle of Volokolamsk. I also took part in the Battle of Moscow. I needed it, because in addition to the general, I had a personal score with Hitler. Before the war I had a girl. I called her “my Sonia”. Her and I loved to go for a walk around Moscow on warm evenings. But we were young and… never kissed. Just sat there and sometimes gently pressed against each other. And then came the war.

I went to the front, and my Sonia went to nursing courses. Then, to the front as well. And once, after a battle I was sitting on a halt. I see a supply cart, and on it – my Sonia. As she saw me, she ran up to me and started kissing me as never before. Our soldiers were looking at us in both envy and joy. And suddenly… a shot – my Sonia shuddered and began to sag in my arms. I cried in fright, and the boys rushed into the forest, where the shot came from. And there they saw a German in Russian boots and fur coat. He tried to escape. One of ours caught up with him and stabbed him with a bayonet. Other Germans who were there, did not have time to react – they too were finished off. Such was the hatred of our guys. Only I just sat there and held my Sonia. And still felt the ghost of her kisses.

After the war I met her mother, who ran up to me and started kissing me as my Sonia back then… But I could not find the strength to tell her how it all happened. And she did not know – she kissed and cried that Sonia was killed. So during the Battler for Moscow I had a personal score with Hitler!

And one more thing… looking for water in a deserted village, we found… a well, jammed with children. Around them lay dead mothers. A child was nailed to the house door with a bayonet… How could have we treated Germans after all that we’ve seen?!

The main medal

I was first wounded near Rzhev in February 42nd. There were heavy battles, neither we could take the Germans, nor they us. It lasted for a long time, until ours prevailed.

In 1943 I was in the Orel-Kursk battle. Here again I was wounded, but lightly, so I quickly returned to the front. That’s infantry for you: to fight, heal the wounds and fight again. My first medal is for the Battle of Kursk. I fought in the infantry from 41st until to 43rd and know first-hand what it means to raise into the attack. When the command is issued, you have to get up and go forward under machine-gun fire, explosions and mortar shells. Next to you your comrades fall, but all the same you go ahead. Forward! It’s simple when told, but it is impossible to get used to. Each attack is a shock and an effort. Artillery helped, the Germans fled. And only then, when catching up with them, you feel you have won this battle, and there is an unexplainable feeling of victory!

Advancements usually occurred during the nights, while the Germans were asleep. We came out of the blue. We were killed, we killed, but we won! That’s the infantry for you. In the 43rd I was retrained and for the battles at Orel I became a mortar oprative. Although I was only a sergeant, I was entrusted to command the mortar platoon. We chose a place near some village, and took up a position, adjusted the mortars in advance, placed guards, and went to sleep. Well… By nature I used to get up early. And here I woke up even earlier, at about five o’clock – wanted to wash my head. Nearby there was a crane-well. It was summer. I pulled out some water, poured it into the helmet and only started to wash, when I heard the hum. Looked at the road, and there down the hill… a whole column of German cars! I threw down my helmet and to the mortars. Fired… And hit from the first shot! Straight into the hood of the front car.

It was correct that we adjusted the aim the previous evening, and did not put off until morning. The Germans did not expect us here. Panic. My guys woke up from my shot. And started firing from all mortars – no one was left! Many did not even have time get out of their cars. That’s where I got the first medal “For Courage”.

The third time I was wounded near Vitebsk in 1944 and until autumn… suffered in the hospital, because whatever you say, but it’s easier to wait for the end of the war at the front! There, at least ,something depends on you. Near Vitebsk the soldiers of the 3rd Belorussian Front did not spare themselves. Despite all German shooting, they still went forward, because as sometimes it happens, that there is no other way! Germans did not take it into account, so we drove them out of Vitebsk. That’s the second medal. I also have an Order, but I would not exchange the medal “For Courage” for any Order.

For my two medals “For Courage” I was awarded the right to participate in the first Victory Parade. My place in the parade is different from most other places. My companions and I were sitting in the back of the car ZIS-5. We were warned that, passing Mausoleum, we should not turn our heads. But how could we not turn them when there were Stalin and Zhukov?!

Repentance of Berlin.
After 70 years, the Germans have an unambiguous attitude towards the Soviet victory

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Below is my translation of an article by Georgy Zotov, published in “Argumenty i Fakty” on the 6th of March 2015.

– Excuse me, but where is the monument to Soviet soldiers?

– Stay on the road. Walk a little further and you’ll immediately see the gates.

The memorial in Berlin’s Treptow Park is the largest outside the former Soviet Union, and one is immediately struck by its size. Police strolls by, watching order, cleaners gather fallen branches. People come here all the time – and, surprisingly, not only the residents of the former East Germany (GDR), but also quite the Westen Germans. I met a businessman from Hamburg, a 34-year-old Herbert Müller, who made a special trip to the monument – to lay flowers and pay tribute to the Soviet soldiers. A situation that is quite difficult to imagine in today’s Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic.

Traffic controller Katya Spivak at the crossroads of Berlin. May 1945. Photo: RIA Novosti / Jacob Ryumkin

“The monstrous meat grinder”

– On the 9th of May I always think about the suffering of the German and Soviet soldiers, who were involved in a terrible slaughter, the bloodiest in human history – Herbert tells me. – Do you know what angers me the most right now? Politicians in Western Europe forgot about the Second World War and are aggressively pushing us for a showdown with Russia. They learned nothing from 50 million victims. How would supplies of modern weapons to Ukraine help to maintain truce in this country? We can not change anything in the last war, but we can prevent the next: that’s what we have to think about!

Herbert Mueller never saw his grandfather – he was killed near Moscow in December 1941. The same story, with a few exceptions, will be told by almost every German – grandfathers in the service in the army, the SS, the Gestapo, fighting in the Volkssturm. Some died at the front, some were captured, and some even hanged as war criminals: I got to talk to a woman, whose grandfather served in the Majdanek concentration camp. However, I heard nothing negative with regard to the Victory Day, in contrast to our former friends from Eastern Europe. Of course, for the Germans, the 8-9 May is not a national holiday, but rather an occasion for mourning for the dead relatives. Something that no one has forgotten, is the bombing of Berlin and other cities by the Anglo-American aviation. “40,000 civilians were killed in Hamburg in 1943, two years later in Dresden – 25,000. We can’t even put a memorial to them – the “allies” of Germany will misunderstand – says businessman Volker Heinecke, who in 1942, as a two-year child, was kidnapped by the Nazis from the USSR and placed in an SS child centre “Lebensborn”. – I was five years old, but I remember very well how residential neighbourhoods of Hamburg burned: the bombs fell nearby”.
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Prague Winter.
What is the Czechs’ attitude towards the coming 70th anniversary of the Victory?

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Below is my translation of an article by Georgy Zotov, published in “Argumenty i Fakty” on the 27th of February 2015. The title is a play on concepts. “Prague Spring” was a period of political and cultural liberalisation of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

Prague residents enthusiastically welcome Soviet tankers

Over the last 25 years they repeatedly tried to rewrite history in the Czech Republic so as to show – Prague was liberated by whoever, but not by the Soviet troops. However, this period is now referred to by some citizens of the country as “madness”.

– When was Prague liberated? We celebrate the Victory Day on 8th of May. I do not know what happened there. It seems that the Americans wanted to help the Czechs, who revolted against the SS. But they were prevented by the Russians. Anyway, that’s what we were taught.

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Crimea – The Way Home. A review of a documentary film.

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A definitive documentary on the reunification of Crimea with Russia is aired today. Here is a quick translation of the blurb as presented on Rossia TV site.

This full-length documentary was conceived to preserve the history of every major episode of events that took place in the Crimea in the spring of 2014. Filming lasted for 8 months and covered Foros, Sevastopol and Simferopol, and Kerch, Yalta and Bakhchisaray; Feodosia, Djankov, Alushta and a dozen settlements of the Crimea. A long conversation with Vladimir Putin was recorded while the events were fresh, and later, more than fifty interviews with participants and witnesses of the Crimean spring. How it all began? How Russia received an official request from the legitimate president of Ukraine to save his life?

It was an operation, the likes of which has not been seen in recent world history. Vladimir Putin himself reveals a year later all the details of how a few kilometers before the ambush with machine guns, Viktor Yanukovych had been secretly evacuated, and a detailed reconstruction is dedicated to it in this film.

“It was the night of 22 to 23 February, finished at about 7 am, and I let everyone go and went to sleep at 7 am. And, in parting, I will not deny, when parting, before everyone left, I told all my colleagues, there were four of them, I said that the situation in Ukraine turned out so that we have to start working on the return of the Crimea to Russia. Because we can not leave the area and the people who live there to fend for themselves, under the roller of the nationalists. And I put forth some tasks, said what and how we should do, but immediately said that we will do so only if we are absolutely convinced that this is what the people themselves who live in the Crimea want”, – said in an interview Vladimir Putin.

So the first order, which was given by the president, concerned not the security services and the Ministry of Defence, but his administration, which experts and sociologists conducted a closed survey in the Crimea. What questions answered Crimeans, when even the word “referendum” was not yet spoken?

“It turned out that of those wishing to join Russia, there 75% of the total population. You know, a closed survey was conducted, outside the context of a possible merger. For me, it became obvious that if we come to this, the level or the number of those who would like to this historic event to occur, would be much higher, “- said the Russian president.

Korsun pogrom. How many people were killed or missing after Ukrainian nationalists attacked the convoy of the Crimean people and burned their buses? How a militia of the Crimea was formed? Who was its leader?

How “polite people” first appeared in Crimea? Who were they, by whose orders were they sent to the peninsula? And how long did the special operation take the resulted of which on the night of February 27 was to take under control of all key government buildings?

“The ultimate goal was not to capture the Crimea and do some annexation. The ultimate goal was to give people the opportunity to express their opinion on how they want to live. I tell you quite frankly, honestly tell you. I thought for myself, if people want, then so be it. So if they will be there with greater autonomy, with some rights, but as a part of the Ukrainian state. So be it. But if they want a different way, we we can not leave them! We know the results of the referendum. And we did what was required to do!” – said the Russian leader.

How did they managed without bloodshed to disarm 193 military bases of Ukraine in the Crimea? What was the secret of the Black Sea Fleet, which invited Ukrainian colleagues to negotiate exclusively to Hersonissos? How did they manage to close in the bays Ukrainian Navy ships? But why did it not go without assault and shooting in Feodosia?

How Russia came into contact with NATO units in the Crimea, and at sea, with the naval forces of the Navy? About what did Vladimir Putin talk in those days with Barack Obama? And how did our coastal missile complexes “Bastion” come to the Crimea, suddenly changing the whole course of events? Two outspoken interviews with Vladimir Putin, and all the episodes of the Crimean spring, which determined the course of Russia’s recent history – see in the film “Crimea. The Path to the Homeland.”

In the meantime, Yatsnejuk, in his typical evil clown amplua, threatens to create a film, titled “Crimea. Crime and Punishment.” Sure. He should know how to commit crime against humanity and to create punisher Nazi battalions that slaughter the population of Donbass (a fate, that was also slated to Crimeans by the West-Ukrainian coup-makers).

If ever a film under his proposed title is created, its full title will be “Crimea. Hrushov’s Crime and the Punishment of Ukro-Nazis”.

Blood and Vienna.
Even After 70 Years the Soviet Soldiers Are Respected in Austria

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Below is a translation of an article by Georgy Zotov, published in “Argumenty i Fakty” on the 20th of February 2015. The title is a play on words. “Vienna” is written the same as the word “vein” in Russian.

In contrast to our former allies in Eastern Europe, it is well understood in Austria: in 1945 Soviet troops freed their country from the regime of Adolf Hitler.

A very old, completely grey-haired man tells me how to get to the ​​Schwarzenberg square. “You have an interesting accent. Are you Russian?” – “Yes.” He immediately switches over to my mother tongue, pronouncing some words with difficulty. “My name is Helmut Hurst, for two years I was with you as a … war-time-prisoner. Got mobilised to the Volkssturm straight from school in April forty-five, when your troops entered Vienna. No training, got handed a rifle with no bullets – and forward into the fray for the great Fuhrer. I’m not dead only thanks to the Russians, although I was captured with weapons in my hands. Thank you.”

USSR saved us

After the statements of the Republic of Poland and the Baltic states that the anniversary of Victory is not a liberation, but the beginning of a “new occupation”, you come to Austria as if to another planet. A completely different attitude. The press service of the capital gladly told me: for the 70th anniversary of the entry of the Red Army into Vienna, they plan to lay flowers at the monument to Soviet soldiers, conduct a memorial service at the site of the Mauthausen concentration camp, open the Museum of the liberation of Vienna, and even stage theatrical performances.

The Red Army entered the city on April 5th 1945, and already on April 13th the remnants of the Nazi army in the capital of Austria (then part of the Third Reich) surrendered. Soviet troops remained in Vienna for a little more than a decade – they left after the restoration of the sovereignty of Austria as an independent state.

– Austrians seriously differ from Eastern Europe in terms of the perception of the Second World War – explains historian and researcher Gerhard Zauner. – In 1945, Poland and Czechoslovakia met Russians with flowers, rejoicing and shouting “Hurrah!”, the girls hung on their necks of your soldiers. 70 years later the Poles and Czechs pretend that there was no liberation at all, that only “new occupants” came to them. It’s completely different in Austria. Brainwashed by Goebbels’ propaganda, people were waiting: that any moment bearded Cossacks will appear on the streets of Vienna and will devour the Austrian babies. Back then we did not consider ourselves to be victims of Nazism, because Austria welcomed Hitler and fought together with the Germans. However, after 70 years, many of our citizens are grateful to your people.

First, the USSR rescued a small nation from further destruction – hundreds of thousands of Austrians have already been killed and the Western and on the Eastern Fronts. Secondly, Vienna was not subjected to massive air strikes, and this is preserved the historical neighbourhoods. Third, at the demand of the USSR, Austria became a neutral state, and later our guys did not die in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Flowers on the graves

Austrian press has organized an opinion poll: “Do you want to dismantle the monument to Soviet soldiers?”. 91%(!) of Austrian voted against. And while our former friends in Eastern Europe are now publicly announcing May 9, 1945 as the beginning of the “Soviet tyranny”, for millions of people in Austria, this date is the liberation, and not a conquest. Austria finances maintenance of military cemeteries, where Soviet soldiers are buried (in the storming of Vienna 40,000 people were killed), and restoring monuments at their own expense. Driving through the eastern part of the country, I saw with my own eyes how the villagers (and not only the elderly ones) bring flowers to the graves of our soldiers. When I asked them why they do this, they were amazed by the question: “These are our liberators!”

But there is a fly in the ointment. For six consecutive years, on the eve of May 9th, hooligans poured paint on monument to Soviet soldiers on Schwarzenberg square: either black, or (on the last occasion) yellow-blue. The fence behind the monument, as well as containers for projectors are covered by graffiti. Attackers have not been found, although in Vienna City Hall assured me that now the perimeter is covered by video cameras: the crime is unlikely to happen again.

The fence behind the monument to our soldiers is covered with graffiti. Photo: AiF/ Georgy Zotov

“Enough Christmas trees for all”

– First of all the suspicion falls on neo-Nazis – we have more and more problems with the radicals of the right-wing movements, – thinks the ex-worker of the Communist Party of Austria, Alexander Neumann. – There is a version that vandals are visitors from Poland or Ukraine. Although, of course, Austria is responsible for such incidents. But, you must agree, it’s a couple of cases – not a mass phenomenon. When the memorial on the square Schwarzenberg was spilled with paint last year, dozens of volunteers organised a vigil at the monument, and one of them vowed to “punch the face the Nazis are not respecting Russians.”

Austrian politicians are delicate in their comments on the topic og 70th anniversary of the appearance in Vienna of the Soviet troops. According to the press service of the Parliament, “different views are expressed: most people would say that this was a liberation, a minority – that a military defeat, but no one would call the entry of the Red Army in Vienna for and illegal occupation. In Austrian history school books, the point of view is clear: 1945 is a year of the liberation of Austria, and nothing else.”

“We must admit, all kinds of things happened, – says the former soldier of Volkssturm Helmut Hurst. – Soviet troops stayed with us for 10 years, there were love affairs, Austrians gave birth to children, and then classmates teased the poor kids as “ferfluhter russen” – “cursed Russians”. My neighbour did not like the Russians – a Soviet truck damaged his lawn. Another neighbour scolded bureaucracy: to move from one area of Vienna to another, you had to obtain five commandant seals of the USSR. However, after seventy years, we are grateful to the Russians for getting rid of Hitler. In captivity, I worked in a sawmill. Since then, if someone is talking about a possible war with Russia, I say, “No problem. Russians taught us to fell trees in the POW camps … there are a lot more Christmas trees there – enough for everyone!”

The Hungarian Amnesia. How do people on the Danube treat the anniversary of the liberation of Budapest

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Below is a translation of an article by Georgy Zotov, published in “Argumenty i Fakty” on the 13th of February 2015:

Red Army soldiers in the battle for Budapest.

Despite the fact that Hungary joined Hitler and attacked the USSR, the position of the local historians is often the same: in 1945 the country became a “victim of Soviet tyranny.” Is this true? An “AiF” observer is trying to make sense of the situation.

In number 3 of “AiF” we published a report from Poland “The Sorrow of a Warsaw Woman” (English translation here): why Polish politicians and the media ignored the memory of Soviet soldiers who liberated Warsaw. The article caused an unprecedented surge of responses and questions from readers: how do things stand with memory in other European countries? In this regard, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Victory, “AiF” begins a series of reports from European capitals that the Red Army occupied after Warsaw: on February 13, 1945 it liberated Budapest.

Soldier with PCA was removed

– Of course, we are absolutely not like Poles – a freelance journalist Laszlo Kovacs, who in 1981-1986 studied in the USSR, politely starts the conversation. – In Hungary, there is no general negative attitude towards Russia, our Prime Minister is in favour of the construction of the “South Stream” and the cessation of the EU’s anti-Russian sanctions. However, as in the rest of Eastern Europe, our media since 1989, hammered into people’s minds the same thing, that in 1945 the evil Russians came here and brought on tips of their bayonets the communist regime. We tend to forget that in fact it was Hungary that joined Hitler and declared war on the Soviet Union and sent to the Eastern Front hundreds of thousands of soldiers – during the Battle of Stalingrad a whole Hungarian army perished there. We took the land of the neighbours in Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia. In just one year the Hungarian police and SS together with the Germans destroyed 450,000 local Jews and 28,000 Gypsies. It’s just awful. The Red Army saved Hungarians from becoming a Nazi monsters.

Before and after: a monument to our soldiers completely anonymised. Photo: RIA Novosti, AIF / Georgy Zotov


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Andrey Karaulov: For Russia the ’90s Were Worse Than WWII

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Following is a telling reply to a reader question, published in Russian in newspaper Argumenty i Fakty:

Deputies are trying to demand a compensation from Germany for the losses suffered by Russian in the Great Patriotic War. But why don’t they take care of the cases that happened 20 years ago and hold accountable those who bankrupted factories, ruined farms?

Reply by Andrey Karaulov, journalist:

– What has been done to the country in the era of perestroika by “young reformers” is unimaginable. Yes, the Germans during the War destroyed the factories on the occupied territories, they blew them up. But during World War II, to save plants, Stalin evacuate them to Central Asia, Siberia.

While during the 90s, 262 largest plants that fed the entire country were culled. These were primarily metallurgical plants, plants that produced the world’s best ball-bearings, and so on. Machine tool construction suffered the biggest blow. 187 of 262 factories were brought back to life by Putin. But some, such as the Ukhtomskij Plant in Lyubertsy is impossible to revive. To understand what the 90s cost Russia, go to Lyubertsy, walk around the wasteland, where once there was a chain of several companies with more than 8,000 jobs. Previously, there was the production of the different machines for agriculture. And now, all’s empty. I remember when in Krasnoyarsk I went with the camera around a plant, which produced tires. Only horror movies could be shot in those workshops nowadays. We have transcripts of Gaidar Cabinet. Unique plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur producing our SU jets (today they are considered the best in the world) was proposed to be re-profiled into the production of Chinese bicycles. They said back then, they will be in high demand.

Today we pay for those mistakes (translator: I would call them crimes!). The best scientific schools are destroyed. I once asked Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov: could we in the ’90s, after Gaidar, Chubais and Nechayev ploughed through our industry, build a nuclear bomb? He categorically said, “No, we wouldn’t be able to.” Because all that was needed for its production, had been destroyed… Why those reformers are not held accountable today? Firstly, because all decisions that were taken back then, were approved by Boris Yeltsin. The fact of the matter is that there was no one single saboteur, but a lot of people in power. So should we judge the whole former government? Some are not among us, and others far away. Dead are Boris Fyodorov, Yegor Gaidar. We do not, after all, think of judging the Bolsheviks and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, because of what they made in 1917.

The Sorrow of a Warsaw Woman. Why Poland is not happy to be liberated from fascism?

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In a very strong post by Lada Ray, Wake Up, the Soldier of Ukraine!, a reader Paul commented the following:

You know, seeing how the Poles and Galicians view Russia, I would say that Russia’s attempts to sweep things under the rug with ideas of Slavic brotherhood and such were not wise. Even within the Ukraine, Eastern Ukrainians saying “We are brothers” while Western Ukrainians said “We are not brothers” didn’t work out so well. It might have been better to say “We are cousins; we don’t always agree, but let’s work together when we can.” A bit of an overgeneralisation, but you get the idea. The point is that you have to stand up for yourself in this world, and get your position across, particularly when it seems like you are facing a bully.

One can make the case that the Soviet and Russian leadership wanted a huge Ukraine that contains too many groups and cultures as a way to prevent NATO or nationalism from gaining territory. The drawback is it really isn’t a normal country, and this made it easy for the West to take over with Bandera types.

I think that the reason Russia was not overly-concerned with brotherly nations forgetting the positive aspects of Russia, was because Russians themselves would not forget or deny the help that they receive and would not think it necessary to remind of such acts in return. In a way, reminding someone of the acts of kindness from you can be viewed as an insult. Turns out it was not so self-evident that reminders were not in order…

It looks like the common Poles still remember, though, as illustrated by the following article by Georgy Zotov, published in Argumenty i Fakty on the 15th of January. Translated to English below, by yours truly.

G. Zotov is a travelling journalists, living in various, often dangerous, parts of the world and getting to know the local people. His articles are always a revelation about the moods of the people “lower down”, often contrasting with what we hear from MSM from the “higher ups”.

The title is a refrain on the wartime march Farewell of a Slavic Woman.

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How Yatsenjuk Admitted that Novorossia and Malorossia Are Not Ukraine

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Yatsenjuk was yesterday in Germany, grovelling before Merkel to give him €500 million of EU taxpayers’ money so as to continue the genocide in Novorossia. She promised to give guarantees of possible payments by some or another bank.

But was not the biggest issue. The biggest thing was Yatsenjuk’s speech, where here said that Soviet Union attacked Germany and Ukraine in WWII. The magnitude of the lie and twisting is mind-boggling, exceeding many a lie uttered by the words NATO-trolls on internet. Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs decried the blatant falsification of history and asked Germany for an official clarification of their stance with regard to Yatsenjuk’s statement.

Moscow asks Berlin to clarify Germany’s position on Ukrainian premier’s claims

But of course…

German govt refuses to comment on Ukrainian PM’s assertions about WWII history

The Ukrainian prime minister, who has been appointed to this position by Nuland(Nudelman) even befor eUSA conducted the Nazi coup d’etat in Ukraine in February 2014, has in essence made two lies and one admission in his statement:

Lie 1: Soviet Union did not attack Germany.

Lie 2: Ukraine was a part of Soviet Union, and, before that a part of Russia under the names of Novorossia and Malorossia, and could not be thus attacked by USSR.

Admission: Galicia was not at that time a part of USSR, it was annexed to Ukraine by Stalin after WWII. But Galicia was known as “Ukraine” (edge) of Austra-Hungarian empire. By saying that USSR attacked “Ukraine”, Yatskenjuk acknowledges, that Glaicia was Ukraine, while Malorossia and Novorossia were not (they did the attacking as part of USSR). Incidentally, all of the current toxic ultra-nationalism in Ukraine comes from Galicia.

Descendants of the White Emigration Against Russophobia in Western MSM

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The descendants of the first wave of Russian emigration published an open letter, condemning the overt russophobia touted in Western main stream media (MSM). The letter was first published in Russian on the site of newspaper Rossijskaja Gazeta, and they intend to publish it in French in Le Figaro. Further action will be an official translation of the letter into English with an open collection of signatures of support in Europe and all over the world.

After a short background, I will present here my own, unofficial, English translation of the letter.

Historical background

The first wave of Russian emigration – the White Emigrations happened after the coup d’etat of October 1917 that was led by Lenin and “Bolsheviks”. The people, who emigrated were the top-layer of the Russian society – noblemen, writers, thinkers, intelligentsia, as they rightly feared for their lives at the hand of the coup-makers. Those who stayed behind, hoping the madness would pass, mostly perished during the 20’s and the Stalin’s purges.

Though these people fled, they by no means betrayed Russia, they and their children and, now, grand-children, continued to be truly devoted to Russia. During the Soviet period they fought however they could against the Soviet system, sometimes making questionable or ill-advised alliances with Western powers under the (often wrong) principal of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Many in the West were (and still are) also wrongfully setting an equation sign between Russia and USSR. This misconception, together with the Soviet propaganda of vilifying these people as anti-Russian, led many in-power in the West to believe that the White emigration and their descendants are against Russia.

Nothing could be further from the truth, as it comes now in the truly patriotic open letter that they wrote, addressing the leaders of European countries, denouncing the rampant russophobia that tarnish the country, which they, even in third generation consider to be their motherland.

About the letter

After the letter, the newspaper presents their interview with the initiator, Prince Shakhovskoy. It is not translated here.

Dmitry M. Shakhovskoy – Doctor of Historical and Philological Sciences, Professor Emeritus of French universities and St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris. He is a representative of the princely family, originating from the legendary Rurik. Among his ancestors are such prominent figures as a poet and writer of XVII century Simeon Shakhovskoi, Procurator of the Holy Synod Shakhovskoy Jacob, who was considered the most honest man of his time, a hero of The First Great Fatherland War, who participated in the Battle of Borodino and the conquering of Paris, General Ivan L. Shakhovskoy.

The letter below can be found on the pages of organisation “Russian Bridge” in Russian and French.

The Open Letter

For almost a year, the Ukrainian events were of deep concern to of us, the descendants of white emigration, especially since in contrast to the people around us, we, due of our origin, have access to comprehensive information. Knowledge of the recent past, namely the past of the pre-revolutionary Russia, gives us the opportunity, and with it the duty, to expose the obvious historical falsifications that led to the current drama in Ukraine. In the face of heightened tensions in the Donbass as well as in the international relations we come to a conclusion is that the aggressive hostility, unfolding now against Russia is devoid of any rationality. The policy of double standards is above any limits.

Russia is accused of all crimes, without a priori evidence it is declared guilty, while other countries are shown an amazing lenience, in particular with regard to observing human rights.

We in no way refuse to protect those values upon which our ancestors brought us up, doomed to exile after the 1917 revolution. We do not refuse neither the condemnation of the criminal acts of the Bolsheviks and their successors, nor restoring of the historical truth about that terrible time. But this does not mean that we can put up with with the slander that daily falls on modern Russia, its leadership and its president, which is sanctioned and gets dirt thrown at it, contrary to elementary common sense. This self-destructive for the European countries ridiculous idea prompts to serious thought all those, who see in it the desire of the West to rather prevent the development of Russia, than to settle the crisis in Ukraine. Especially ridiculous are the systematic attack on everything, that is somehow related to the “Russian world”: we are talking about the historical, geographical, linguistic, cultural and spiritual realities of the great civilization that has enriched the world and that we are rightfully proud of. We also resent the shameful silence of the European official institutions and the media with regard to the brutal bombing that Ukrainian army, supported by military groups under Nazi symbols, pours in Donbass on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Such silence is perceived by the Kiev authorities as providing them with full right to continue killing and destruction. For months, children and old people are killed or seriously injured, and prisoners are tortured. And now the Kiev government has in addition introduced a complete blockage (gas, electricity, railways, pensions, salaries, medication, institutions, hospitals, etc.), to finally destroy the region, which al the while it declares to be an integral part of its territory. And how not to condemn violent acts committed by the supporters of Kiev in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine?! Priests are persecuted, forced to flee and even killed; fifty temples have been bombed, of which twenty were completely destroyed; believers are persecuted. Where are the European values?

We can not put up with the daily slander against modern Russia that is falling upon us.

Despite the complete rejection of the Soviet Union, our fathers and grandfathers greatly grieved the suffering endured by the Russian people during World War II. In turn, we will not stay as indifferent and silent witnesses in the face of the systematic destruction of the population of Donbass, blatant Russophobia and hypocritical approaches, completely contrary to the interests of our beloved Europe. We really want to hope that the countries that once gave shelter to our families, will again take the path of prudence and impartiality.

Paris, November 26, 2014
P.S.

This letter is compiled by the Prince and Princess Dimitri and Tamara Shahovskaya, with the initiative being supported by the group “Russian Bridge”, established in February 2011 by the descendants of white emigration.

Published online on November 26, 2014, this letter was supported by more than one hundred representatives of princely and aristocratic families from different countries. Every day, more and more letters of “solidarity with Russia in the hour of the Ukrainian tragedy” come to e-mail solidairesdelarussie@gmail.com.

The letter was signed:

Yurievskij, His Serene Highness Prince Georgij A.
and Jurjevskaja, Her HighnessElikonida, (Switzerland)
Vera F. Albertini, (France)
Andreoli Olga A., born. Trubnikova (France)
Marianov, Arkady A., (Belgium)
Averino, Michael B. (France)
Baryatinsky, Prince Vladimir V.
and Baryatinsky, Princess Yolanda, (France)
Beglan, Marie-France, (England)
Belyavcky, Nikolay S.
and Belyavckaya, Gilen (Belgium)
Bereznikov, Aleksey A.
and Bereznikova, Claude (France)
Bobrikov, Alexander P., (France)
Bobrincky, Nicholas B., (Germany)
Boldyrev, Aleksandr (France)
de Boreysha, Irina P., (Switzerland)
Brune de Saint-Hippolyte, Sophia (France)
Butlerova Vera N., (France)
Vinand, Olga, born. Rosina (England)
Vinogradov, Michael, (France)
Vorontsov-Velyaminov, Michael W.
and Vorontsova-Velyaminova, Shantal, (France)
Davydov, Konctantin K. (France)
Durdin Mak, Dmitry P. (Belgium)
Drutskoy-Cokolincky, Prince Aleksandr A., (Belgium)
Gendercon-Ctyuart, Anna C. born. Countess von der Palen, (England)
Gendercon-Ctyuart, Andrei, (England)
Genko, Nector N.
and Genko, Mariya I. born. Ctarocelckaya (France)
Golubinova, Nadin, (France)
Gorohov, Zherar A. (France)
Grabar, Michael N. (France)
Grekov, Nikolai N., (France)
Guchkov, Ivan A. (Switzerland)
Grigorev, Aleksey P. (France)
Ignatev, Count Nikolai N., (France)
Zhivolup, Vladimir, (France)
Ivanova, D. Mariya
born. Countess Tatischeva (France)
Kameneva, Tatyana, (France)
Kapnist, Countess Veronica J.,
born. Liset (France)
Kapnict, Count Sergei A., (France)
Carmignani, Roger (France)
Knyupfer, Elena V. born. Yagello (England)
Kozyrev, Vladimir, (Belgium)
Kolla-Mucin-Pushkin, Rocticlav V. (France)
Aleksandr Kolchak R.
and Kolchak, Zhanin (France)
Krylov, Ivan P., (Belgium)
Crewe, Philip, (Belgium)
Kurdyukov, Ivan S. (France)
Lavrov, Oleg N., (France)
Lazarev, Ivan N. (France)
Louis Kicelevskaya, Anna M., (France)
Luchaninov, Sergey (USA)
Marshalk, Georgy (France)
Matchere, Georgy A. and
Matchere, Nadezhda V., born Princess Volkonckaya (France)
Matsnev, Andrei, (France)
Miller de la Cerda, Aleksandr N.
Miller and de la Cerda, Anna O.,
born. Countess Tolstoy, (France)
Miloradovich, Anna (Kanada)
Muratova, Kseniya M. (France)
Muruzi, Prince Konctantin P.
and Muruzi, Princess Suzanne (France)
Mure, Mariya A. born. Trubnikova (France)
Naryshkin, Peter A., (Cape Town, South Africa)
About de de Cizhi Mariya G. born. de the St Ippolit, (France)
von der Palen, Baroness Irina G. (Belgium)
von der Palen, Count Sergei C., (Switzerland)
Pasco, Serge (France)
Pervyshin, Rocticlav N.
and Pervyshina, Kceniya B. born Mashtaler (France)
Pernik, Yefim, (France)
Plott, Alexander V.
and Plott, Elena V., (France)
Pocylkin, Dmitry, (Belgium)
Pridun, Johann (France)
Pridun, Stephen, (France)
Pushkin, Aleksandr A.
and Pushkin, Mariya-Magdalina born. Durnovo (Belgium)
Pule, Marina R., born. Pervyshina (France)
Rampelberg, Marianna D.
born. Parfenova
and Rampelberg, Rene-Mari, (France)
Rebinder, Cerafim A.
and Rebinder, Elena A. born. Pochitalova, (Switzerland)
Rebinder, Sergey A.
and Rebinder, Elena K. (France)
Renn, Darya A. born. Rozov, (France)
de Rennenkampf, Aleksandra P., born. Nefedov (France)
background Rozenshild, Nataliya A., (France)
Ruccel, Elizaveta P. born. Ctefanovich (France)
Ruchkovsky Aleksey G.
and Ruchkovskaya, Nataliya A. born. Babkova (France)
Cafyannikov, Paul A., (Belgium)
Svechin, Ivan N.
and Svechin Deniza (France)
de Ippolit the St, Peter G. (France)
Stenbok Fermor, Count Andrei I., (France)
Stenbok Fermor, Countess Kseniya A., (Italiya)
Sukkar (Caharov), Antonio S. (France)
Culatskaya, Ekaterina A., (France)
Terentev, Aleksandr V. (France)
Tolstaya, Countess Colette M. (France)
Tolstaya, Countess Marina M. (Belgium)
Tolstoy, Count Dmitry C., (France)
Trotsky, Dr. Sergey C., (Austria)
Tunguzova, Tatyana A., (France)
Ucova, Tatyana K., (France)
fon Tsurikov, Catherine L. born. Countess Ignateva, (Germany)
Fedorov, Andrei N., (France)
Fedorova, Tatyana, (France)
de Fermor, Peter A., (France)
Filatova, Julia, (Belgium)
Finnson, Xenia P. (France)
Finnson, Vera (France)
Shakhovskoi, Prince Dmitry M.
and Shahovskaya, Princess Tamara G. born. Thorzhevskaya (France)
Sheremet, Count Petr P. (France)
Shidlovskaya, Irina A. born. Golovina, (France)
Shidlovskaya Marina Yu, (France)
Shirikova, Tatyana, (Switzerland)
Shorohov, Andrei P. (Belgium)
Yanov, Nicholas M., (France)

Shedding light on the real history of Ukraine

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The history of Ukraine has been muddied over the recent years, especially with the release of modified school books for Ukrainians and the accentuation of the agenda “Ukraine is not Russia”. The new school books teach that Julius Caesar and Homer are Ukrainians, that Ukrainian is a separate ethnos and other such nonsense.

I urge the reader to study the following articles, coming from two authors, who bring back the historical truth and make the current events in Ukraine to start making sense.

FREE Earth Shift Report 2: Ukraine, Russia and Falsified History

Ukraine – The US Vote at the UN is Holocaust Denial – Here’s Why

Ukraine | Why Bandera Have the Largest Geo-Political Voice in EU

Thoughts on Galicia

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Thoughts on Galicia by Pavel Petrovich Skoropadskij, the last Hetman of Ukraine, written in 1918. English translation after the original passage in Russian:

” …Узкое украинство – исключительно продукт, привезенный нам из Галиции, культуру каковой целиком пересаживать нам не имеет никакого смысла: никаких данных на успех нет и это является просто преступлением, так как там, собс твенно, и культуры нет. Ведь галичане живут объедками от немецкого и польского стола. Уже один язык их ясно это отражает, где на пять слов – 4 польского или немецкого происхождения…”

“Великороссы и наши украинцы создали общими усилиями русскую науку, русскую литературу, музыку и художество, и отказываться от этого своего высокого и хорошего для того, чтобы взять то убожество, которое нам, украинцам, так любезно предлагают галичане, просто смешно и немыслимо…”

“Нельзя упрекнуть Шевченко, что он не любил Украины, но пусть мне галичане или кто-нибудь из наших украинских шовинистов скажет по совести, что, если бы он был теперь жив, отказался бы от русской культуры, от Пушкина, Гоголя и тому подобных и признал бы лишь галицийскую культуру; несомненно, что он, ни минуты не задумываясь, сказал бы, что он никогда от русской культуры отказаться не может и не желает, чтобы украинцы от нее отказались. Но одновременно с этим он бы работал над развитием своей собственной, украинской, если бы условия давали бы ему возможность это делать. Насколько я считаю необходимым, чтобы дети дома и в школе говорили на том же самом языке, на котором мать их учила, знали бы подробно историю своей Украины, ее географию, насколько я полагаю необходимым, чтобы украинцы работали над созданием своей собственной культуры, настолько же я считаю бессмысленным и гибельным для Украины оторваться от России, особенно в культурном отношении.

Павел Петрович Скоропадский, гетман Украины.

…Narrow Ukrainianism is an exceptional product, brought to us from Galicia, the culture of which it makes no sense to transplant to us: it has no chance for success and will simply be a crime, as, simply speaking, there is no culture to be had there. After All, Galicians live on the breadcrumbs from the Polish and German tables. Their language alone reflects it clearly, where for each 5 words there are 4 of Polish or German origin…”

“Velikorossians (meaning Russians) and we Ukrainians (also called Malorossians) created with our joint efforts Russian science, Russian literature, music, art, and to refuse all this high and good so as to take that monstrosity that we Ukrainians are so kindly offered by the Galicians is laughable and unthinkable…”

“One cannot blame Shevchenko that he didn’t love Ukraine, but let Galicians or some of our Ukrainian chauvinists tell me in all earnesty that he, if he were alive today, would decry Russian culture, would decry Pushkin, Gogol, and such, and would only be acknowledging Galician culture; it is without doubt that he, without pausing, would have said that he would never be able to decry Russian culture, and would not wish for Ukrainians to decry it either. But at the same time he would have worked on development of its own, Ukrainian culture, if the conditions allowed him to do so. Just as I think it paramount that children at home and at school spoke the same language that their mothers taught them, knew in detail the history of their Ukraine, its geography, so do I consider paramount that Ukrainians work on creation of their own culture, and just equally do I consider it pointless and disastrous for Ukraine to severe its ties with Russia, especially in the cultural sense.”

— Skoropadskij, Pavel Petrovich (1873-1945), Hetman of Ukraine in 1918

His memoirs were written in 1918, and first published in 1995

Some predictions that I read on a forum somewhere. Will not translate for now….

Что ждет країну. 1) Банкротство экономики, невозможность оплачивать социальные льготы и пособия, подорожание товаров и продуктов питания на 100-200%, подорожание коммунальных услуг до 400-700% по условиям договора об ассоциации с ЕС. 2) Упадок и не без того хиреющей медицины, образования. Все это станет доступным только для богатых. Старики не смогут расчитывать на помощь. 3) Отделение Юго-Восточных областей, и следовательно конец промышленности и производству – безработица. 4) Отток лучших кадров за рубеж – прежде всего в Россию. Вследствие этого не будет специалистов, способных изменить положение и как-то повлиять на происходящее. 5) Внутриклановые олигархические разборки, которые приведут к запредельному уровню коррупции, о котором никто даже не может представить. При этом остатки всего ликвидного будут доразворованы провластными кланами. 6) Рост преступности из-за общего обнищания. В основном за счет деревенских молодчиков более активных по сравнению с городскими. Апофеозом будет фактически повсеместная бандеризация – неофашисты будут заправлять в обществе и держать его в страхе все больше. 7) Дальнейшее территориальное разделение – прежде всего о независимости объявит т.н. Галичина. 8) Провозглашение новой власти оставшихся областей 9) Присоединение Малороссии к России, либо в форме ассоциации или автономии.

UPDATE May 2023: Time has come to translate the above prediction from 2014…

What awaits the borderland. 1) The bankruptcy of the economy, the inability to pay social benefits and allowances, the rise in price of goods and food by 100-200%, the rise in price of utilities by 400-700% under the terms of the Association agreement with the EU. 2) The decline of the already failing medicine and education. All this will become available only to the rich. The elderly will not be able to count on help. 3) The separation of the South-Eastern regions, and consequently the end of industry and production – unemployment. 4) The outflow of the best personnel abroad – primarily to Russia (translator note: 3 million Ukrainians have so far fled to Russia). As a result, there will be no specialists able to change the situation and somehow influence what is happening. 5) Intra-clan oligarchic showdowns, which will lead to an exorbitant level of corruption, which no one can even imagine. At the same time, the remnants of all liquid funds will be further stolen by pro-government clans. 6) The increase in crime due to general impoverishment. Mainly due to the village thugs who are more active compared to urban ones. The apotheosis will actually be widespread banderization – neo-fascists will run the society and keep it in fear more and more. 7) Further territorial division – first of all, the so-called Galicia will declare independence. 8) Proclamation of the new government of the remaining regions 9) Accession of Malorossia to Russia, either in the form of association or autonomy.

Black myths about Rus – From Ivan the Formidable until our time

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The documentary below is important is understanding how the negative perception of Russia was formed in the West throughout centuries. It is so much more important in these days, when spreading of new black myths, defamation and fear-mongering targeting Russia is reaching new heights. The English newspaper’s headlines of late is a vivid testimonial – “Putin’s Missile”, eh?

The reader will notice that I used “Ivan the Formidable” instead of the English “Ivan the Terrible”. The reason for it will become apparent below (at about 10:46).

EDIT from 2020: I noticed that someone else published a different English-subtitled version of the film, that would be easier to watch. Still, my transcript below is useful for the documentary reference.

The documentary below is in Russian. Below you will find a complete English transcript of the film in-lined with a few of my notes.

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Is the West gearing up to invade Russia once again?

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Starting in April 2014, I started a topic under the same name in the Politics & Society section of Bitcointalk forum. There were some telling signs of warmongering in the air. And those signs are only getting clearer and stronger. I present here a consolidated and expanded version of my posts in that thread.

But first, here are a few links on this topic that I came across – it’s not only me, who feels that the war is in the air:

A few days ago I watched a 2-year old Russian documentary, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, about the information war, waged before and during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The Film is called “The War of 1812. The First information War”.

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The Wild-Wild West – A view on Maidan from 2014 Kiev

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This letter was printed in the #10/2014 international paper edition of Argumenty i Facty in Russian at the time when the Second Maidan was about to turn violent. It presents an interesting background view on the situation from a perspective of a person living in Kiev. Here is an English translation of the letter:

If someone says Ukraine nowadays, a word combination “West-East” is always attached to it.

I’ve lived in Kiev centre for 22 years. When I was 6, I for the first time went to the “west” with my parents – to Lvov, and asked in a shop there to sell me a bun. The female seller demonstratively didn’t hear me, as if I was speaking Chinese. A granny from the queue called me for “little moskal” (translator note: the term “moskal” is used by Western Ukrainian about all Easter Ukrainians and Russians and has the same connotation as British “Frogs” with regards to French of Mexican “Greengos” with regard to Americans). My mother, blushing brokenly translated my request to Ukrainian, and I got my bun after all, while at the same time taking away the feeling of a united and friendly Motherland.

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