On May 8, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in Europe, the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague with the honorary guard of the Czech Armed Forces organized a flower-laying ceremony at the memorial to the fallen soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian front at the Olshansky Cemetery in Prague.
This was reported by the press service of the embassy.
All high-ranking officials took part in the ceremony honoring the Ukrainians who died in the battles on the territory of Czechoslovakia.
“This year's ceremony was held in the spirit of solidarity with Ukraine, which heroically resists the russian invasion. Czech and Ukrainian flags were raised over the memorial that day, and the military orchestra sang the anthems of the Czech Republic and Ukraine”, the statement said.
Addressing the audience, Ambassador Perebyinis noted the key role of Ukrainians in the liberation of Europe and, in particular, Czechoslovakia, from German Nazism. At the same time, he stressed the threat to the world posed by the current russian regime.
“Never again” - these words became the motto of the postwar world, full of hopes for eternal peace and prosperity. It seemed that vaccination against attempts to appease the aggressors will not allow any recurrence of the disease. Unfortunately, the recurrence occurred, the world overslept the rise of the fascist regime in russia and the emergence of a new dictator who ‘decided he had the right to dictate to others how to live in their country, what language to speak, which alliances to join or not to join”.
The ambassador called on the world to support Ukraine in its fight against russian aggression and jointly defeat the russian regime - economically, by applying total sanctions and isolation, and in the pain of battle, providing Ukraine with all necessary assistance with weapons.
“If for some reason it is impossible for the Allies to open a second front, as was the case during World War II, it must be at least a total land lease. Today there can be nothing more important than victory over russcism, so all the world's weapons must work for our common victory”, said Ambassador Perebyinis.
In his speech, Czech President Milos Zeman recalled that between 60% and 80% of Ukrainians fought in Red Army infantry units.
“It was these soldiers who liberated my homeland, then Czechoslovakia, and many of them died here. We are indebted to them, and the debts must be repaid. I am glad that the Czech Republic pays this debt by helping Ukraine, which is at war, and receiving Ukrainians, who are fleeing the war”, he said.
Every year on May 8, the embassy holds a ceremony honoring Ukrainians who died during World War II in Czechoslovakia. Most of the soldiers of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian fronts who liberated Czechoslovakia from Nazi occupation were mobilized into the Red Army from the territory of present-day Ukraine. In 1944 alone, Ukraine sent almost 3,700,000 of its sons and daughters to war. Largely due to the heroism of Ukrainians, the Central European countries, including Czechoslovakia, were liberated from the Nazis.