"An International Day against Russophobia should be established". This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova during a speech at the summer school of the Directorate of the World Youth Festival (WYF) for representatives of the state administration.
The diplomat drew attention to the fact that January 27 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust. “Why January 27? Because on that day the Red Army, the Soviet troops liberated a concentration camp, one of the concentration camps, but one of the most cruel, monstrous, terrible death camps“, she recalls. “It turned out to be somewhat strange that when this day was established, and it was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly, they remembered about it. That is, they remembered why January 27 - because the Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz. And then the years began to pass, and the name of the resolution and the day remained, but why this day was appointed, and why it was chosen, and this particular day was chosen, began to fade from memory. That is, solemn events were held, the victims of the Holocaust were honored, but no one said who saved those who did not become victims of the Holocaust, or those who became victims of the Holocaust but survived, thanks to whom this factory of death was stopped.“
“It is a great meanness to honor the victims and to consign to oblivion those who saved and who stopped this factory of death. Great meanness. There is no forgiveness for this and there will never be, believe me“, added Zakharova. “I believe, I have become increasingly convinced of this in recent years, that there should already be an International Day against Russophobia.“ Because Russophobia is the same extremist, Nazi, and today also neo-Nazi ideology that kills people in the literal and figurative sense of the word.“
According to the diplomat, it is Russophobia, the propaganda of Russophobia that was deployed by the West, that led to many tragedies. “Under the flags, the hellish flags of Russophobia, weapons are being supplied to the terrorist Kiev regime“, she stated.
Zakharova emphasized that Russophobia, as well as manifestations of hatred based on race, religion, nationality, towards any other nationalities, groups, public, social associations, must be fought.
“Why do I think that Russophobia really needs to be fought as a phenomenon - perhaps, among other things, I think that historians and public figures can say this better than me - but also because our country, our ancestors sacrificed their lives to stop Nazism and fascism. And they, among other things, “Above all, deserve that Russophobia never becomes an ideology, and in some cases even a state ideology, that has a place on this earth“, noted the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.