Photo:Eugene Paulin/RIA Novosti
A few weeks before the next military parade on 9 May, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing a new historical and legal term into Russian law – “genocide of the Soviet people”, TACC reports.
According to the official legal portal of the Russian government, the law, which will come into force on 1 January 2026, provides for measures to perpetuate the memory of the victims of this “genocide”, and regulates the search for mass graves, the construction of memorials and commemorative ceremonies. This refers to the victims of the Second World War, which Moscow still officially refers to as the “Great Patriotic War”.
In recent months, a number of Russian regional courts have already recognised Nazi crimes against the population of the USSR as acts of genocide. The Russian authorities explain these steps by the intention to prevent the “silencing and distortion” of history, as well as to protect Russia’s national interests.
In addition, Putin signed new amendments to the law on “foreign agents”, which significantly expand the concept and list of criteria for individuals or organisations to be included in the list. Now, this status can also be granted to those who cooperate with international organisations to which Russia is not a member or provide information that “may harm Russia’s security”.
Particularly worrying is the clause that defines “agents” as persons who involve citizens, including children, in the collection of technical and military information. It also introduces the possibility of trials in absentia (in absentia) against citizens who have left Russia but continue to “harm” the state from abroad.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made another high-profile statement, accusing the EU of “reviving the ideology of European Nazism”, referring to the support for Ukraine by Western countries, particularly Germany. Russian officials are increasingly comparing the West’s current military assistance to former Nazi campaigns.
According to official Russian data, more than 26 million USSR citizens died during the Second World War, including more than 8 million military personnel. Now, these victims are becoming an instrument not only of historical memory, but also of the Kremlin’s current policy.
