For the third consecutive year, Russian representatives have been barred from participating in the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation, according to the Auschwitz Museum.
Russia's Presence Would be Cynical
The decision was made in response to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with the February 2022 invasion. The museum argued that Russia's presence at such an event would be "cynical" given the current conflict.
Before the war, Russia had been a regular participant in the annual January 27th ceremonies, marking the day Soviet soldiers liberated the Auschwitz death camp in 1945, according to Ziare.
The soldiers discovered approximately 7,000 survivors at the site, which became a lasting symbol of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Auschwitz-Birkenau, located in Nazi-occupied Poland, is where over 1 million Jews and more than 100,000 prisoners of other nationalities perished during World War II.
An Act of Barbarism
The Auschwitz Museum’s director, Piotr Cywinski, emphasized that the anniversary is a solemn remembrance of the victims and a celebration of freedom — values which Russia, according to Cywinski, currently undermines with its actions in Ukraine.
The museum condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an "act of barbarism."
Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as a symbol of the genocide carried out by Nazi Germany, which led to the deaths of six million Jews across Europe. Other victims included 80,000 non-Jewish Poles, 25,000 Romani people, and 20,000 Soviet soldiers.
