Czech officials mark 80 years since the end of WWII in Europe, say freedom must be defended today and dictators must not be appeased - not Hitler then, and not Putin now
On 8 May, the Czech Republic commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The anniversary was marked not just by official commemorations and public remembrances, but also by some demonstrations by anti-system, extremist groups taking advantage of the important day to criticize the Government's support for Ukraine and to stir up anti-western sentiment.
On the other hand, most of Czech society expressed respect for the memory of the victims of the Nazi occupation today and values the freedom that was fought for at the price of hundreds of thousands of lives here. Most of Czechoslovak territory was liberated from Nazi occupation by the Red Army, but the western part of the country was liberated by American units.
During the liberation of Czechoslovakia, roughly 150,000 soldiers from the USSR were killed in action.
Main state ceremony on the Vítkov Hill
The main remembrance ceremony happened as is traditional at the National Monument on Prague’s Vítkov Hill. President Petr Pavel; Prime Minister Petr Fiala; the presidents of both chambers of Parliament, Miloš Vystrčil and Markéta Pekarová Adamová; Defense Minister Jana Černochová; Chief of General Staff Karel Řehka and other significant guests honored the memory of the fallen during a formal ceremony that included a speech by the head of state.
In addition to politicians and soldiers, the ceremony was attended by veterans, members of Sokol units, the public and dozens of spectators. A commemoration was scheduled for the evening at the Straka Academy, the seat of government on the Edvard Beneš embankment in Prague.
From 20:00 to 22:00, the facade of the building of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic was lit up in red, white and blue. “Commemorating the end of the war is part of our commitment to defend the freedom that was fought for at a high price. This is a warning that we must constantly be vigilant with regard to attacks on our free society. I am glad the Office of the Government is an institution that systematically develops the subjects of human rights protections and the culture of memory,” Jana Kotalíková, Head of the Office of the Government, said in a press release.
Honoring the fallen at the Olšany Cemetery
Another part of the commemorations happened at the Olšany Cemetery, where Czech representatives and the Ambassador of Ukraine, Vasyl Zvarych, honored the memory of the fallen soldiers of the Red Army. Representatives of the Czech Government and Ukrainian diplomats commemorated the fact that during the liberation of Czechoslovakia, many Ukrainians fell who fought on the first, second, and fourth Ukrainian fronts.
There are 429 soldiers from the USSR buried in the cemetery. President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil emphasized in his remarks that Nazism was not defeated by just one nation in particular, but by various nations and states joining forces.
According to Vystrčil, this is still important today to the war on Ukraine, because “dictators must never be appeased”. “That applied to Adolf Hitler the same way it applies, for instance, to Vladimir Putin,” he said.
Ambassador Zvarych criticized the disinformation rhetoric of Moscow today about this history, which claims the Soviet Union would have defeated Nazi Germany even without the aid of its western allies. “The Russians would never have managed to defeat Nazism without the Ukrainians, the Czechs, and other nations,” he said, recalling specific fallen soldiers such as tank crew member Ivan Goncharenko, whose tank was hit during the liberation of Prague.
“Let’s Not Forget the 80th“ happening remembers today’s war on Ukraine, too
A public event called “Let’s Not Forget the 80th”, held by the Post Bellum organization in the center of the capital, prompted a strong response. Hundreds of people, both metropolitan residents and tourists, met up on Wenceslas Square to view historical military vehicles, an exhibition about eyewitness stories, and video projections of archival footage.
Families with children were attracted to an interactive game in which they could play the roles of members of the resistance as part of a simulation of the Prague Uprising. A field kitchen served authentic wartime goulash and there were concerts, speeches by public figures, and a minute of silence for the fallen in the evening.
An important part of the event was dedicated to the current conflict in Ukraine – visitors were able to view a burned-out car from Irpin or the first aid kits which are being sent to Ukraine thanks to Czech donors. This aspect of the event reminded visitors of the continuities between the fight against Nazism and today’s fight against Russian imperialist aggression.
Those speaking at the event were Prime Minister Fiala, President of the Senate Vystrčil, military historian Eduard Stehlík, Chief of the General Staff Řehka, and others.
Atmosphere of remembrance disrupted by pro-Kremlin propagandists
Protests by anti-system, extremist groups were also part of the day. The “Freedom and Direct Democracy” (SPD) movement convened a demonstration called “Czechia against War” on the Old Town Square.
Approximately 4,000 people attended the demonstration. SPD chair Tomio Okamura called for a “democratic change of government”, criticized support for Ukraine, and called for “neutrality”.
Jindřich Rajchl of the PRO! movement was another organizer of the event. He told the demonstrators that 80 years of “peace” in Europe represents a “clear imperative”.
Rajchl said it is necessary to “fight for peace” through diplomacy and by building respect among the nations of the world, not with armaments and missiles. He thanked the Soviet Union and the western allies for liberating Czechoslovakia from Nazi domination.
On náměstí Republiky [Republic Square] another extremist demonstration was held, convened by activist Ladislav Vrabel, whose conviction for spreading false alarms was recently overturned by the Constitutional Court. In his remarks, Vrabel blamed the media and politicians for stirring up anti-Russian hatred and claimed that the Czech Republic is being “pulled into war by the United States”.
Individuals joined that demonstration carrying flags of the Soviet Union and banners criticizing western policy, while counter-demonstrators brought flags of the EU, NATO, and signs condemning Russian aggression. An anti-conflict team and other police officers followed the event.
