Veterans Who Never Smelled the Gunpowder
June 4, 2012 -
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New Eastern Europe newsletter
Veterans Who Never Smelled the Gunpowder
By: Zbigniew Rokita
Victory Day is still quite important to Russians. In fact, recent opinion polls show that it is even more important than Christmas or Easter. And this is something that Vladimir Putin really likes as to embody his dreams about integration of the Eurasian space: Russia’s new president needs symbols. Not religious symbols, but the symbols that would allow him to integrate the Kazakhs, the Uzbeks or the Ukrainians. And yet, every year sees fewer and fewer veterans of the Great Patriotic War. To compensate for this loss, the authorities have started producing new old-timers. Is this strange?
One of the most popular Russian bloggers, Rustem Adagamov, also known as Drugoi, says that during the May 9th parades (the day on which the Russians celebrate the end of the Second World War – editor’s note), there are more and more faked veterans. The Russian internet-users were particularly shocked with the news about an old woman wearing badges she could never have received.
To read the full article online click here: https://www.neweasterneurope.eu/node/342
