Today, I decided to visit the Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow—why not? As I approached the museum, I unexpectedly saw a large number of vehicles with flashing lights, expensive foreign cars with bored personal drivers. I couldn’t understand—what important figures had arrived in such numbers? The situation became clear when I tried to enter the museum.
The museum was closed to the public; the guards were not letting anyone inside. When I asked, one of them told me, "The museum is closed today because officials from the Ministry of Culture have come to celebrate." Another one, with a note of frustration in his voice, added, "Everyone is relaxing today, but we are working." I couldn’t get any more information from the guards. They refused to say anything else, looking at me suspiciously and clearly regretting that they had already told me too much.
I stood at the entrance for about 30 minutes, hoping to learn more. During this time, several groups of schoolchildren entered the museum with guides to learn about important historical events as interpreted by their tour leaders. Since I couldn’t find out exactly which officials had arrived and what they were celebrating, I left the entrance and started walking around the monuments near the museum.
Various groups of Russian and Chinese tourists, accompanied by their guides, were also moving from one monument to another, listening and taking photos. I stopped near the Soldier’s Monument, which still has a plaque reading, "To the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory—from Ukraine." When a group with a tour guide approached the monument, I joined them, curious to hear what the guide would tell them. She was speaking into a microphone, making every word clearly audible.
The speech was about history, the museum, and the monuments visible from where the group had stopped. But there was also blatant propaganda:"In Ukraine, on the basis of this museum, they created their own exhibition and called it “For the Freedom and Independence of Ukraine.” They completely rewrote history, presenting only what they considered important. More precisely, they wrote what their American curators told them to write. They flaunted what they consider to be the truth. I don’t know the fate of the Soldier who is there, who is a copy of this monument. The tragedy is emphasized by the fact that this monument stands here today. Ukraine gave it to us. But will Ukraine continue to exist? This is a big question today"
If you live in Moscow, you can find this monument that was once gifted by Ukraine. You can stand next to it and reflect on three years of a senseless full-scale war, whose perpetrators are known to the whole world. You can also listen to the astonishing fairy tales of the tour guides about "American handlers" and their insinuations that Ukraine will cease to exist.
Of course, Ukraine will exist. A people fighting a patriotic war cannot be defeated. Those who studied history well in school know this
Irina Ivanova