MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Ukraine’s authorities are doing their utmost to wipe from memory of young generations the names of heroes of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), which Ukraine has been always proud of, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in an article, "On the Historical Unity of the Russians and Ukrainians," posted on the Kremlin’s website on Monday.
"[Ukraine’s authorities] are making every effort to wipe from memory of young generations the names of true partiers and victors, which Ukraine has been always proud of. For Ukrainians, who fought in the ranks of the Red Army and guerilla forces, the Great Patriotic War was namely Patriotic, because they defended their home and their big common Motherland," the president wrote.
More than 2,000 Ukrainians became the Heroes of the Soviet Union, including pilot Ivan Kozhedub, sniper and female defender of Odessa and Sevastopol Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and guerilla commander Sidor Kovpak. "This resilient generation fought, gave their lives for our future, for us. To forget about their feat means betraying their grandfathers, mothers and fathers," Putin said.
Furthermore, Ukraine’s representatives vote against the UN General Assembly’s resolution, which condemn the glorification of Nazism. "Under the protection of the official authorities, marches and torchlight processions are held in honor of the war criminals from the SS troops," the article reads.
A blow to spiritual unity
According to Putin, a blow was also dealt in Ukraine on the spiritual unity with Russia and a new church split was devised. The secular authorities "rudely meddled in the church life, causing a split, the seizure of churches and the beating of priests and monks," the article reads.
"Even the broad autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with preserving spiritual unity with the Moscow Patriarchate does not satisfy them (the secular authorities - TASS) at all. They desperately sought to destroy this obvious and centuries-old symbol of our relationship," Putin wrote.
Putin announced his intention to write an article on the history of the Russian people and its ties with Ukraine during his annual question and answer session, known as Direct Line, on June 30. He expressed his hope that residents of both countries would read it.