Participants of a roundtable organized via video conference by Astrakhan State Technical University (ASTU) and Belarusian-Russian University (Mogilev, Republic of Belarus) discussed the topic of preserving historical truth and the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Alexey Aydin, Deputy Minister of External Relations of the Astrakhan Region, took part in the event.
Viktor Pashkevich, Vice-Rector for Research at Belarusian-Russian University, noted that ties with the Astrakhan university are strengthening year by year.
During the event, the moderator gave the floor alternately to participants from Astrakhan and Mogilev.
Fyodor Vinnik, Chairman of the regional public organization "Astrakhan Naval Assembly" and Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Astrakhan Region, spoke about the city's contribution to the Victory receiving due recognition – Astrakhan being awarded the honorary title "City of Labor Valor".
Dmitry Popelyshko, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Humanities of the Belarusian-Russian University, emphasized that attempts are often made today in Europe to revise the events of the Great Patriotic War, inventing new interpretations.
Addressing the topic of historical falsification, Sergey Chernov, Head of the Museum of History at the Belarusian-Russian University, exemplify the tragedy of the Belarusian village of Khatyn. He noted that attempts have been made repeatedly, both in the past and present, to justify the inexplicable atrocities of the fascists by blaming the death of Khatyn's residents on Soviet partisans who allegedly provoked the fascists into retaliation.
The contribution of Astrakhan's youth, particularly students and faculty of the Astrakhan Fisheries Institute, was highlighted in presentations by Anara Bekpaeva, a history teacher at Volgo-Caspian Marine Fishery college (a branch of ASTU), and Dmitry Skulsky, Commander of the ASTU student search unit "Podvig" ("Feat"). Zhanna Skulskaya, Director of the ASTU Museum of History, reported on the commemorative campaigns conducted by the university's students ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory: the "St. George's Ribbon", "Memory Candle", and video recordings of the recollections of home front workers and children of the war. ASTU, together with Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), published a collection titled "Memory in Our Hearts" as part of a project documenting the contribution of Astrakhan's fishermen to the Victory.
Elena Tsumareva, Head of the Department of Humanities at the Belarusian-Russian University, introduced the roundtable participants to the book "The Great Patriotic War: Family Stories," published in Mogilev in 2022.
Daria Tsygankova, a student at the Faculty of Construction of the Belarusian-Russian University, gave a detailed account of the biography of one of the heroes featured in this book – her grandfather, Sergey Trofimovich Sotnikov, a Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory.
Summing up the hour-and-a-half-long discussion, Evgenia Yukina, Head of the International Department at ASTU, Director of the Center for International and Socio-Political Research "Caspian-Eurasia," and member of the Public Council under the Ministry of External Relations of the Astrakhan Region, stated:
"In our countries, the year 2025 is marked by the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. Back in the 1940s, our grandfathers and great-grandfathers set examples of courage, resilience, and the unity of nations. And this is something we must always remember."
Photos: Press Office of ASTU