Namibia marks Soviet WWII remembrance

The National Library of Namibia hosted a remembrance event on 14 April, honouring victims of the genocide of the Soviet people during World War II.

The commemoration comes ahead of 19 April, a newly established memorial day in Russia known as the Day of Remembrance, which pays tribute to those who lost their lives to deliberate mass killings during the war.

Counsellor and head of foreign policy and media at the Russian embassy, Anton Chirva, led the commemoration and exhibition, highlighting the historical significance of the date.

“Back in 1943, the Soviet government issued a landmark decree for the first time to officially recognise that victims of the Soviet population in occupied territories were not just collateral damage of the war,” he said.

He further elaborated on the events of that period, stating that during 1943, “during the Great Patriotic War, it was the Nazis' deliberate policy to exterminate the whole population.”

Chirva added that the intent to eliminate entire populations formed part of the Third Reich’s broader plan of mass destruction, regardless of identity. The Third Reich refers to the period up to 1945 when Germany was governed by a totalitarian dictatorship under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP).

According to Chirva, approximately 13.7 million Soviet civilians became victims of systematic extermination.

“Millions were killed outright or died from forced labour, starvation and torture,” he said.

He also noted the severe humanitarian conditions during the war, particularly the difficulty in delivering essential food supplies.

“Totally, over one million people died from hunger, diseases and exhaustion. It was only after the Red Army’s breakthroughs in 1943 and 1944 that the surviving people of Leningrad were finally saved,” Chirva said.

Chirva further pointed out that discussions around genocide remain relevant in today’s global context. “The African Union has been taking steps to recognise slavery and colonialism as crimes of a genocidal nature,” he noted.