Boards honoring veterans of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War are set up in front of the Russian State Historical Museum in Moscow, Russia on May 7, 2025. Photo: Liu Xin/GT

As Russia prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II on May 9, young Russians interviewed by the Global Times that the hard-won triumph against fascism must never be forgotten and history must not be distorted. They called on youth in both China and Russia to jointly defend historical truth.
Russia annually celebrates May 9 as Victory Day. At 12:43 am Moscow time on May 9, 1945, the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed, marking end of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, according to a report from TASS.

Many people in Russia came to visit the Victory Museum in Moscow, and the number of visitors has increased during the holiday period, Amaliya, 22, a staff member at the museum, told the Global Times. 

Inside the museum, a corridor flanked by electronic screens displays countless portrait photos. At the interactive terminal ahead, visitors gather to search for information. 

A Global Times reporter observed Amaliya assisting an elderly woman in operating the device. She said that the woman had previously entered information about her relatives into the system and came specifically to see if their records could be found.

Amaliya has worked at the museum for three years. She said she chose the job out of a belief that true history must not be forgotten but carefully preserved and passed on. In her free time, Amaliya and her colleagues also study World War II history, and she is deeply aware of the great sacrifices and contributions made by the Soviet Union and China in the fight against fascism. 

Amaliya said she is currently applying for a visa to China, hoping to one day visit museums and historical sites that document China's role in the war.

For Nastya, a student from the Confucius Institute at Moscow State Linguistic University, it is vitally important to preserve and pass on the correct truth about the World War II.

"Both China and the Soviet Union made tremendous sacrifices and indelible contributions to the victory over fascism. My great-grandfather fought in World War II — he marched all the way to Berlin and later participated in the Soviet-Japanese War in 1945, contributing to Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Stories like these have helped me understand how hard-won the victory against fascism was — and why it must be remembered forever," Nastya told the Global Times.

Nastya said that she sometimes comes across distorted narratives that downplay or deny the sacrifices and contributions made by China and Russia during the war. Such narratives leave her confused — and even offended — as she believes they stem from a lack of genuine understanding of history.

"History must not be distorted. As young people from both China and Russia, we must work together to defend the truth of the past," she said.

Victoria, a Russian student, told the Global Times that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War — one of the most extensive and devastating conflicts in human history. The triumph of the anti-fascist forces signified the ultimate victory of justice over aggression and laid the groundwork for global peace. 

This history also serves as a powerful reminder of the value of peace and the need to remain vigilant against the repetition of war's horrors, said Victoria.

"I hope to see China-Russia relations continue to develop in a healthy and stable manner, with strengthened cooperation across various fields, joint efforts to address global challenges, and contributions to safeguarding world peace," said Victoria.