On 4 April 2024, Slovakia celebrated the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Bratislava by the Red Army.
A ceremony honouring the memory of the liberators took place on the territory of the Slavin War Memorial Complex, where 6,845 Red Army soldiers are buried. The event was attended by the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico, members of the Government, members of the Parliament of the Republic, employees of the embassies of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, public organizations and local residents.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova honoured the memory of Soviet and Romanian soldiers who fell for the liberation of Bratislava.
On 4 April 1945, after fierce fighting, Soviet troops liberated the capital of Slovakia from the Nazi invaders. This was an important milestone in the fight against Nazi occupation and in the restoration of the country's freedom and independence.
The fighting for the Slovak capital began on 2 April 1945 in the settlements of Ivanka pri Dunaj, Podunajské Biskupice, Vajnory and lasted for two days. As a result of this operation, the liberators opened the way to the central regions of Czechoslovakia. Soviet and Czechoslovak fighters took part in heavy, bloody battles side by side.
There are now about 160 burial sites in Slovakia of Soviet soldiers who fell during the liberation of the Slovak Republic from fascism. More than 60,000 Soviet soldiers are buried in military cemeteries, mass graves and single graves. This is a reminder to today's generation of the price of freedom and that nations are strong by their unity and cohesion.
Author: Viktoria Vasilovova