We Remember The Fact. MFA of Ukraine releases photos that unveil the truth of World War II
09 May 2021 10:53
Today through these little-known photos we are telling you very important facts that unveil the horrible truth of World War II.
We remember the truth rather than myths or propaganda. We are striving to prevent such a tragedy for us and the next generations.
Find out more about who was actually the first to raise a flag of victory, how Uspensky Cathedral was ruined during the war, Ukrainians who were on the frontlines of WWII to the final victory in our photos.
Children in Auschwitz
The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration, 1945
7 thousand children of different nationalities were liberated from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
In retreating in January 1945 the Nazis left children there to die from starvation and diseases.
Sorrow - true face of war
Crimea, 1941.
Survivors are trying to recognize their relatives among the dead.
Nazis killed hundreds of civilians outside of Bagerove village (Kerch peninsula). It was the very same place - a titank ditch where earlier Nazis executed Jews and left their bodies unburied.
Conference of Enslaved peoples of Eastern Europe and Asia
Buderazh village, Ukraine,1943
The first Conference of Enslaved peoples of Eastern Europe and Asia. Representatives of 13 nationalities gathered to consider the future of their nations after WWII. It was already clear that after liberating from Nazis they would have to struggle for freedom against USSR.
Ukrainians were on the frontlines of WWII from the beginning to the final victory
Tokyo Bay, US battleship "Missouri", September 2, 1945
Kuzma Derevyanko - Ukrainian soldier, lieutenant-general at Soviet army, Hero of Ukraine - is signing a Japanese Instrument of Surrender as a Soviet representative at Douglas MacArthur's headquarters.
From the very beginning until the final victory Ukrainians were on the frontlines of war.
War as an excuse for cultural destruction
Kyiv, 1941
The ruins of Uspensky Cathedral - the first building of stone on the territory of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
A series of explosions ripped through the Uspensky Catherdral on November 3, 1941. Current historic researches prove, that the Cathedral was mined by the Soviets. In retreating, the Red Army was actively using scorched-earth tactics.
Who was actually the first to raise a flag of victory
Berlin, 1945
Ukrainian Stepan Oreshko (1st photo - first from right) is a member of the very first scouting party that got to the dome of Reichstag during the Berlin operation.
Stepan Oreshko was the first one to raise the flag (this fact was certified in his decoration order). The famous photo "Victory Flag over Reichstag” by Yevgeny Khaldei - is a staged picture, that was taken on May 2, 1945, when Berlin was already under control of the Red Army. The Soviet propaganda painted in the history a group of two men - Meliton Kantaria and Mikhail Yegorov, in contrast forgot about the Ukrainian Oleksiy Berest, who was one of famous “flag-holders”.
