2015 rbth.com SPECIAL EDITION COMMEMORATING VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II THE UNTOLD STORY OF JEWISH SOVIET SOLDIERS P. 8-9 VIEWS OF THE WAR FROM HOLLYWOOD AND MOSFILM P. 12-15 UNKNOWN WAR BROTHERS IN ARMS 1945· 70 · 2015 unknownwar.rbth.com Bridging the gap between American Contents and Russian war narratives istory is written by the victors,” claimed Winston Churchill. 02-03 The 70th Anniversary of Victory: “HWhile humanity as a whole lost tragically in the blood- What it means for Russia bath of World War II, in the military and political sense there were 04-05 Meeting on the Elbe: A handshake many victors - and thus many histories to recount. that made history These different versions of the war may be seen as conflicting or contradictory. But a close look reveals that rather than being alter- 06-07 Lend-Lease from Alaska to Siberia: Flying into the past native histories, they are more often than not parallel narratives. How could it really be otherwise? 08-09 Lives of the Great Patriotic War: The Pearl Harbor, Anzio, Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, the Ardennes -these untold story of Jewish Soviet soldiers and many other place names symbolize the American memory of 10-11 Russian Embassy in the U.S. presents the war. The Battle of Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, Siege of Sevas- medals to veterans topol, Brest Fortress – these are the places that matter for a Rus- sian. 12-13 The war on film: How different nar- How Americans and Russians have recounted “their” wars, though ratives fed the Cold War fought against a common enemy, come inevitably and necessarily 14-15 70 years on, does the world need an- from different perspectives. other Yalta conference? As David Miller explains in the first text in this brochure, com- memorations and celebrations of the victory of the Allied powers 16 Bestselling writers bear witness to the devastation and glory of the war over Nazi Germany took on an importance in the Soviet Union and still, too, in today’s Russia that is far in excess and scale than any- 17 The female pilots who took on the thing seen in any of the other victorious nations. Luftwaffe Why? Perhaps, beyond political demands, because of the sheer, 18 New York Times photographer James horrific magnitude of Soviet losses, which brought the tragedy into Hill turns a foreign lens on Soviet almost every Russian home and family for generations to come. veterans With the extraordinary modern rise of communications and en- tertainment media, history may still be written by the victors, but 19 St. Petersburg photographer Sergei Larenkov connects past and present rather more by their film producers and popular writers than their politicians and scholars. The text in the center of this booklet, by 20 Walking in the footsteps of solders: Stephen Norris, recounts how American and Soviet movies indeed Russia’s most notable World War II largely established the respective war narratives of our peoples: travel destinations yesterday’s partners, yesterday’s ‘Brothers in Arms’ turned Cold War enemies. In this publication, RBTH hopes to help bridge the divide between THIS SPECIAL ISSUE WAS PRODUCED BY RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES, INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS DIVISION OF ROSSIYSKAYA the war narratives of our two great nations, by showing that we GAZETA (RUSSIA). SUPPORTED BY THE BLAVATNIK FAMILY FOUNDATION. have also many common but little told World War II stories. How, for example, advancing Russian and American troops met in the INTERNET: WWW.RBTH.COM E-MAIL [email protected] PH.: +7(495) 775 3114 FAX: +7(495) 988 9213 ADDRESS 24 PRAVDY middle of Germany and literally rebuilt a bridge over the Elbe riv- STR., BLDG. 4, FLOOR 7. MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 125 993. ADDRESS IN THE U.S. SUITE 8018, 8TH FLOOR er, proclaiming it precisely ‘a bridge of friendship’; how a New York 31 WEST 34TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY, 10001. archive has helped to uncover the untold story of Jewish Soviet EUGENE ABOV PUBLISHER RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES, ANDREY SHIMARSKY ART DIRECTOR, soldies who fought in the war; or the incredible story of how an NIKOLAY SHIYANOV DESIGNER, ALEXANDR KISLOV DESIGNER, American paratrooper, an escapee from a German camp, ended up ILYA OVCHARENKO LAYOUT, ELENA BOBROVA EDITOR, LARA MCCOY EDITOR, joining the Red Army and fighting alongside his new Soviet com- RANDIANNE LEYSHON PROOFREADING, ANDREI ZAITSEV HEAD OF PHOTO DEPARTMENT, rades. JULIA GOLIKOVA COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ANNA SERGEEVA REPRESENTATIVE IN NEW YORK, We hope that these and many other stories will interest and inspire E-MAIL [email protected], you. OLGA GUITCHOUNTS REPRESENTATIVE IN WASHINGTON DC, E-MAIL [email protected], To quote the late, great popular U.S. filmmaker Michael Crichton: ALEXANDRA KARLINSKAYA PROJECT MANAGER, ANTONINA OSIPOVA MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are COVER PHOTO: CONSEIL REGIONAL DE BASSE-NORMANDIE / a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” NATIONAL ARCHIVES USA; TASS. © COPYRIGHT 2015, ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RBTH Team ALEXANDER GORBENKO CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PAVEL NEGOITSA GENERAL DIRECTOR, VLADISLAV FRONIN CHIEF EDITOR. 1 THE UNKNOWN WAR BROTHERS IN ARMS 1945· 70 · 2015 unknownwar.rbth.com The first Victory by the Soviet Union has led many average Sept. 1, 1939 - June 21, 1941 “Unfortunately, today we see not only at- parade was held on Russians today to feel as if their country paid tempts at distorting the events of that war, June 24, 1945. Since the lion’s share of the cost for defeating Nazi Hitler’s armies roll through Europe in the but also unmasked cynical lies and impudent 1995, parades have been Germany. “blitzkrieg” phase of the war. defamation of an entire generation of people held every year. At odds with the West who gave up everything for this victory, who The original victory parade was held in June defended peace on earth,” Putin said. “We 1945, after many Soviet troops had returned June 22, 1941 - mid-Nov. 1942 should constantly, firmly, persistently and from the front. After that, parades were held on May 9, 1965, for the 20th anniversary, and Nazi Germany launches Operation Bar- then in 1975 and 1985. Since the May 9, 1995 barossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of Siege of Leningrad begins on Sept. 8. the victory, parades have been held every year. The Soviet Union and now the Russian Fed- eration marks Victory Day on May 9 because Mid-Nov. 1942 - Dec. 1, 1943 although Germany surrendered on May 8, due to the time change, the surrender was signed Battle of Stalingrad ends Feb. 22, 1943. after midnight in Moscow. The tide of the war begins to turn. Dur- ARTYOM KORATAEV / TASS KORATAEV ARTYOM The Second World War has a central Today it is both a chance to honor Russia’s ing the Tehran conference from Nov. 28- past sacrifices and achievements and to show Dec. 1, 1943, Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. The tomb of the unknown solder just outside the place in Russia’s national consciousness. off the country’s latest military hardware. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agree Kremlin walls is a symbol of Russia’s sacrifice. For the past 20 years, Russia’s leadership has to open a second front. Now, the country is gearing up for a pulled out all the stops every year and typi- with reason assert the truth about the war, blockbuster celebration of the 70th cally hosts dozens of heads of state in mark- about the colossal contribution of the Soviet ing the occasion. Dec. 1943 - May 9, 1945 people to the victory.” anniversary amid new tensions with its This year, however, the celebration comes at In late March, Russian Foreign Minister Ser- former allies. a time when Russia is at bitter odds with the Second front is opened with the invasion gei Lavrov said leaders of 26 countries plan West over the armed conflict in Ukraine, and of Normandy on D-Day. On, April 25, 1945, to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Mos- David Miller, special to RBTH as economic sanctions threaten to force aver- the meeting on the Elbe takes place; Soviet cow in 2015, including Chinese President Xi age Russians into making sacrifices due to the troops arrive in Berlin May 2, 1945. Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong hen invading Nazi forces reached the central act of their history during standoff. Un. None of the leaders of major Western Woutskirts of Moscow in late 1941, the the last century…. For Americans During a recent meeting of the committee countries, including the leaders of the former stakes couldn’t have been higher for the Sovi- and Europeans, that conflict is in- organizing the 70th anniversary celebration, allied powers U.S. President Barack Obama, et Union. Hitler considered Slavs an inferior creasingly a matter of history.” Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out May 10 - Sept. 2, 1945 British Prime Minister David Cameron and ethnic race. Nazi records suggest that if Ger- Every May 9, Russia commemorates at unnamed critics he accused of attempting The war in the Pacific continues until Japan French President Francois Hollande plan to many had been successful, tens of millions of victory over the Nazi Germany with a to downplay Russia’s role in the war — which surrenders on Sept. 2, after atomic bombs attend. German Chancellor Angela Merkel Russians would have faced a genocidal re- zeal that is almost surely unequaled any- is known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia. are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. will also not attend the parade, although she gime of enslavement and forced exile.