Jüri Kotšinev ⟩ Empires do not admit their losses – even Putin does not stop and approaches his end

Russia’s Victory Day Parade Highlights Historical Revisionism, Expert Says

Moscow – The annual Victory Day Parade held in Moscow on May 9, 2021, underscored a long-standing trend within Russia’s approach to its military history, according to war historian Jüri Kotšinev. The event, a significant national commemoration of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, has repeatedly been subject to scrutiny regarding its portrayal of wartime events. Kotšinev’s analysis, published following the parade, suggests a pattern of historical revisionism frequently observed in nations seeking to bolster national pride and justify future actions.

Empires, he argues, rarely not acknowledge the full extent of their defeats or the losses sustained during conflicts. “Empires rarely admit losses,” Kotšinev wrote. “They may change the formulations of the wars they have fought and rewrite textbooks for themselves in a way that is useful to them.” This practice, he explained, is a deliberate strategy to shape public perception and maintain a narrative favorable to the current regime.

The Victory Day parade serves as a focal point for this process, with carefully selected imagery and messaging reinforcing a particular interpretation of the Second World War. The event’s significance lies not only in commemorating the past but also in demonstrating the ongoing efforts to frame historical events to suit contemporary political objectives. [Photo: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters / Scanpix]

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