By Vestnik Kavkaza
German authorities canceled a few visas to Russian bikers who were going to hold a motocross to Berlin from 25 April to 9 May to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the German media reported. A day earlier, the Polish Foreign Ministry denied "Night Wolves" to enter the territory of the country. Political sanctions are applied not only for departure, but also to enter - the invitation to take part in the Victory Parade was refused by the head Japan, the USA, Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, Israel, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
As suggested by the Director General of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (ARPORC) Valery Fedorov, "many countries, who in 1945 stood shoulder to shoulder with the Soviet Union in the fight against the Nazis, today, for whatever reason, refuse to share with us the joy of the holiday. And this is, of course, an important, dramatic story. It is important for public opinion, for the Russians. a great victory is a key event not only in Russian history or even the world history of the twentieth century, but it is also one of the cornerstones of modern Russian identity. One of the foundations of the self-esteem of Russians. Therefore, such a major anniversary is the focus of a huge number of our fellow citizens. Therefore, any accent, any turn, any developments associated with this anniversary, received a great response. "
In April polls, which were held by ARPORC found out, that 70 years after the victory every fourth Russian has personal information channels. In the form of friends, relatives, veterans of the Great Patriotic War. «Therefore, the war and the victory continue to retain a very important, personal dimension for us. It is a living memory, not just a memory created by the media or through education technology», said Fedorov.
In addition, according to the sociologist, "the meaning of the Victory Day parade which is given by ordinary Russians, this does not mean rumbling and waving missiles and warplanes, it is the memory of the great history of our country, and we need to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Great War. The main audience of the Victory Parade is internal rather than external. Only 3% of respondents believe that we hold a victory parade to invite heads of foreign states. "
The refusal of a number of foreign leaders to come to Moscow on May 9th was heard by most Russians. "But 52% of citizens do not consider the absence of foreign diplomats as such an important event, that can seriously spoil the holiday," sociologists believe.
