On September 3, a commemorative ceremony took place at the municipal cemetery in Genk (Limburg province) to mark the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II.

The event was attended by the Ambassador of Russia to Belgium, Denis Gonchar, Defense Attaché Alexandr Buyanov, diplomats of the Embassy, representatives of the Russian House in Brussels, and members of the “Immortal Regiment of Belgium” association.

Genk holds the largest Soviet military burial site in Belgium, where 70 Red Army soldiers and officers are laid to rest. Having been captured during the war, they were sent to local coal mines for forced labor.

Participants gathered to pay tribute not only to the Soviet soldiers who sacrificed their lives, but also to 4 Belgian partisans executed by the Nazis and 8 British airmen shot down near the city in 1944.

As Ambassador Denis Gonchar highlighted, September 3 remains a symbol of triumph over Nazism and militarism. Preserving historical truth and honoring the shared effort of the Anti-Hitler Coalition is vital to ensuring that such tragedies are never repeated.

We honor the memory of all those who fought for peace and freedom.