Pyotr Tolstoy: Only together can we be free

In Minsk, at the international parliamentary conference Historical Memory: The Great Victory Obtained Through Unity, Pyotr Tolstoy, deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, stressed the need for unity in opposing attempts to revive Nazism: “All our history tells us that we were strong when we were together. We must explain to the world calmly and patiently that we are a separate civilization. We have our own historical experience and of course we have to unite in making sense of that historical experience.” Pyotr Tolstoy is convinced that our countries will continue to uphold the historical truth.

“It is impossible to impose our vision of the world, our vision of history overnight. But the fact that 80 years later we continue to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for our freedom, for our freedom to be who we are, and not to ask permission from anyone – that is the most important thing. And, once again, we can be free, we can be a truly great civilization, the greatest European civilization, only when we are together,” stressed Pyotr Tolstoy.