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Never again? Again. (Photos)

by Irynka Hromotska May 9, 2024 12:25 AM 7 min read
Collage of two photos (L-R): The 8th Guard of the Army of General Chuikov, Soviet Army, on the streets of Odesa, Ukraine, amid the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in April 1944. (Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images), Ukrainian soldiers at a checkpoint near the Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in the center of Odesa, Ukraine, on March 18, 2022. (Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
by Irynka Hromotska May 9, 2024 12:25 AM 7 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Warning: This article contains graphic images.

The slogan "Never again" emerged in response to the Holocaust and other atrocities of World War II as a vow of humanity to prevent such horrific events from being repeated.

On May 8, the world marks Victory in Europe Day, celebrating 79 years since the unconditional defeat of Nazi Germany, and with it, the end to its crimes against humanity.

But for the third year in a row now, this day – meant to remind the public about the horrors and lessons of the past – is taking place as events strikingly similar unfold in Europe.

Russia’s highly-militarized Victory Day celebration has nothing to do with WWII
The legacy of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany feeds pro-war aggression in Putin’s Russia — and is celebrated with a religious fervor. When Russian President Vladimir Putin swept into power in 2000, he faced a divided land. The disintegration of the Soviet Union and the economic downturn that follo…

During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Nazi forces occupied much of Soviet Ukraine, executing civilians, and destroying cultural heritage and infrastructure.

The same Ukrainian regions and cities that were once invaded by Nazis are now suffering from Russian attacks and deliberate killings.

In this visual piece, we are looking at the similarities between World War II and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.  


Ukraine marks first ‘Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism’ in WWII since official date change in 2023
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law in 2023 officially changing the date of Ukraine’s World War II commemoration to May 8, aligning it with most of Europe and indicating a full break from the Soviet-era holiday.

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