The rally “No to fascism” was held on March 20 at the monument to the Soviet soldier in the Athenian district of Kallithea. It was attended by about 100 people – Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks.
By 12 noon on Sunday, despite the icy wind and rain, which for the heat-loving Athenians are terrible “Siberian frosts”, about a hundred people came.
The rally participants were addressed by Markos Illiadis, Greek-Pontic, SAMBO coach, a native of Donbass, now living in Athens, and Panayot Xanforulos, doctor, councilor of the Agia Varvara City Hall, leader of the party “East of Hellenism“and President of the Union of graduates from the countries of the former USSR.
A monument by the famous Russian sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov, depicting a fallen Soviet soldier and his mother mourning, was installed in Athens on Syngro Avenue in 2005. The monument is dedicated to Soviet soldiers and officers who escaped from Nazi captivity and fought in the Greek partisan detachments during World War II. On Saturday, unknown vandals left the inscription “Azov” on it with yellow paint, reminiscent of the Azov regiment, in which Nazis from many countries of the world gathered, and the symbolism of the “wolf hook” (Wolfsangel), which was the symbol of the 4th police division SS and 2nd SS Panzer Division “Reich”.
On Saturday evening, several people cleaned the monument, and in social networks there were proposals to come out on Sunday and lay flowers in memory of the fighters against fascism. Representatives of the Communist Party of Greece also took part in the action.
On Sunday, several dozen people brought flowers, St. George ribbons, Russian and Greek flags to the rally. The Communists put up a banner “No to the imperialist war. Stop dragging Greece into the war.” 100-120 people came to the spontaneous action – Russians, Greeks, Ukrainians.
The police officer on duty at the event, when asked by a RIA Novosti journalist about the investigation of the incident, replied that the security service in the Attica police was dealing with this case. “The incident is being investigated, I don’t know about its progress and am not authorized to comment. All such incidents are being investigated,” he said. The monument is located 50-100 meters from the police station.
On the eve of the Russian Embassy in Athens condemned an act of vandalism and demanded that the Greek authorities find and punish those responsible. “Supporters of the Ukrainian nationalist battalion “Azov”, who for so many years terrorized and murdered in cold blood the inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine, raised their hand to the sacred memory in Greece of the Soviet soldiers – those who liberated enslaved Europe from fascism in World War II with enormous sacrifices. We unequivocally condemn this an immoral attempt to insult history and an unacceptable act of vandalism,” the embassy said in a statement.
Representatives of the Ukrainian community in the comments to the post stated that this inscription was a provocation by Russia of their henchmen, and the Azov regiment is the heroes of Ukraine.
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