Putin Meets Rabbi Lazar

Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Mr. Putin: I am very happy to see you. We have been trying to meet and talk for a long time. We had an opportunity to discuss our current business together briefly. I know about your project, and I remember that you told me about the construction of a museum. How is it going?

Rabbi Lazar: Despite the crisis, the project we planned and that you helped start is being carried out on time. We planned to open the museum in two years, and this is still realistic.

Mr. Putin: Is it being built or not?

Rabbi Lazar: The building has already been finished. Now we need to finish the interiors… Much work is still ahead, but, thank God, we can already see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Today is the eve of January 27, and we think that this is a very big event. We Jews will never forget what the Soviet Army, the Red Army, did for us during World War II. We must clearly emphasise this and tell people how it was in reality, because, regrettably, what we see happening in Ukraine in the last few days is simply appalling. We cannot accept this, and we will help people understand these issues so that everyone is clear on the past. Historical facts are the best answer when we see something like this.

Mr. Putin: I closely follow what is happening in the world to distort history, in particular, to deny the Holocaust. I would like to note that Jewish organizations are our consistent allies in our efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of Nazism and the real tragedies of World War II. We had their support when the monument was moved in Tallinn, and we see this in other regions of the world, where attempts are made to revise the truth about the tragedy of World War II. We have seen how consistent Jewish organizations are in Russia as well, and we absolutely agree with you on this issue. I would like to thank you for that.

Rabbi Lazar: I think that those who saw and felt this tragedy cannot deny it. There are many people who, by no coincidence, continue to say: we were there, we know who helped us and who did not. This is not even a question.

Overall, I think that the Jewish community in Russia would like to prove that it is impossible to deny this moment and the Holocaust as a whole, and to prove participation of every nation that helped us. This is an ideological approach. This is not only because some people helped and some did not. Nazism is bad not only because its proponents killed, but because they killed and justified their actions. There were people who helped them in the Baltic countries and in Ukraine – local people took part in the liquidation of the Jews.

Saying that the Nazis came and the people resisted is not enough. There were many people who did many things, but on the whole it was the state that helped. That is why it is frightening when now some are trying again to come up with their own versions of history.

Mr. Putin: I agree.