WE WILL NOT GIVE UP ON OUR MORAL DUTY TO HONOUR ALL OF THE VETERANS OF THE ARCTIC CONVOYS

 

Yesterday my country, the Russian Federation, celebrated its national day.

It marks the anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty which dates back to 1990, making our state one of the youngest in the world.

Twenty-five years is just a flash in more than a millennium long history of the Russian nation, but for the first time it marks decisive and focused political transformation of our society towards democracy. Such drastic changes do not happen overnight. We are aware of the risks of setbacks and obstructions on this path. They will only make our will and determination stronger, harden our resolve to accomplish our journey.

To comprehend this phenomenon, take an unbiased look at the history of Russia. You will mostly find turbulent and embattled decades interrupted briefly with time of peace. Centuries have seen rises and falls, invasions from the East and West, civil wars and revolutions. And unlike most other European countries, we were actually spared the basic dilemma - surrender and live, or fight and die. Time after time, the Second World War being the prime example, it was an ultimate battle for the very existence of our state and survival of our nation.

Due to this intense experience of hardship and sacrifice our people fully understand and empathise with the sufferings of others. Hard times not only matured the nation; they also fostered the essential traits of our national character, traditions of helping and supporting each other, feelings of compassion and sympathy to people in need.

Another inherent feature is the ability to be genuinely appreciative of, and to be thankful to, those who gave us a helping hand during the difficult times, to the nations that joined us in the most severe ordeals. Britain and Scotland stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in these crucial tests of history, one of these tests being the Second World War.

One of the most dramatic, tragic and heroic pages of our war-time alliance was the epic story of the Arctic Convoys. Thousands of British, Soviet, American and other allied sailors risked their lives to accomplish one of the war's most demanding and perilous missions. Sailing conditions were incredibly harsh, and the more experienced and advanced enemy did everything possible to prevent these ships from reaching their destinations. Many sailors did not return home. Others struggled their entire lives to cope with injuries and loss of friends.

Recently I enjoyed the special privilege and honour of presenting one of Russia's highest military decorations, the Ushakov Medal, to the Arctic Convoys veterans living in Scotland. The medal, introduced during the war and named after Russia's 18th century admiral who did not lose a battle, is awarded only for exceptional bravery and courage in naval warfare. Since November 2014, I have presented 186 of these medals. A total of 140 were handed to the veterans or their representatives and 46 medals were received by family members of the veterans who, sadly, had died since March 2014.

These are impressive numbers, but there are still 28 medals at our consulate general, awaiting their rightful owners. Any help and guidance in this respect would be much appreciated. We do not abandon our hope and will continue our efforts to get in touch with those veterans or their families, but, sad to admit, it's a race against time. Even the youngest ones, those teenagers who concealed their true age to join the navy, would be aged about 90.

Time takes its toll and the veterans of the Arctic convoys are not getting any younger. Being grateful to them, we feel it is our moral duty to ensure there is public recognition of their sacrifice and to pay tribute to all those who perished in the sea and those who returned home. This tribute is long overdue. This year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of victory in the Second World War and there could be no better occasion to do it now, before it is too late. These men did their duty against all odds when our countries needed them most. We owe them our freedom and, probably, our very existence. So let us not fail to thank them properly, and show them due respect and recognition despite politics.