On February 5, 2026, a large-scale presentation of a series of documentary collections titled "Republics – to the Front 1941–1945" took place in the capital of Russia. The event was organized with the support of the Apparatus of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, the Russian Historical Society, and the Russian State University for the Humanities. Among the participants was the Secretary General of the CSTO, Taalatbek Masadikov.
In his speech, Masadikov emphasized the importance of archival materials for preserving historical truth and strengthening ties between the peoples who fought together for victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Text of the speech:
"Dear colleagues and friends!
First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the organizers for the opportunity to participate in the presentation of the documentary collections 'Republics – to the Front 1941-1945'. This work is proof that our Great Victory was a collective achievement. It was achieved through the joint efforts on the front lines and in the rear, in production workshops and in the fields, by all the peoples and republics of our vast country. We worked towards one goal: to crush Nazi Germany and its allies.
Preserving historical memory and truth about the war is our moral duty. We must remember the price our ancestors paid for Victory and defend the truth from distortion. Today, it is especially important to rely on facts and archival evidence, such as those collected in this collection. Attempts to rewrite history and downplay the contributions of our peoples to the victory over Nazism represent a deliberate policy that threatens the values for which our ancestors fought and undermines the legal and moral foundations of peace established after 1945. We, as heirs of the victors, cannot allow this to happen.
The issues of protecting historical memory about the Great Patriotic War and the truth about our common Victory hold an important place in the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. We have done significant work in anticipation of the 80th anniversary of this event.
The creation of the encyclopedia 'The Great Patriotic War 1941–1945', initiated by the then Secretary General of the CSTO Imangali Nurgalievich Tasmagambetov in collaboration with the Research Institute of Military History, became an important part of this work. This scientific work was highly appreciated at the session of the Collective Security Council in Bishkek.
In the year of the anniversary of the Great Victory, our Organization organized an International Conference on the topic: 'The Contribution of the Peoples of the CSTO Member States to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War'. The conference brought together politicians, experts, and historians, confirming that the memory of the feat is the foundation of our solidarity in countering modern challenges.
As a result of this work, the Collective Security Council of the CSTO adopted a Statement in connection with the 80th anniversary of Victory, which rejects attempts to revise history and glorify Nazism, and emphasizes that the actions of the Nazis were genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union. A united position of leading Eurasian associations was also voiced in the Joint Statement of the Secretaries General of the CSTO, CIS, and SCO.
Therefore, today’s event is of special significance to us. The collections 'Republics – to the Front' are a logical continuation of the systematic work carried out by our countries to immortalize the memory of the Great Victory. These documents confirm the words of our leaders.
I want to express special gratitude to the team of compilers for their work in collecting and systematizing archival evidence.
Dear friends!
The collections 'Republics – to the Front' are an important contribution to ensuring that our children and grandchildren know the truth about how soldiers from Almaty and Minsk, Bishkek and Dushanbe, Yerevan and Moscow, Tashkent and Baku, Ashgabat and Tbilisi stood shoulder to shoulder.
As long as we remember and defend the truth, the sacrifices made on the altar of Victory were not in vain. The strength of our unity lies in our shared history, memory, and responsibility for the future.
Thank you for your attention!"
