The message reads, in part:
“Happy Iyar 26, the Day of Salvation and Liberation, established to commemorate the heroic feat of the soldiers and officers of the Red Army and our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition who fought against our common enemy and defeated Nazism, rescuing Jews and other ethnic groups from extermination.
This holiday has become an integral part of the Jewish religious calendar, uniting people of all ages and ethnicities in Russia and across the world around noble humanistic ideals and values.
I am convinced that the widespread and solemn observance of the Day of Salvation and Liberation during this 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War will help preserve historical, spiritual and cultural traditions, strengthen social harmony and mutual understanding, and foster the patriotic upbringing of youth. Present and future generations must safeguard the truth about World War II, resisting all forms of racism and xenophobia, as well as aggressive policies of enslavement.
On this holiday, we extend our warmest words to our dear veterans. Your lives will forever stand as an example of resilience and faith in your righteous cause, in the good and justice.”