This is the first my blog post ever and I have never planned to write anything political on my website.
In 2013 I visited Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There was a small museum dedicated to Srebrenica massacre happened in 1995.
Decommission of Yugoslavia caused the bloodiest war in Europe after WWII. The most terrible episodes happened in Bosnia. Ethnic Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina intended to establish an autonomy ‘Republic of Sprska’ within the country. They organised a referendum of independence, which was ignored by the official government. In response, the government of Serbia decided to incorporate all Bosnian lands with Serbian majority, including Republic of Sprska.
A small mountain town of Srebrenica was surrounded and occupied by Serbian army. The population there was mostly Bosnian, however, Serbian government decided to take it. In few days most of Bosnian men were executed. Including children. It was a horrific act of genocide. Total number of losses is still unknown, they are thousands of people. Even now, 26 years later, new burials are found. The work on identifying the remains is still far from finished.
Everyone was sure that we learned the lesson even if it was a hard way. Now Europe is at war again. Never have I ever imagined that my country would shoot innocent people from weapons of all types. I remember when I was studying at university my friends had a trip to Mariupol. Now this town does not exist anymore, every single building there is destroyed. I remember my short visit to Kyiv in 2011 where I met many nice and intelligent people. The war changed their lives forever. Some of them will not see the end of this war.
Massacre in Bucha will always be a dark page in the history of Russia. Hundreds of people were tortured and executed during the month of occupation. Literally, people there went through hell. How can it be possible nowadays in the centre of Europe? What was in the minds of the people who were doing that?
Mature nation like a mature person differs from an immature one in ability to take the responsibility. We, the Russians, must take responsibility for that. Too many times in our history Russia acted cruelly while we ignored that. And then we forgot it shortly. This time we must not make it forgotten as this is the only way to prevent such acts in future. We have lots of things we can be proud of, such as literature, science, art, nature, the first cosmonaut ever. We must also accept that we are responsible for Bucha, Mariupol, Borodyanka, Kharkiv, Irpen. Not the government, not the army, not that guy. We are.
Crimes against humanity do not expire. People responsible for the massacre in Srebrenica faced the Tribunal in Hague and were sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. They are ashamed forever, everything positive they have done, if they have, was overshadowed by what they had done at war. No doubt, the same will happen to the Russian authorities. Not only will the army commanders and Putin personally be punished, but also the propagandists, who have been making peoples of the neighbouring countries hate each other.
Day of victory in WWII, the 9th of May, is one of the most important, almost sacred date in Russia. This day our politicians speak about how our country gifted the world with freedom from fascism, tyranny, and inhumanity in 1945. Unfortunately, it took only a few decades for Russia to become the monster it was fighting against.
Stop this shameful war, there will be no winner.