Vladimir Putin calls to preserve national memory

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday repeated his call to preserve national memory and defend it from attempts to misrepresent facts closely related to the country's role in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

At the meeting of the organizing committee, Putin pointed out that Russia had recently celebrated on May 9, but June 22 is drawing near, 'a terrible and tragic day when the Nazis treacherously invaded our land,' Putin stated.

In the meeting, Vladimir Putin stressed that this experience determines, to a large extent, how sincere and sacred the memory of the Great Patriotic War is for Russia.

He also pointed out that one of the constitutional reforms with the most popular support was the one dedicated to preserve the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland and of the historic truth.

He said that the death of that 'great generation of victors', responsibility in defending their legacy is much greater especially now, when we are increasingly facing much more attempts to smear, distort history, reconsider the role of the Red Army in the defeat of Nazism in the liberation of the European people,' he said.

Putin assured that Russia will 'break the teeth' of those who seek to seize a part of this extensive territory.

'Everyone wants to bite us somewhere or bite off a part of our territory. I tell those that we will break their teeth so they cannot bite,' he said.