The Russian Embassy in Lebanon commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War over Nazi Germany with a large official reception held at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut.
Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov and his wife welcomed the guests alongside senior diplomatic, military, and administrative representatives of the Embassy. The reception brought together a broad range of Lebanese political, governmental, diplomatic, military, academic, religious, media, economic, and cultural figures, as well as members of the Russian community residing in Lebanon.
Among the attendees were representatives of the Lebanese Presidency, Parliament, Government, ministries, the Lebanese Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, foreign embassies, universities, media institutions, political parties, religious organizations, and business associations. Mohamed Nassereldine, President of the Lebanese-Russian Cooperation Office, also participated in the event.
The ceremony opened with the Lebanese and Russian national anthems. Ambassador Rudakov delivered a speech highlighting the historical significance of the victory and the sacrifices made by the peoples of the Soviet Union during the war. He referred to the approximately 27 million Soviet citizens who lost their lives and emphasized the importance of protecting historical truth and preventing the falsification of the events of the Second World War.
The Ambassador also spoke about the Soviet Union’s decisive role in defeating Nazi Germany and liberating Europe. He concluded by congratulating the attendees on Victory Day and wishing them peace, prosperity, and security.
The reception featured a historical black-and-white photography exhibition documenting the war and its major milestones. Russian and Lebanese flags, commemorative displays, documentary films, and Russian folkloric performances were also presented throughout the evening.
At the conclusion of the official program, Ambassador Rudakov, surrounded by senior guests, cut a large commemorative cake specially designed for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. The photographs included in the document show the official reception, distinguished guests, diplomatic meetings, and the ceremonial cake-cutting.