Thank you Tatyana. I am very pleased to have made this posting here.
It is right to remember the Russian contribution. It is extraordinary that these very respectful films were made for British television in 1973 during the Cold War. I would think they may have helped to improve relations between our countries.
When I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s our films and television were very heavily influenced with output from the United States. We were shown many war films (movies) featuring the exploits of American soldiers in world war two.
But I cannot remember a single film that told the story of Russia’s fight against the Nazis. Not even one. As a child I was completely unaware of this.
These two documentaries are the only films that I am aware of which attempt to tell the true story, but I was too young at the time they were first shown to see them.
In “Red Star” it is hinted that the Nazis tried to recruit nationalists in Ukraine and the Baltic states to their side. It seems that sadly some of the descendants of those nationalists are still sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
The anti-Russian propaganda that is currently being pushed by governments in the West is also very sad. I do not understand the purpose of it. We should be building bridges and offering friendship to Russia and it’s people. Why would any Russian person want more war when the country suffered so much during the second world war?
And thank you also Tatyana for sharing the wonderful photographs of your grandparents. And your lovely grandmother wearing her medals with such pride! I shall think of them.