On Friday, May 8, the whole world will observe the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In Slovakia, this day is commemorated as the Victory over Fascism day. The Second World War was the largest and the cruelest armed conflict in human history, costing the lives of up to 60 million people, both soldiers and civilians. During the six years it lasted, entire cities were destroyed and incalculable damage was done to human property and cultural heritage. In Slovakia there are more than 2,800 places of memory, e.g. memorials or plaques placed in memory of those who fell in the Second World War. However, due to the current covid-19 pandemic, most of the public celebrations and gatherings at these memorials have been cancelled or moved "online".
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe and the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the Slovak Embassy in London will present a live concert by the renowned violinist Teo Gertler. The performance will take place on Friday, the 8th of May, at 5 pm BST. It is organised in collaboration with the City of Bratislava and it will be streamed directly from the Hall of Mirror of the Primate's Palace on the social media of the embassy.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Radio Slovakia International has prepared a special themed series called "We shall never surrender". You can find it on the radio's website as well as on your podcast application within the channel History SK.
