On May 16, a commemorative meeting dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory was held at the European Fund of Slavic Literature and Culture. The event brought together representatives of different generations, united by a common goal—to preserve historical memory and honor the heroism of those who fought for freedom during World War II.In the cozy atmosphere of the Aircraft Gallery, friends of the fund, representatives of search movements, students, and teachers from the I. Horvath and A. Einstein Gymnasiums with advanced Russian language studies gathered. Participants from Russia and Slovakia also joined via video link. Among the distinguished guests was former Slovak Prime Minister Ján Čarnogurský.
The official part was opened by the fund’s president, Doctor of Law, Professor Igor Ivanovich Bondarenko. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of preserving historical truth and recalled the contribution of Soviet soldiers to the liberation of Slovakia.
Great interest was sparked by the exhibition "Art in War. War in Art," prepared in collaboration with the State Museum-Reserve of Yelabuga. The museum’s General Director, Gulzada Rakipovna Rudenko, highlighted the power of art as a means of reflecting on tragic pages of history and thanked the fund for its longstanding partnership.
The youth took center stage in the program. A cadet class from School No. 16 in St. Petersburg sent a video presentation imbued with respect for veterans. A student from Michalovce, Slovakia, Tatiana Nemcová, shared her reflections on war and memory. Bratislava gymnasium students—Valeria Mackela, Roman Popov, and Alina Bondarenko—delivered moving presentations about the fates of their relatives who fought in the Great Patriotic War.
One of the key topics was the liberation of Slovakia’s airspace in 1945. This was discussed by Alexander Bronislavovich Gribovsky, Candidate of Historical Sciences, head of the "Soldiers’ Obelisks" project, and lecturer at the Moscow Aviation Institute. His speech served as an emotional reminder of the heroism of Soviet pilots.
The evening was enriched by the performance of Nadezhda Bulanova, a hereditary Cossack, who sang wartime songs. The audience warmly received each piece, with the entire hall singing along to "Katyusha."
The program concluded with a banner exhibition dedicated to Soviet pilots who liberated Slovakia’s skies, prepared by the fund’s art director, Yulia Krasulya. Slovak searcher Peter Mengart spoke about the fate of one of the fallen pilots, Peter Filatov. Additionally, Valery Georgievich Lebedev, Candidate of Historical Sciences, writer, journalist, and author of the "Letters to a Person" channel, spoke about the Victory Parade on Red Square.
The commemorative meeting "80 Years of Victory" was not just a solemn event but a profound and meaningful dialogue between generations, countries, and cultures. It was a gathering filled with sincere emotions, important memories, and a shared hope for preserving peace and historical truth. 
