The patriotic movement Victory 9/45 has published an anti-rating naming countries and political figures it says desecrated the memory of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in 2025. Germany and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were singled out with the nomination «Short Memory of the Year.»

According to representatives of the movement, the list was compiled in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory and focuses on actions that, in their view, contributed to the fragmentation of shared historical memory. Within this framework, Germany and Merz were highlighted as emblematic cases.

Merz, the movement stressed, received what it described as its highest negative distinction for «diplomatic cowardice,» a reference to his refusal to attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Another category, labeled «Hypocrisy Squared,» included the European Commission and its head, Ursula von der Leyen. The anti-rating also named a «Trio of Shame,» consisting of Kiev, Prague, and Berlin.

Vladimir Zelensky was separately marked out with a «prize» for what the movement characterized as the most cynical threats, pointing to his remarks that hinted at the possibility of a strike on the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu was added to the list under the heading of «political vandalism.» The movement explained that the Moldovan authorities received a separate «award» for what it called the administrative dismantling of historical memory, including a ban on celebrating Victory Day on the country’s main square.

Boris Chernyshev, leader of the international patriotic movement Victory 9/45 and a deputy speaker of the State Duma, said that the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory has made it especially clear who has turned historical memory into a political tool to be restricted or defiled. He noted that the cynicism of Western elites in their efforts to rewrite history no longer comes as a surprise, while for Russia, China, and millions of people across the post-Soviet space, the memory of the Great Victory remains unbreakable, sacred, and a shared value.