"The cost of freedom is courage and sacrifice"
In a ceremony devoted to the 82nd anniversary of the Soviet liberation of Kirkenes, local Mayor Magnus Mæland praised freedom and democracy and condemned authoritarian rule. Standing next to him was the Kazakh ambassador to Norway.
"We are gathered here today to remember that freedom never comes for free, that the cost of freedom is courage and sacrifice," Mæland said in an address.
The ceremony took place at a downtown monument devoted to Soviet soldiers who lost their lives in battles with the German Nazi occupiers. On 25 October 1944, the Red Army pushed Hitler’s troops out of Kirkenes. Shortly afterwards, most of eastern Finnmark was liberated—the first part of Norway to be freed from Nazi occupation.
The ceremony honoured Soviet soldiers who fell 82 years ago, but it also addressed the current world situation. Although not explicitly mentioned, the Russian aggression against Ukraine cast dark shadows over the event.
"The Second World War was a war against totalitarianism, hatred, and dangerous lies," Mæland said. "Today, we see authoritarian regimes attempting to rewrite history to justify new aggression, violence, and war in Europe. We will not allow the memory of those who fell for our liberation to be tarnished," he emphasised.
For many years, the monument in Kirkenes was the site of joint Norwegian-Russian memorial ceremonies. Since 2022, it has instead been the scene of provocations and verbal clashes.
Several times, tensions have run high between Mayor Mæland and Russia’s local consul general, as well as members of a Putin-loyal Russian diaspora. This year, Mayor Mæland moved his ceremony from 25 October to 24 October.
Nevertheless, it did not proceed entirely without provocation. As the mayor arrived at the monument, two locals hurried up to the pedestal to lay down three large wreaths with Russian-language inscriptions.
"To the liberators of Northern Norway" and "From the grateful descendants of Norway and Russia," read two of the ribbons attached to the wreaths. A woman carrying them wore a jacket decorated with images of the Soviet hammer and sickle.
In his speech, Mayor Mæland praised democracy and condemned authoritarianism.
"Together with our allies, with democratic partners, and with friends who respect international law, we say clearly: we stand for freedom, we stand for democracy," he said.
However, the man standing next to him at this year’s ceremony represented neither an ally nor a democracy.
The mayor’s guest at the ceremony was Kazakhstan’s Ambassador Adil Tursunov.
According to Mayor Mæland, it was the Kazakh ambassador’s second visit to Kirkenes.
"He phoned me to make it clear that Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union and that Kazakh soldiers gave their lives for our freedom here," Mæland told the Barents Observer.
During his visit, Ambassador Tursunov also attended a "peace concert" held by the local Kirkenes Brass Band in cooperation with Kazakh director Kassym Aitbayev, who has previously served as Head Director of the Central Ensemble of the Kazakh Ministry of Defence.
According to Ambassador Tursunov, about 1,000 Kazakh soldiers were killed in the battles for Kirkenes in October 1944.
"In total, 1.3 million soldiers from Kazakhstan were called up to serve in the Red Army. Tragically, more than 600,000 of them died on the battlefield or in military hospitals and never returned home," he said in an address.
"Dear friends, I came here today from Oslo to honour the courage and sacrifice of all those who resisted the Nazi occupation in Norway and all those who contributed to the liberation of Norway," he explained.
Kazakhstan remains an ally of Russia and actively participates in the so-called Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). A delegation from the CSTO that visited the Kola Peninsula earlier this month was headed by the Kazakh Lieutenant-General Ruslan Shpekbaev.
The Barents Observer asked Ambassador Tursunov whether he had been in contact with Russian colleagues ahead of his visit to Kirkenes.
"We have a diplomatic corps in Oslo, so we regularly meet on different occasions. It’s normal practice for us to meet our colleagues and talk to each other," he responded.
He added that he did not plan to meet the Russian consul general in Kirkenes during his visit.
On previous occasions, Kazakh diplomatic staff have held joint memorial ceremonies with Russian colleagues in Oslo. On 9 May 2023, Ambassador Tursunov himself attended a Victory Day ceremony in Oslo together with Russia’s former Ambassador Teymuraz Ramishvili.
