Leusden, 9 May 2026 – On Victory Day, a solemn memorial ceremony was held at the Soviet War Cemetery (Sovjet Ereveld) in the city of Leusden, dedicated to the end of the Second World War and commemorating the heroism of Soviet soldiers who perished on the territory of the Netherlands. The event became an important international humanitarian occasion, bringing together representatives of the diplomatic corps, Dutch authorities, public organizations, and local residents in order to preserve the historical memory of the victims of war and the Victory over Nazism.         

The ceremony took place within the framework of traditional commemorative events held annually in the Netherlands at the beginning of May. Every year, the country marks National Remembrance Day (Nationale Dodenherdenking) on 4 May and Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) on 5 May, symbolizing the end of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1945.                                                                  

In the invitation addressed to Kazakh diplomats by the Mayor of Leusden, Gerolf Bouwmeester, and the Director of the Soviet War Cemetery Foundation (Stichting Sovjet Ereveld), Remco Reiding, special emphasis was placed on the significant contribution of the peoples of the former Soviet republics to the Victory over fascism and on the importance of preserving the memory of the victims of war. In particular, the invitation stated:                                                                        

“In May we commemorate the end of the Second World War. We celebrate the victory over fascism and commemorate the many victims of this war. Your country has made a great contribution to this victory and suffered greatly during this war. We understand the importance of this commemoration for your country.”    The ceremony was attended by a delegation of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan headed by Ambassador A. Rakhmetullin. On behalf of Kazakhstan, a wreath was laid at the memorial as a sign of respect for the memory of the fallen soldiers and in gratitude for their courage and self-sacrifice.                                

The Soviet War Cemetery in Leusden is one of the largest burial sites of Soviet soldiers in Western Europe. A total of 865 soldiers and officers are buried there, including natives of Kazakhstan and other republics of the former Soviet Union. Thanks to the many years of dedicated work carried out by Dutch researchers, archivists, and volunteers, the names of many fallen soldiers have been identified and information about their fates has been restored.                                       

As part of this year’s commemorative events, a separate memorial ceremony was also held in Leusden on 9 April in memory of 77 Soviet prisoners of war executed by the Nazis in 1942 near the former Amersfoort concentration camp. According to researchers, the majority of those killed were natives of Central Asian republics, including Kazakhstan. The ceremony took place near the “Koedriest” memorial obelisk and became a continuation of the activities of the Soviet War Cemetery Foundation aimed at preserving the memory of Soviet soldiers who died on the territory of the Netherlands during the Second World War.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-hague/press/news/details/1217144?lang=kk