2020 is a year of various dates.
Andrew Grigorenko
2020 is a year of various dates.
Once in childhood, it seemed to me that the 21st century is somewhere in the foggy future, and the 19th is in the distant past. However, with age, all time scales narrowed, as it were. The 21st century has not only come, but already counted out its fifth part. On the other hand, the 19th century did not seem so far away, especially since my late father-in-law was born and became an adult in the 19th century.
Historical events have also undergone a changed perspective. In childhood, only the Second World War was a close historical event, not only because I was born two days after its end, but also because that war swept through my family: my father, mother and older brother were World War II veterans.
Of course, as a child, I still did not understand that the Second World War was a historical watershed of two eras.
I do not presume to say that after the horrors and barbarism of World War II, humanity has become more humane. However, it is indisputable that crimes against humanity have become legally punishable, only Jews and Roma had to pay an exorbitant price for this.
Another achievement of the Second World War was the collapse of two totalitarian regimes: fascist (Italy) and Nazi (Germany). However, at the same time, the war made it possible to establish communist totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe and most of Asia. There was no international condemnation of communist totalitarianism, and a hundred million people killed by these regimes have not yet received justice.
The current year 2020 is the year of anniversaries associated with the Second World War. The world has just celebrated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz (Auschwitz). Then comes the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. In conclusion, the defeat of Japan and the end of World War II will be noted.
It is regrettable that all these anniversaries have just been accompanied by pompous speeches and unscrupulous speculation of all kinds of propagandists.
It just so happened that this year of various anniversaries coincides with anniversaries in my family.
February is the first anniversary month that opens with the fortieth anniversary of my eldest daughter Tatyana. The next anniversary will be the fortieth anniversary of the husband of Tatiana Pierre Edouard Dumora. My granddaughter Calypso will celebrate the first year of her life, and grandson Orphee - his fifth anniversary.
This year, my dear wife Mary and I will celebrate the golden anniversary of our married life.
And since I managed to be of the same age as the end of World War II, I will simultaneously celebrate my seventy-fifth anniversary.
My youngest daughter Olga, who will be 33 years old, will complete the gallery of our anniversaries. If someone thinks that the 33 is not a round date, then I will advise you to look into the Gospel.
Well, in conclusion. We will celebrate two “non-round” anniversaries: the birthday of William Hereford, the husband of my youngest daughter, and the birthday of my beloved wife Mary M. Velihan, also known as Mary Grigorenko and Maria Mikhailovna Velikanova.