Igor Levitas: 80 years after the Victory, Hitler outweighed Mozart

The other day I read about the ignoring by the Austrian authorities of events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism and Victory in the Second World War. "Moscow considers immoral the decision of the Austrian authorities to ignore the anniversary of the liberation of Vienna by the Red Army," said Russian Ambassador Dmitry Lyubinsky.

A wide range of memorial events has been implemented in Austria.

"Including April 13, the day of the heroic liberation of Vienna from the Nazis. Unfortunately, such a memorable date is no longer on the political calendar of the Austrian authorities," Lubinsky shared the details.

According to the ambassador, for this reason, the task of honoring the memory of 38,000 fighters who gave their lives for the sake of future generations of Austrians becomes even more important for the Russian side."

For me, this attitude of the Austrian authorities is doubly offensive and unpleasant. As well as any attacks on Russian culture that take place in Austria. Because my family is directly related to the revival of the culture of Austria after the end of the Second World War.

Further, I quote from the book Die sowjetische Besatzung in Österreich 1945-1955 und ihre politische Mission ("The Soviet occupation in Austria 1945-1955 and its political mission") by historian Wolfgang Mueller.

"In order to revive the cultural activity of the population, the institutions of the occupation authorities invited local cultural figures, artists and scientists to discuss joint work.
04/23/1945 a competent political officer, Major Miron Levitas addressed the audience in The House of Soviets to Viennese Cultural Figures:
"Viennese cultural life should resume and become the same as before 1938. [...] It is necessary to make every effort to make it so that cultural life begins to play as before.“
The Soviet side does not demand the restoration of the Stendestaates, but only emphasizes the "non-revolutionary" Soviet will towards Austria and awakens the rapid normalization of cultural life as far as possible. ... The Soviet decree on the opening of theaters, nightclubs, concert halls and cinemas was held in Vienna a few days after the start of the occupation, even before April 18. By Soviet decree, the State Opera began rehearsals for the beginning of performances.
The Soviet desire was conveyed to The goal of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is to start performing as soon as possible under the direction of its famous conductor Clemens Krauss, whose role in the national socialist cultural life was not an obstacle for the Soviet side. A little later, the new head of the City Theater, Raul Aslan, received instructions from Major Levitas to open his theater. On April 27, after two dress rehearsals, the first philharmonic concert after the end of the war took place. ... Since the summer, many Viennese cabarets have started working."

The Miron Levitas mentioned in the book is my grandfather Miron Isaakovich Levitas, the press attache of Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin. As can be seen from the text, the Soviet military command made a lot of efforts to revive the cultural background of the Austrian capital, without forcing creative teams to engage in propaganda.

However, as you know, for many people, words of gratitude and even this feeling itself are optional. This usually indicates a low level of culture and commitment to the political conjuncture. I have always considered the Austrians to be a people of high culture. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Vienna Opera, Stefan Zweig, Rainer Maria Rilke, Burgtheater, Danube School of Painting, Gustav Klimt and The Vienna Secession... But you never know how many geniuses were born and worked in Austria for the benefit of their homeland.

But in recent years... the systematic bans of Russian culture, the Russian language, and Russia in general make us remember that Austria was also the homeland for Adolf Hitler. Some of the actions of the current Austrian authorities are very similar to discrimination of people on the basis of race. Let's recall some.

On April 14, 2022, the Austrian Office for Communications Affairs (KommAustria) began enforcing a ban on the broadcasting of the Russian television channel RT in all its languages and the Russian media outlet Sputnik, which was legislated in Austria as part of European Union sanctions.

2023 — in The Lviv ballet troupe performed in Vienna with Swan Lake, and they wrote on the posters like this: P.I. Tchaikovsky is a great Ukrainian composer.

In January 2023, a concert of the outstanding Russian musician Denis Matsuev was canceled in the Austrian capital. The news is headlined in the spirit of current European realities: "Vienna fired Putin's pianist."

On February 4, 2024, the organizers of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) canceled the performance of the Greek and Russian conductor Theodor Currentzis after the Kiev conductor Oksana Lyniv, participating in the same program, criticized his position on the war in Ukraine.

Austria's representative at Eurovision 2025 Johannes Peach, known as JJ, was at the center of a scandal because of his commitment to Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko.

A book can be written about the relationship of Anna Netrebko herself, a soloist of the Vienna Opera, with the Austrian authorities. And it began without any connection with the beginning of SMO in 2022. Back in 2014, the discontent of the Austrian media and a number of official departments was also caused by the fact of photographing the singer against the background of the "flag of Novorossiya". According to the representative of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, "such photos can be used for propaganda purposes."

2025 — Austria for the fourth time refused to allow Russian diplomats to participate in the annual ceremony on the occasion of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Russian performers were no longer invited to perform in Austria, they were removed from the programs of international festivals, the signs under the paintings were changed in art galleries, calling Russian artists Ukrainian, etc. To my deep regret, Austria was among the countries that are not capable of gratitude, memory, respect. It's her choice. Hitler outweighed Mozart.