The EAJC categorically condemns Holocaust denial during a teacher training webinar in the Leningrad Oblast.

According to media reports, a webinar for teachers in the Leningrad Region was conducted, during which it was asserted that "the Holocaust simply did not occur on the scale [claimed by historians]." The media reports indicate that this statement was made by Vladimir Vladimirovich Matveev, a professor at RANEPA and SPbSUE, during an event for deputy principals and school directors of the Leningrad Region titled "Holocaust Remembrance Lesson and Red Army Soldiers, Liberators of Auschwitz," which took place on January 21, 2021.

During the webinar, Professor Matveev stated the following verbatim:

"— To cremate [a corpse], a furnace with forced oxygen injection is required. No such furnaces were found in Germany. Therefore, this is unfortunately another myth. No gas chambers designed for mass extermination were discovered <…>, and this gas was used for disinfection. <…> It would have been impossible to process 6 million victims through all the concentration camps. Thus, this figure of 6 million is nothing more than a fabrication. <…> As representatives of the education system, we must convey the truth to the masses. In conclusion: the Holocaust simply did not occur on that scale. I believe everyone can convey this concept to schoolchildren."

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress strongly condemns such statements. We fully support the rigorous condemnation of Professor Matveev by the leadership of RANEPA and the subsequent decision to terminate his teaching contract at this educational institution.

Attempts to deny the Holocaust and rehabilitate individuals involved in its crimes constitute an entirely unacceptable practice that has no place in the modern world. As evident, Holocaust deniers remain unaffected by objective data and testimonies; they disregard historical truth and alter reality in an attempt to erase from history the genocide of the Jewish people — their tragedy and enduring pain.

The EAJC calls upon the authorities of the Russian Federation and all nations of the Euro-Asian region to recognize the necessity of conducting rigorous and objective scholarly research into the history of the Holocaust. There is also an urgent need for concerted efforts by political and public figures to draft and implement legislative and legal acts aimed at countering the denial of the Holocaust and the rehabilitation of collaborators. Furthermore, it is essential to professionally integrate Holocaust studies into state-level educational curricula as part of shaping the policy of historical memory, fostering patriotism, promoting the culture of interethnic communication, and encouraging respect for historical facts. Additionally, the EAJC demands that all anti-Semitic acts be thoroughly investigated by the authorities in accordance with international standards and national laws, and that those responsible be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.