Genocide and War Crimes of the Past Discussed at Moscow Polytech Round Table

"The Hierarchy of Victims" is the recognition of the equal value of every human life regardless of nationality or religion. The topic became one of the central ones at the International Round Table "War Crimes and Genocide in World History," organized and hosted by Moscow Polytechnic University. The discussion brought together students, experts, historians, and young researchers from across Russia and other countries to better understand the scale and reflect on the lessons they offer for the present.

The purpose of the forum was to preserve the memory of the victims of mass atrocities and promote international academic dialogue on this complex humanitarian issue. During the round table, participants discussed two key topics: "Genocide as a Phenomenon in the History of World Civilization" and "Concentration Camps."

To provide an emotional and visual context for the discussion, the organizers presented fragments of films devoted to the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War and the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Historians and students examined the mechanisms of mass crimes, from legal discrimination and antisemitic propaganda to pogroms, internment in ghettos, and extermination in death camps. A special place in the discussion was given to two classic examples of genocide under the 1948 UN Convention – the tragedy of the nations of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War and the Holocaust. As the speakers noted, both cases were characterized by systematic planning and the direct involvement of state institutions.

The participants particularly emphasized the importance of rejecting any "hierarchy of victims" when recognizing and commemorating genocide. As the organizers noted, every human life has equal value, and the suffering of all groups subjected to genocide deserves equal respect and remembrance regardless of national, ethnic, religious, or any other affiliation.