Tales of Nuremberg from the Russian perspective

The second world war has had its fair share of depictions over many decades, most of which are told from a western perspective. More importantly, most stories told through exhibitions and film provide us with a general overview without delving too much into the individualistic and nation specific details. As a result of which, many events and records of history go unnoticed from larger public knowledge. 

A photo exhibition and a film screening based on the Nuremberg Trials was arranged by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the People's Republic of Bangladesh on 4 May. The exhibition tried to offer a glimpse of an event from a Russian perspective, which is rarely covered by any media. 

For context, the Nuremberg Trials are the criminal trials carried out against the top Nazi party leaders for their atrocities during the second world war. The trials have a significant historical value because this single event would go on to establish the modern day foundation of international humanitarian law across the world. It set the precedence for crimes against humanity and serves as the principle for current international tribunals. 

The event aimed at telling the story of the Nuremberg trials with an emphasis on the largely overlooked Russian contribution. Consisting of two parts, the event firstly had a photo exhibition, which outlined the Russian diplomatic approach to prevent and prosecute those who carry out any atrocities against humanity. Each of the photos contained key historical facts which pursued and eventually resulted in the Nuremberg trials. It is the same event that led to the creation of modern regulations for crimes against humanity.

After the exhibition, there was a film screening called 'Nuremberg', directed by Nikolay Lebedev. The film provided a rather immersive experience and the story was very compelling. 'Nuremberg' is not strictly a documentary, as might be inferred from the name. Rather it was a docu-drama which focused on two specific individuals alongside other supporting characters. 

However, the core story encompassed the trials of Nuremberg from behind the curtains. It had an endearing portrayal of a range of emotions in the aftermath of the second world war, such as how the war changed the opinions and views of others, how many overcame them and how many sank deep into its abyss. 

The docu-drama demonstrated how the people learned to cope with the consequences of the great war; with top nazi officials being prosecuted in the background. All in all, the film, albeit having a slower pace, delivered an interesting perspective of the Russian tale of the trials and its historical effects.