In October, the city opened the Water Carrier sculpture created by late sculptor Romualdas Quintas and inspired by the work of Jewish poet Moshe Kulbak. Sonn is said to have uttered his remarks at the opening ceremony. The Russian Embassy has responded by expressing its concern over the ambassador's words and noted the growth of attempts to promote revisionist speculations in Germany.
"Recently, pseudo-historical theories that liken the USSR to the Third Reich within the context of issues related to the causes of the Second World War, as well as equations of the Communist and Nazi regimes, are being promoted in Germany. It seems to be done in order to hollow out the responsibility of the Germans for Nazism's inhumane crimes. Such an approach prompts our categorical rejection and questions the complicated issue of the post-war reconciliation with the German people," the Embassy said in a statement.
In recent years, there have been calls to cast a different light on the events of the Second World War and its aftermath, as some, including Poland and the Baltic countries, try to minimize the Soviet Union's efforts against Nazi Germany, portraying Moscow as one of the malicious actors in the conflict on par with Berlin.
