A memorial to the Soviet female partisan unit Rodina was opened in Tille, in north-eastern France, according to reports dated 27 September 2026. The unit’s members are described as having taken part in the French resistance and the liberation of France.
The ceremony was organised by the Russian and Belarusian embassies, with the participation of sculptors, descendants of resistance members and local residents. Reports said the memorials were presented to the town by the Russian and Belarusian sides. One report and another report covered the event.
The source material characterises the memorial complex as an element of the Kremlin’s so-called soft power. It argues that the site could be used for commemorative ceremonies and other events promoting an interpretation of historical events favourable to the Kremlin, as well as for influencing public opinion in France.
The source also says that the Russian and Belarusian embassies held a separate ceremony after the official opening was cancelled. It presents this as evidence of Moscow’s alleged effort to retain control over the political and symbolic meaning of the initiative, regardless of the position of organisers in France. These assessments are claims contained in the source material and are not independently verified here.
