Commemorative events were held across Russia on Monday as the country observed the Day of Memory and Sorrow, marking the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War.
At noon on Monday local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden, located on the north side of the Kremlin, to honor those who fell in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Day of Memory and Sorrow was established in 1996 to commemorate the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War on June 22, 1941.
On the evening of Sunday local time, Moscow residents lit 1,418 candles along the Moscow River, symbolizing the 1,418 days that the Great Patriotic War lasted.
"This event is truly touching. Almost everyone's ancestors took part in the fighting. My grandfather and his brother both fought in the Battle of Kursk. This is our family's history. They lived through the war and passed down their experiences to the younger generations. We will commemorate and forever remember the feats of our ancestors. We hope young people will also always remember this history," said Alexei Andreyev, a Moscow resident.
"So World War II was not just a war against the Soviet people, not just against Russia, but a war against the entire world. The Soviet people stopped fascism, which was attempting to conquer the whole world," said Yevgeni Gerasimov, the event organizer.
Russia commemorates 85th anniversary of outbreak of Great Patriotic War
