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Russians to remember fallen heroes in 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War

On this day, national flags fly at half-mast, and all entertaining events and television programmes are cancelled

MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Commemoration events to remember those perished in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will be held across Russia on June 22, the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow.

The nationwide Memory Vigil. Eternal Flame commemoration event will be held this night in many Russian cities.

It will be 26th such event in Moscow. The flower laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow’s Alexander Garden near the Kremlin will start at three in the morning. After the ceremony, participants will observe a minute of silence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb to the Unknown Soldier, the Kremlin press service said.

Traditionally, he will be accompanied by the prime minister, government and presidential administration officials, lawmakers, senior military command, religious leaders.

As part of the Memory Vigil, as many as 1,418 candles symbolizing each day of that war will be lit along the Krymskaya Embankment. Traditionally, the first such candle was lit at 21:30 Moscow time on June 21 by a WWII veteran and the last one, dedicated to the last day of the war, will be lit by a grandchild of a war participant. The candles will stay lit till midnight on June 23.

The Memory Candle event will be staged in many Russian cities in the small hours on Thursday, the time when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaration of war on June 22, 1941.

Throughout the day, various other events, from commemoration marches to concerts, will be organized in Russian cities.

On this day, national flags fly at half-mast, and all entertaining events and television programmes are cancelled.