Akshay DidwaniyaRussia marks 85 years since Nazi Germany’s invasion President Putin leads a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow’s Alexander Garden on the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow.
Putin Kneels at the Eternal Flame on Day of Remembrance
Russia paused on June 22 to mark the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow one of the most solemn dates on its national calendar. President Vladimir Putin led the day’s central ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden, beside the Kremlin walls in Moscow. The date carries deep historical weight it marks the moment Nazi Germany launched its devastating surprise attack on the Soviet Union in 1941.
This year, the occasion held even greater significance. Russia commemorated the 85th anniversary of that fateful invasion a military onslaught that dragged the country into four years of catastrophic conflict.
Roses, Carnations, and a Tricolor Ribbon
Soldiers from the Presidential Honor Guard carried out the traditional wreath-laying ritual beneath a somber funeral march. They placed a large wreath of red roses and carnations before the Eternal Flame a monument that has burned continuously for decades in memory of the fallen.
Putin stepped forward and adjusted the wreath’s ribbon crafted in the white, blue, and red colors of the Russian national flag. He knelt on one knee as he did so, in a gesture of personal tribute. The president then stood in silence for one full minute, bowing his head to honor Soviet soldiers who lost their lives in the Second World War.
Defense Minister and Military Graduates Pay Their Respects
The moment of silence spread through the entire gathering. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov stood among those paying tribute alongside a group of fresh graduates from Russia’s military academies, marking the occasion as one of their first official acts in uniform.
After the ceremony, Putin personally greeted the servicemen who had participated in the event at Alexander Garden.
Tributes to Hero Cities and Cities of Military Glory
The president’s tribute did not stop at the Eternal Flame. Putin also placed red carnations at the memorials dedicated to the Soviet Hero Cities urban centers that received that distinction for their extraordinary resistance and sacrifice during World War II. He additionally honored the commemorative obelisk recognizing cities awarded the title of “City of Military Glory” a designation created in post-Soviet Russia to preserve the legacy of wartime resistance.
85 Years Since Operation Barbarossa
June 22 holds a fixed place in Russian national memory. It was on this date in 1941 before dawn that German forces crossed into Soviet territory in what became known as Operation Barbarossa, launching the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The conflict known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War claimed an estimated 27 million Soviet lives before it ended in May 1945.
The Day of Remembrance and Sorrow was established to ensure that loss is never forgotten and Putin’s kneeling tribute before the Eternal Flame made that message clear once again, 85 years on.
Mayur Mohta
The BRICS Times
Aditya Didwaniya
