ON February 22, 2015 the President of the Russia Vladimir Putin paid tribute to fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War by laying a wreath/flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall.
The event was to commemorate WWII, the war of liberation fought by the peoples of the USSR against the tyranny of Nazi Germany and its European allies…
The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 when Nazi troops launched a blitzkrieg style attack, unlike the world has ever seen before against the Soviet Union. It ended on May 8, 1945 when Germany signed the act of surrender, brought about by the sacrifice of millions.
World War II was the deadliest military conflict in the history of war , especially in absolute terms of total dead, but not in terms of deaths relative to the world population.
Over 60 – 80 million human beings were killed, which was over 3% of the 1939 world population (est. 2 billion). The higher figure of 80 million includes deaths from war-related disease and famine. Civilians killed totaled from 38 to 55 million, including 19 to 25 million from war-related disease and famine. Total military dead: from 22 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war.
According to Russian government figures USSR losses within postwar borders now stand at 26.6 million.
Its a war that has defined Russia today.
Those taking part in the ceremony included
“> veterans, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
Medvedev, Dmitry
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
“>, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko
Matviyenko, Valentina
Chairwoman of the Council of Federation
“>, Speaker of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin
Naryshkin, Sergei
State Duma Speaker
“>, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov
Ivanov, Sergei
Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office
“>, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu
Shoigu, Sergei
Defence Minister
“>, President of the Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin
Zorkin, Valery
“>, and other state officials and political figures.
Source: Kremlin
See video: День защитника Отечества в России Возложение цветов Марш на площади Новости Сегодня 23/02/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRcoDAA7-KI
See video: Russians Killed in WWII Honored https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjgMM2msp48
See video: Red Army in WWII https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymSBSgF992U