Today CSTO States remember those killed in the fight against fascism during the Great Patriotic War

On Memory and Mourning Day, representatives of the CSTO PA laid wreaths and flowers at the Piskarevsky Memorial in St Petersburg.
Every year, on June 22, the CSTO States remember those who died in the Great Patriotic War. On that day in 1941, German troops crossed the USSR border and attacked the Soviet armed forces along the border’s length: German aircraft bombed Kiev, Minsk, Riga, Sevastopol and other cities. The war lasted 1418 days. Total irretrievable losses of the USSR amounted to about 27 million people, 18 million of which were civilians and about 8.7 million were in the Armed Forces. Four million Soviet citizens were killed and tortured in concentration camps, more than 2 of 4.5 million Soviet servicemen died in captivity.
On June 22, state flags are lowered at half-staff across the Russian Federation. All cultural institutions, television channels and radio stations are advised not to include entertainment programmes or advertisements.
The Head of State will lay a mourning wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. Russian regions will host meetings with veterans and other events dedicated to the memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War. Many cities observe a minute of silence.
In Moscow, the annual Memory Watch has been held since 1994. Candle of Memory, an annual all-Russian event, is being held since 2009.
In 2022, Candle of Memory will be held in more than 30 countries.
“Candles of Memory will be lit not only in Russia, but also abroad. More than 30 countries will join the event. These include Serbia, Germany, Kazakhstan and Egypt,” said Olga Zanko, deputy Chairwoman of the Committee for the Development of Civil Society of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairwoman of the Volunteers of Victory movement.