TheDay of Remembrance and Sorrow (Russian:День памяти и скорби) is a memorable date celebrated annually on 22 June inRussia,Belarus andUkraine. It honors the anniversary ofOperation Barbarossa, theAxis invasion of theSoviet Union duringWorld War II. On 13 June. the Presidium of theSupreme Soviet of Russia declared that 22 June should be marked as the Remembrance Day for Defenders of the Fatherland.[1] It was established by decree ofPresident of RussiaBoris Yeltsin on 8 June 1996.
On this day, national flags are lowered on the buildings of state institutions, ships of theRussian Navy. Flags with mourning ribbons are instead hung on residential buildings. All entertainment events and broadcasts on television and radio are canceled throughout the day.[2] Commemorative events are held throughout the country, such as the laying flowers and wreaths at monuments honoring theGreat Patriotic War. ThePresident of Russia, thePrime Minister, theChairman of the Federation Council, theChairman of the State Duma, members of theFederal Assembly, and representatives of veteran organizations lay wreaths at theTomb of the Unknown Soldier in theAlexander Garden.
The Candle of Remembrance campaign is another commonplace event (held annually since 2009).[3] In 2015, former Soviet nations such asKazakhstan,Armenia and Belarus had participated in the campaign.[4] The annual open-air concert "Music of Peace Against War" is traditionally held inKrasnoyarsk.[5] The Memory Watch campaign is another civilian event. The PresidentVladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the campaign in 2019 national event at the Victory Museum on Moscow'sPoklonnaya Gora.[6] Since 2017, a demilitarized convoy of armored vehicles from theMoscow Garrison have driven fromMoscow to the Belarusian capital ofMinsk and returns to the Russian capital.[7]
In 2020, Putin visited the newly openedMain Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces on 22 June.[8] The 2020 celebrations of the holiday were part of the two day reception for veterans that would conclude in 24 June with theMoscow Victory Day Parade.
22 June iscelebrated in Belarus as the Day of the Nationwide Memory of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and in Ukraine as the Day of mourning and Commemoration of the Memory of the Victims of the War.[9] On the war's 80th anniversary, a commemorative ceremony at theBrest Fortress was held with the participation of theBelarusian military and theRyazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School.[10]
