On the eve of the Victory Day, Vladimir Putin honoured the memory of the fallen in the Great Patriotic War as he laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden by the Kremlin wall.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, Council of Federation Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, President of the Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin, heads of ministries and agencies, and representatives of political parties and war veterans’ organisations also took part in the ceremony commemorating the 68th anniversary of victory.
The Presidential Orchestra played the Russian national anthem and there was a ceremonial march by servicemen from the Moscow Military Garrison, representing all branches of the Armed Forces.
Vladimir Putin also laid flowers at the memorial signs established in honor of the hero-cities by the Kremlin wall and memorial signs of the Cities of Military Glory.