Russia holds ceremonies marking anniversary of Nazi invasion

On the 69th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Russia remembers those who fell in the Great Patriotic War.

One hundred cities across Russia, as well as other former-Soviet countries like Belarus and Ukraine, have lit candles and laid flowers in a memorial ceremony to pay tribute to victims of the war.

In Moscow, fifteen hundred young people participated in an event along with war veterans.

President Dmitry Medvedev has laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin.

Commemorative ceremonies and concerts are taking place in Moscow and across Russia on Tuesday.

The Great Patriotic War is considered to be the most devastating page in Russia’s history, with an estimated 27 million citizens and military killed in the fight against fascism.