In total, more than 1.2 million people are participating in the United Russia and Victory Volunteers campaigns “Candle of Memory” and “Fiery Pictures of War” this year.
As has become tradition, the United Russia political party, together with Victory Volunteers, other partner and public organizations throughout the country and abroad, is holding the “Candle of Memory” and “Fiery Pictures of War” campaigns, said Olga Zanko, head of the Central Council of Party Supporters and chairwoman of Victory Volunteers.
“By the nights of June 21-22, more than 1.2 million people in 62 countries around the world will have joined us in lighting candles of remembrance,” she added.
The all-Russian “Candle of Memory” campaign kicked off at midnight on June 22 at the Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Hill. About 5,000 people took part in the “Candle of Memory” campaign on Poklonnaya Hill.
The Candle of Memory is truly a nationwide campaign that has united all the people of our country. We remember everyone who fell during the Great Patriotic War—the soldiers who did not return from the front, the partisans who fought behind enemy lines, and the civilians who died in bombings or from starvation. All those who gave their lives for their country, and we will preserve this memory in our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,” said Alexander Shkolnik, Director General of the Victory Museum and Deputy Secretary of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
About 5,000 people took part in the event dedicated to the 84th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. Together with Great Patriotic War veterans Maria Rokhlina and Ivan Grishanov, Alexander Shkolnik lit a torch from the Eternal Flame and passed the flame on to the participants of the event.
“On this day, filled with sorrow and quiet pain, we once again turn to the pages of history so as not to forget the price of the Great Victory. Remembering the feat of the Soviet people, we see before us images of ordinary people who stood up to defend their homeland. These were young men, yesterday’s schoolchildren, mature men who left their families, and women who took up arms or worked tirelessly in the rear. All of them, united by one goal — to defeat the enemy, sparing no effort — went to their deaths so that we could live. We will always remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. Their names are forever inscribed in the history of our country,” emphasized Yevgeny Gerasimov, regional coordinator of the Historical Memory project and deputy of the Moscow City Duma.
Representatives of public organizations, deputies of all levels from United Russia, government officials, and military personnel lit candles in memory of the victims. At the same time, thanks to video mapping technology, a video installation covering an area of almost 3,000 square meters appeared on the facade of the main building of the Victory Museum, depicting 1,418 particles of the Eternal Flame, one for each day of the war, and the word “Remember,” while the sky above the capital was illuminated by the “Rays of Victory.” Those gathered honored the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence.
The international campaign “Candle of Remembrance” is a symbol of the unquenchable fire of goodness, the flame of pride in the feat of the liberating people. Each of the countless candles lit on this night in many countries around the world instills even greater confidence that the bright memory of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the victims of fascism will live on for centuries. Preserving this memory is our common duty!” emphasized Yevgeny Nifantiev, deputy secretary of the Moscow City Regional Branch of the United Russia party and deputy of the State Duma.
The solemn ceremony was accompanied by a performance by the Main Concert Orchestra of Russian Railways. Songs dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War were performed by Rodion Gazmanov, Boris Dyakov, and other famous artists, as well as students of the Na Poklonke musical theater and the Neposedy Children’s Artistic Ensemble. Representatives of public organizations, deputies of all levels from United Russia, government officials, and military personnel lit candles of remembrance. At the same time, thanks to video mapping technology, a video installation covering an area of almost 3,000 square meters appeared on the facade of the main building of the Victory Museum, depicting 1,418 particles of the Eternal Flame, one for each day of the war, and the word “Remember,” while the sky above the capital was illuminated by the “Rays of Victory.” Those gathered honored the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence.
“Memorial Day is a difficult, sad, but significant day for Russia. We remember all those who died in that terrible war: over 27 million Russians, Kalmyks, Tatars, Kazakhs, and all the peoples whose soldiers died defending their country! As I held a lamp to the Eternal Flame, I remembered my great-grandfather, who died near Rzhev, my grandfather, a sailor in the Pacific Fleet, and the 9th Front Brigade of our theater. All those who ensured us a peaceful life for several decades.
More than 4,000 people attended the “Candle of Memory” event in front of the Great Patriotic War Museum on Poklonnaya Hill. Together with Irina Elifirova, chairwoman of the Moscow branch of the Mothers of Russia organization, we also joined the event with trepidation. Once again, united together, passing on the flame of memory from generation to generation, we worship and honor in order to live,“ said Milena Avimskaya, a member of the Moscow City Duma and a participant in the ”Mothers of Russia” movement.
In addition, more than 10,000 candles were placed outside the museum on Poklonnaya Hill to form a “fiery picture of war” – representatives of the All-Russian public movement “Victory Volunteers” recreated the symbol of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and the words “Moscow remembers.”
“The Day of Remembrance and Mourning is a time when each of us must reflect on the price our ancestors paid for the Great Victory. It is a time to remember the heroism of the soldiers, the steadfastness of the workers behind the front lines, and the pain of mothers who lost their sons. It is a time to pay tribute to all those who brought Victory closer then and are bringing it closer now. We bow our heads to the feat of those who, at the cost of incredible effort, courage, and self-sacrifice, defended the freedom and independence of our Motherland. Our partner project, “Historical Memory,” is an investment in the future. Only together can we ensure that no feat is forgotten and no name is erased from the memory of the people,“ said Natalia Melyanovskaya, chair of the public council of the ”Historical Memory” partner project in Moscow.