Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
MOSCOW, February 23. /TASS/. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall.
The ceremony is timed to celebrate in Russia Day of the defender of Fatherland. It was attended by the veterans of the great Patriotic war, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, speakers of the Federation Council and the state Duma Valentina Matvienko, Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of the Russian presidential administration Anton Vaino, head of the military Department Sergei Shoigu, Ministers, other statesmen and political figures, representatives of veterans ‘ organizations.
Soldiers of the Presidential regiment mounted at the Eternal flame wreath with ribbon in colors of the Russian flag and the inscription “to the Unknown Soldier from the President of the Russian Federation”. In the hands of the head of state carried a bouquet of red carnations.
The President approached the crown and a few moments silently stood, paying tribute to all the fallen defenders of the Motherland. Military orchestra performed the Anthem of Russia.
Other participants of the ceremony laid to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier red carnations. The event ended with the passage of the servicemen of the Presidential regiment under the sounds of military orchestra.
The ashes of the unknown Soviet soldier was moved from a mass grave in the suburbs and solemnly reburied in the Alexander garden in 1966. The following year there was opened a memorial, a key element of which was the Eternal flame. The honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier — “Post No. 1” — was installed in 1997. In 2009, the monument was given the status of a National memorial of military glory, and the complex was soon supplemented by a stele in honor of cities with the same honorary title. The ceremony of laying the heads of state of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier February 23 became an established tradition.