A solemn ceremony was traditionally held at
Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery, the largest military burial in
Moscow, on Victory Day May 9.
Photo: Sergei Mitorkhin and Svetlana Kuznetsova,
head of YABLOKO's Soldiers' Mothers faction, laying flowers
to the Eternal Flame.
Participants in the ceremony went in a mourning procession
to the memorial. YABLOKO’s leaders Sergei Mitrokhin, Grigory
Yavlinsky, Sergei Ivanenko and Alexei Arbatov laid three wreaths
to the eternal flame.
Photo: Sergei Ivanenko, Svetlana Kuznetsova,
Grigory Yavlinsky and Alexei Arbatov.
Several dozens people – YABLOKO’s supporters and party members
– brought red carnations to the memorial. A minute's silence
in memory of those killed in World War II was held.
Photo: Grigory Yavlinsky and Sergei Mitrokhin.
"For many years we have been gathering here on this
bright and holy day by the graves of fallen soldiers who made
such a day possible,” Sergei Mitrokhin said opening a short
memorial rally.
Alexei Arbatov, member of the YABLOKO’s Political Committee
and head of the Centre for International Security of the Academy
of Sciences, called Victory Day "the day of a real rather
than seeming unity of people against fascism." He expressed
gratitude to those who survived the terrible war and wished
them long life.
Grigory Yavlinsky, founder of the party and member of YABLOKO’s
Political Committee, called all to live up to the memory of
fallen soldiers. "We remember, we grieve, we will never
forget them and protect our future from fascism. This is our
duty, " Yavlinsky concluded.
After the ceremony a military field kitchen was deployed.
Everyone could taste porridge with stewed meat, dried fruit
compote and 100 grams of vodka, a typical soldier’s meal during
the war. Older people sang wartime songs under accordion.
Vladimir Lukin, one of the founders of the party and the
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, also
came to the cemetery.
Photo: Vladimir Lukin, Sergei Mitrokhin and
Grigory Yavlinsky.
On May 8 delegation of the YABLOKO party laid a wreath and
flowers at the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
by the Kremlin wall.
See also:
More photographs at the
Moscow YABLOKO web-site.
YABLOKO
laid wreath and flowers to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Press Release, May 8, 2011.
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