Memorial Candle -News

Candle of memory

June 22, 1941 – Day of Sorrow and Memory. On this day, the Great Patriotic War began, which lasted 1418 days and nights, and ended only on May 9, 1945 with the complete defeat of the countries of the fascist bloc.

The total human losses of the USSR during the war amounted to 26.6 million people. Of these, more than 8.7 million died on the battlefields, 7.42 million people were deliberately exterminated by the Nazis in the occupied territories, more than 4.1 million died from the brutal conditions of the occupation regime. 5.27 million people were driven to hard labor in Germany and neighboring countries, which were also under German occupation. Of these, a little more than half returned to their homeland – 2.65 million people, more than 450 thousand immigrated, 2.16 million people died and died in captivity.

By a resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation of July 13, 1992, this day was declared a day of memory for the defenders of the Fatherland. By decree of the President of Russia of June 8, 1996, its name was changed to the Day of Memory and Sorrow.

On October 24, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the law On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia, which included a new one in the list of memorable dates – June 22 – Day of Memory and Sorrow – the day the Great Patriotic War began (1941).

Every year on this day, the action Candle of Memory is held.

In 2020, the action will take place in a new format. To implement the campaign, the Internet space DENMEMORY.RF was created. The site accumulates information about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the memories of eyewitnesses on June 22, 1941, a map of lit candles of memory.

The site contains an appeal to “light a candle” in memory of the 27 million who died during the Great Patriotic War. From June 15 to June 22, any user on the site can:

– light your candle of remembrance,

— share this information with friends on social networks so that they can join the action,

— to see how many “candles of memory” were lit throughout the country, — to find out how the war began in the cities of Russia,

— light a “candle of memory” for residents of other countries (international format of the action “Candle of Memory. Online”),

– post information about your participation and a lit candle on your page in any of the social networks – VK, OK, FB, Twitter;