On June 22, 1941, the treacherous attack of Nazi Germany and its allies on the Soviet Union, without a declaration of war, marked the beginning of the bloodiest conflict in human history. The memory of the Great Patriotic War is a key point of Russian historical memory, uniting our society and developing spiritual values that enable us to resist Nazism.
On June 8, 1996, a Decree of the President of Russia established June 22 as the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow in memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War. On this day, national flags are lowered, mourning events are held, and flowers are laid at monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
On April 1, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law amending Federal Law No. 82-FZ "On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates in Russia." The act established the annual holding of a nationwide minute of silence on the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow – the day the Great Patriotic War began.
Part 3 of the Russian Government Resolution No. 716 of November 27, 2006, "On the Procedure for Holding Days of Military Glory in Russia and Events Dedicated to Memorable Dates in Russia" (Clause 3 amended as of June 30, 2020 – Russian Government Resolution No. 872 of June 18, 2020) stipulates that the nationwide minute of silence shall be held at 12:15 Moscow time. This is the exact time of the broadcast of the address to Soviet citizens about Germany's attack on the USSR.
The minute of silence in memory of the Great Patriotic War was first held in our country in 1965. Over the years, a ritual for observing the minute of silence has developed. It opened with the music of "Song of the Motherland" ("My native land is vast..."), performed on the vibraphone.
These call signs of the All-Union Radio preceded the address of the Deputy Chairman of the Soviet Government and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, V.M. Molotov, who informed the country at 12:15 PM on June 22, 1941, of the Nazi attack. Then, the announcer for the moment of silence on all telecommunications channels invoked the memory of the defenders of the Motherland and announced the beginning of the moment of silence. A metronome counted down the time in complete silence, while the Eternal Flame at the Kremlin Wall was broadcast on all television channels.
During the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, the holding of a nationwide moment of silence and commemorative events that strengthen national unity, peace, and harmony among the peoples of the Russian Federation, and create a unified historical space, are of particular importance.