December 3 - Day of the Unknown Soldier: history and traditions of the memorable date

Every year on December 3, Russia celebrates the Day of the Unknown Soldier, established in memory of all defenders of the Motherland, who died in the fight for the freedom of their country, but remained nameless. In 2024, the celebration falls on Tuesday. On the history of the Unknown Soldier and the traditions of the memorable date read in the material "Izvestia".

Day of the Unknown Soldier in 2024 - the history of the mourning date

The Day of the Unknown Soldier appeared in the calendar in 2014. With the initiative to establish a memorable date in honor of the nameless fighters were participants of public search movements, which are engaged in the discovery of the remains of servicemen who died in different historical periods, and the establishment of their identities. The idea was approved by Sergei Ivanov, then head of the presidential administration. In November of the same year, December 3 was officially declared the Day of the Unknown Soldier.

The date of the celebration was timed to coincide with the solemn transfer of the ashes of a nameless Soviet soldier from a mass grave near Zelenograd to the capital in 1966. The event was part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi troops near Moscow. Subsequently, a memorial complex "Bayonets" was built on the site of the Zelenograd burial place of the Red Army soldiers.

The remains of the soldier were placed in a titanium coffin decorated with the St. George ribbon and buried with honors near the Kremlin wall. The ceremony ended with a rally, during which USSR Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky called the soldier's grave a monument to all known and unknown heroes.

Days in memory: what the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory will be remembered for

500 thousand volunteers will be involved in the events of the anniversary, its logo is based on the image of the monument "Motherland Calls!"

About the Red Army soldier lying near the Kremlin wall, it was possible to learn only one thing - judging by his clothes, he was a private and probably died during the fighting for the village of Kryukovo (present-day Zelenograd) in 1941. The name of the hero could not be established, because there were no documents or other proofs of his identity. Hundreds of thousands of other soldiers who died during the terrible years of the Great Patriotic War remained nameless.

In 1967 the memorial "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" was built on the place of burial. It became a place where people could come who never knew where the remains of their friends and relatives lay. In 1975, a bronze sculpture with the inscription "Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal" was installed on the middle tombstone, which became the unspoken motto of the Day of the Unknown Soldier.

In 1997, the President of Russia established Post No. 1 near the Eternal Flame at the memorial - the main guard post of the country. The rest of the anonymous defender of the Motherland is guarded by soldiers of the Presidential Regiment. They keep guard every day in any weather. Since its opening, this memorial watch has not had a single day off.

Traditions of the Day of the Unknown Soldier on December 3

The Day of the Unknown Soldier is dedicated not only to the memory of the participants of the Great Patriotic War. It is customary to pay tribute on this day to all Soviet and Russian servicemen who died in the performance of duty, but were not identified. And although their tombstones will remain unsigned, the feat they accomplished will be preserved for centuries to come.

To the Last Sea: How the Red Army Liberated the Baltics

The Soviet troops gained a new bridgehead for the offensive

On December 3, commemorative actions are being held all over Russia. Residents of all regions of the country bring bouquets and wreaths to memorials and mass graves. Museums prepare expositions devoted to the Great Patriotic War, and schools and kindergartens hold thematic classes. Also on this day there are meetings with veterans, movie screenings, lectures and concerts where Soviet military compositions are performed.

Earlier "Izvestia" told about the history and significance of the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Fascism.