Memorial and Mourning Day – 2026: what lies behind the date that changed the fate of millions of people

Every summer, Russia remembers one of the most tragic dates in the country's history — on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war, marking the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, which lasted 1,418 days and claimed the lives of 27 million Soviet citizens. On the Day of Remembrance and Mourning, commemorative actions are held throughout the country, national flags are lowered, and at noon millions of people freeze in a minute of silence in memory of the victims. About why this date will forever remain in the hearts of Russians and what traditions are associated with it - in the material of Izvestia.

What is Memorial and Mourning Day and why is it celebrated on June 22?

Memorial and Mourning Day is an official commemorative date of the Russian Federation, dedicated to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

On June 22, 1941, the troops of Nazi Germany invaded the territory of the Soviet Union. From the very first minutes, border territories, peaceful cities, airfields, train stations and military garrisons were hit. Already in the early hours, bombing, destruction and death of civilians began. For the country, this was the beginning of a difficult and long ordeal that lasted almost four years.

In 1992, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation decided to consider June 22 as the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of the Fatherland, and in 1996, by decree of the President of Russia, the date received its modern name — the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow. Since then, June 22 has been celebrated annually at the state level.

The Day of Remembrance and Mourning reminds us of the price of Victory and how important it is to preserve the truth about the war. 2026 marks the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, which makes this day especially significant.

How the Great Patriotic War began

The German command began planning an attack on the Soviet Union, codenamed Barbarossa, in December 1940. The Hitlerite command was counting on a strategy of blitzkrieg, which involved the rapid capture of the European part of the USSR before the onset of winter.

The attack on the Soviet Union had not only military, but also ideological goals. The Ost Master Plan (a set of plans to consolidate Nazi Germany in Eastern Europe) envisioned the liquidation of the Soviet state, the seizure of its natural resources, the extermination of indigenous Slavic peoples and the use of the population for forced labor.

In the early morning of June 22, 1941, without declaring war, German troops attacked Soviet territory on a huge front from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. The first to strike were the border outposts of the Brest Fortress, whose defenders had been completely surrounded for weeks.

In the first hours of the war, German aircraft bombed 66 Soviet airfields, destroying more than 1.2 thousand aircraft on the ground. At the same time, Minsk, Kiev, Riga, Sevastopol and other cities were subjected to airstrikes.

The mistake came out: how the Third Reich planned to conquer the USSR

85 years ago, Nazi Germany adopted the Barbarossa plan

A few hours after the invasion, Vyacheslav Molotov, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, spoke on the radio, announcing to the citizens the treacherous attack of the enemy and the beginning of the war. On the same day, a general mobilization of military personnel was announced. In just one week, about 5.3 million people joined the ranks of the Red Army.

Thus began the Great Patriotic War, which became the bloodiest in the history of our country. It lasted 1,418 days and nights and ended on May 9, 1945 with the complete defeat of Nazi Germany.

The main traditions of the Day of Remembrance and Mourning

On the Day of Remembrance and Mourning, Russia honors the memory of defenders of the Fatherland, home front workers, partisans and civilians who died during the war. People come to the Eternal Flame to lay flowers and pay tribute to the veterans.

An all-Russian minute of silence is announced at exactly 12:15 Moscow time. It was at this time that Molotov's historic address was broadcast on the radio. At this moment, transport stops all over Russia, businesses freeze, and television and radio broadcasts are interrupted.

On Memorial Day, entertainment programs are canceled and entertainment events are not held. The TV channels mainly show documentaries about the war, war films and programs dedicated to the history of the Great Patriotic War.

War films are shown in cinemas and outdoor areas, and museums organize exhibitions dedicated to the first day of the war. Funeral services for all the dead are held in the temples of the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, on June 22, many regions hold car rallies and bike rides with St. George's ribbons.

On this memorable date, national flags are lowered at half-mast and "candles of remembrance" are lit throughout the country. These lights become a symbol of gratitude and a living national memory of those who did not return from the war.

What actions and events are taking place on June 22 in Russia

The Candle of Memory campaign is still one of the most widespread and recognizable. People light candles not only at memorials and special sites, but also at home. At the same time, participants share their family stories online, post archive photos, and light virtual candles.

In Moscow, one of the main actions is considered to be the "Memory Line". As part of this event, 1,418 candles are lit annually, according to the number of days of the Great Patriotic War. Each candle symbolizes one day of the hard road to Victory, reminding of the price paid by the country. The first candle is symbolically lit from a particle of Eternal Flame on Poklonnaya Gora.

Also on this day, the "Memory Watch" campaign is taking place. Within its framework, expeditions to the battlefields are organized. Participants travel to the former front lines, excavate and raise the remains of soldiers who were considered missing. On the very memorable date, the interim results of the search season are summed up, new commemorative signs and plaques are unveiled.

In many regions, rallies are organized with the participation of search engines, government officials and local residents. Participants meet with schoolchildren and students, talk about their activities, and share stories of fighters they have found. In addition, volunteers help to put monuments, military graves and memorial complexes in order.

In 2026, the participants of the action "Memory Watch. Eternal Flame" will lay flowers at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden in Moscow. The event will take place at 04:00 a.m. — it was at this time that Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union.

What does the "Candle of Memory" campaign mean?

The Candle of Memory campaign was first held in Tyumen in 2004. Then activists of the Men in Black youth theater association and artists of the Experimental Shakespeare Theater took to the streets with lighted candles to honor the memory of Soviet citizens who died during the Great Patriotic War.

For a long time, the action remained local, but in 2009, thanks to the Public Group of the Interreligious Council of Russia, it reached the All-Russian level. Today, her task is to unite people in preserving the memory of the dead and to remind them of the high price of peace.

The volunteers and participants of the action are not limited to the traditional lighting of candles. Commemorative inscriptions are laid out from them — "We remember", "1941", as well as large—scale compositions - "Fiery paintings of the war".

In 2026, the online version of the promotion was launched on June 10 on the Day of Memory website.Russia and will last until June 22. This format makes it possible to join commemorative events regardless of the place of residence. Last year, more than 1.3 million virtual candles were lit in this way.

How the Day of Remembrance and Mourning is celebrated in different cities of the country

Different regions of Russia have their own traditions of celebration. In Moscow, large-scale ceremonies with the participation of top officials of the state are held at the Kremlin Wall, the Grave of the Unknown Soldier and on Pobediteley Square near the Victory Museum, where candles are lit in memory of those who gave their lives for the Fatherland.

In St. Petersburg, candles are traditionally lit on the Palace Square in memory of the Leningraders who died during the blockade, which lasted 872 days and claimed the lives of more than a million people. In the morning, thousands of citizens come to the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery, where the victims of the blockade are buried.

In Volgograd, the main events take place on Mamayev Kurgan. Memorial candles are also lit there, and a themed light show is held on the territory of the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad ensemble. In Brest, the city that was the first to take the blow on June 22, 1941, commemorative events are unfolding on the territory of the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex.

In Novorossiysk, a hero city on the Black Sea, the Malaya Zemlya Memorial, where Soviet sailors held a beachhead for 225 days in 1943, becomes the center of commemorative events. Commemorative events are also held in the hero cities of Sevastopol, Tula, Murmansk, Smolensk, Kerch and many others.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the popular actions that took place in the country on Russia Day.