Commemorative events marking the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War were held at Russia’s Museum and Cathedral Complex of the Armed Forces on the Day of Remembrance and Mourning, with the nationwide “Candle of Memory” campaign serving as the centerpiece of the observances.

The annual event brought together military personnel, clergy, veterans, youth organizations, and public representatives to honor those who lost their lives during World War II.

Among those attending were Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies; Army General Viktor Goremykin, Russia’s deputy defense minister and head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Armed Forces; members of the Moscow Garrison; veterans' groups; and participants in the Yunarmiya youth movement.

The commemorations began overnight at the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, officially known as the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. A Divine Liturgy was celebrated, followed by a memorial service led by Metropolitan Kirill for those who died during the Great Patriotic War.

Prayers were offered for fallen soldiers, civilians who perished from hunger and wounds, as well as those who endured captivity and other hardships during the war years.

Addressing participants, Metropolitan Kirill emphasized the significance of June 22 in Russian history.

“Today we remember the most tragic date — the day the Great Patriotic War began,” he said. “We offer prayers for the leaders and soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our Fatherland.”

The metropolitan also noted that the Russian Orthodox Church continues to pray for the country’s current defenders.

At exactly 4:00 a.m. — the hour when Nazi Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 — participants lit 1,418 candles following the tolling of the cathedral bell and the playing of the song “Cranes.” The number of candles symbolized the 1,418 days that the Great Patriotic War lasted.

The candles were arranged near the “Mothers of the Victors” sculpture and alongside capsules containing soil collected from military mass graves.

A particularly symbolic moment of the ceremony was the transfer of a flame from an Eternal Flame memorial. The fire was brought to Moscow from the Kursk Bulge memorial complex. This year, the flame was first lit by the son of a World War II veteran and then handed to Russian Hero Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Danilov, a participant in Russia’s ongoing military operation.

Escorted by an honor guard from the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the flame traveled through memorials in Hero Cities and Cities of Military Glory across six Russian regions before arriving at the Armed Forces Cathedral.

The “Candle of Memory” campaign is organized annually by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Similar ceremonies, flower-laying events, and memorial services took place at military garrisons, war memorials, and military cemeteries throughout the country on the Day of Remembrance and Mourning.

Participants said the preservation of the memory of the wartime generation’s sacrifices remains an important part of Russia’s historical heritage and continues to unite people of different generations.