The Russian community of Washington DC held a candlelight vigil at the World War II memorial on Friday, to mark the 78th anniversary of the invasion of the Soviet Union. Attendees can be seen lighting candles and laying them down next to wreaths to mark the occasion and pay their respects to those who fought in the war. On June 22nd, 1941, Nazi Germany initiated Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union, bringing the country into the Second World War. Over 30 million people are estimated to have died in the Eastern Front, the majority of them being civilians of the Soviet Union.
