Putin Marks National Unity Day With Kremlin Honors and Visit to WWII Anniversary Exhibition
The Manezh showcase highlights the Victory Banner to advance a church–state project that links wartime memory to national cohesion.
Overview
- Russian President Vladimir Putin toured the Orthodox Russia — National Unity Day exhibition at Moscow’s Manezh, according to TASS.
- This year’s display marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War with more than 700 artifacts, including the original Victory Banner raised over the Reichstag in 1945.
- The “Great Victory. Russia — My History” section spans June 22, 1941, to September 2, 1945, presenting the Eastern Front through curated archival materials.
- The project is organized by the Russian Orthodox Church’s Patriarchal Council for Culture alongside the Culture and Education ministries, Moscow authorities, state archives and museums, and the Russia — My History historical parks.
- Later in the day, Putin presented state decorations and presidential prizes in the Kremlin for contributions to strengthening national unity, according to the official transcript.