Speaking Of Dmitry Medvedev And The Number Of Soviet War Dead During The Great Patriotic War ...

“Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday ordered officials to determine the precise Soviet death toll in World War II as the nation marked the 65th anniversary of the battle that broke the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Russia, which suffered hugely in the conflict it calls the Great Patriotic War, places substantial importance on commemorating its sacrifices. An estimated 27 million Soviet civilians and soldiers died in the war. Much of the western part of the country was ravaged during four years of epic battles. …

Medvedev also used the occasion to condemn what he described as efforts to rehabilitate Nazis in some neighboring nations. He didn't identify any specific nation, but Russia in the past has harshly criticized authorities in the ex-Soviet Baltic nations of Estonia and Latvia for allowing gatherings of local veterans of Nazi SS units.”

Associated Press “Medvedev Orders Precise Soviet WWII Death Toll” New York Times January 27, 2009

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The Historic Center, the Constantine Palace, the Trinity Monastery, Mikhailovka, and Znamenka are some of the thirty-six parts of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Photo credit: The Constantine Palace, Strelna, Petersburg, 1921. Via Wikipedia.