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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 24, 2002

Homeland Defender Day Celebrated in Russia

The Day of Homeland Defender is being celebrated all over Russia on Saturday, with President Vladimir Putin opening those activities by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at the foot of the Kremlin Wall.


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Homeland Defender Day Celebrated in Russia
The Day of Homeland Defender is being celebrated all over Russia on Saturday, with President Vladimir Putin opening those activities by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at the foot of the Kremlin Wall.

February 23 is the most ceremonious holiday of the Russian army as well as an important public holiday. It was celebrated as the Army Day in the Soviet time and later renamed as the Day of Homeland Defender when the union disintegrated.

Putin also signed a decree Saturday, thanking all Russian servicemen who honestly perform their military duty and have served their homeland with devotion and dedication.

Some Russian officials, parliamentary members and veteran representatives also laid wreaths and flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and at the Monument to Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

Thousands of people gathered at or marched to downtown Moscow to mark the holiday and concerts were held for servicemen stationed in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

Artillery salutes were fired on Saturday evening in Moscow, St.Petersburg, Volgograd and other major cities.

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