Russian lawmakers move forward with nationwide Minute of Silence on June 22

Federal lawmakers in the State Duma have adopted the first reading of legislation that would institute a nationwide Minute of Silence on June 22, probably at 12:15 p.m., Moscow time, to commemorate the start of the USSR’s Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. The timing would coincide with the moment the Soviet authorities announced the Nazi invasion to the Soviet people in 1941. The legislation has unanimous support in Parliament and will likely take effect this year.

This May, Russia will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II. Over the course of Vladimir Putin’s long presidency, the Kremlin has increasingly leaned on the USSR’s wartime glories (critics say the administration is keen to whitewash the past) as modern-day Russia’s inherited legacy.