Overview
- The law establishing the new memorial date was signed by President Vladimir Putin and published on the official portal of legal acts.
- A separate law signed on December 28 extends support to citizens and organizations engaged in commemoration, aligning them with benefits for socially oriented NGOs and volunteers from January 1, 2026.
- The assistance measure designates participation in remembrance events, searches for unknown burials, identification of remains, and compilation of name lists as recognized activities.
- Regional authorities receive powers to organize memorial efforts, decide on burial or relocation of remains, and halt construction or earthworks that could disturb discovered sites.
- Officials cite the April 19, 1943 Decree No. 39 as the rationale for the date, while figures including Vyacheslav Volodin and Alexander Brod call for preserving historical truth and promoting recognition internationally, including at the UN.