Russia commemorates 1945 victory over the Nazis

By AP, JPOST.COM STAFF
Russia began its annual Victory Day commemorations Wednesday, marking the victory over the Nazis with a grand parade through Red Square. Victory Day is one of the most important holidays on Russia's calendar, marking the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. For many Russians, the victory stands out as the most glorious feat of the nation's troubled past. It was achieved at a devastating cost, with an estimated 27 million dead and much of the western part of the country ravaged in four years of fierce battles known to Russians as the Great Patriotic War.