Internet and History: Russia’s Ministry of Defence presents declassified documents on its website to mark the Day of the Unknown Soldier

To mark the Day of the Unknown Soldier, which is celebrated every year on December 3, the Ministry of Defence of Russia has released declassified documents on its website.

There is a registration card of a military burial site of Soviet soldiers available in the section. On December 3, 1966 the remains of the Unknown Soldier taken from that burial site were buried with military honours near the Kremlin wall. Shortly after that the Eternal Flame was lit there. The mass grave of unknown solders, who like millions of Red Army soldiers performed a feat, is located at the 40th kilometer of Leningrad Highway. In the winter of 1941 fighting raged there to defend Moscow.  

Declassified documents shed light on the great military and human feat.