Anniversary at Butovo

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Today marks the annual day of remembrance in Russia of the Stalinist purges.

President Vladimir Putin attended a memorial service held at Butovo with Patriarch Alexy II.

More information on today's observance can be found here.

This article quotes President Putin as stating that tragedies such as the Stalinist purges occur:

"...when ostensibly attractive but empty ideas are put above fundamental values, values of human life, of rights and freedom."

"Hundreds of thousands, millions of people were killed and sent to camps, shot and tortured,"

"These were people with their own ideas which they were unafraid of speaking out about.

They were the cream of the nation."

More photos from today's observances in Butovo, Moscow and other cities can be seen here.