South Sakhalinsk is celebrating the 81st anniversary of the victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II. The official events began, as tradition dictates, with the laying of flowers at the Memorial of Glory. A moment of silence was observed to honor those who perished during World War II. More than 20,000 residents of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands participated. Some fought in fierce battles on the front lines, while others fought in the Far East.