The 81st anniversary of the Victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II is being celebrated in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The commemoration events traditionally began with the laying of flowers at the Glory Memorial. A minute of silence was observed in memory of those who fell during World War II. More than 20,000 Sakhalin and Kuril residents participated in the war. Some took part in fierce battles on the front lines, while others fought in the Far East.