World War II veterans, former navy officers, Konstantin Boroda, 83, left, and Yuri Lvov, 87, look at photos of friends as they meet during a Victory Day celebration in downtown Moscow, Wednesday, May 9, 2007. 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. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky) ORG XMIT: MOSB120
Dmitry Lovetsky The Spokesman-Review