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Victory Day 2012

Russia and former Soviet republics marked the 67 years since the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II today. Russia's newly inaugurated President Vladimir Putin promised a strong Russia during a speech he delivered during a military parade at Red Square in Moscow. The Soviet Union lost an estimated 26 million people in the war, including 8.5 million soldiers. -- Lloyd Young (31 photos total)

A World War II veteran walks at the Red Square in Moscow, on May 9, 2012, after the Victory Day parade. Thousands of Russian soldiers marched today across Red Square to mark the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence/AFP/Getty Images)

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Russian soldiers march on the Red Square, during the Victory Day Parade, which commemorates the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in Moscow, Russia, on May 9. Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the annual massive military parade in Red Square that the country will stand up for its positions. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press) #

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Kyrgyz honor guards march near the Eternal Flame monument during Victory Day celebrations in Bishkek. Russia and ex-Soviet republics marked today the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Wearing medals elderly women sing in front of the Bolshoi Theater, a traditional veterans meeting place, in Moscow, on May 9. Thousands of Russian soldiers marched today across Red Square to mark the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. ( Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Wearing a World War II era Red Army field uniform (left) and Soviet postwar era naval uniform (right) veterans speak in Gorky park, a traditional veterans meeting place in Moscow. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Russian World War II veteran Yevgeny Ermolayev (85) holds flowers during Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, on May 9. The Soviet Union lost an estimated 26 million people in the war, including 8.5 million soldiers. Russia commemorates the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany on May 9. (Mikhail Metzel/Associated Press) #

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Russia's newly inaugurated President Vladimir Putin (center) poses for a photo with World War II veterans at the Red Square in Moscow on May 9 the during Victory Day parade. Thousands of Russian soldiers marched today alongside nuclear capable missiles to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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World War II veterans celebrate Victory Day in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on May 9. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A woman lays a flower tribute at the Remembrance Wall at a War museum in Kiev, Ukraine. Ukrainians continue to celebrate the World War II anniversary and Victory Day on May 9 as a national holiday marking the defeat of Nazi German forces in the second World War. (Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press) #

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Members of the honor guard stand at attention during the laying of a commemorative wreath at the Victory Memorial in Chisinau, Moldova. (John Mcconnico/Associated Press) #

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Russian self propelled guns roll during the Victory Day parade at the Red Square in Moscow on May. Thousands of Russian soldiers marched today across Red Square to mark the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Russian soldiers march at the Red Square in Moscow during the Victory Day parade. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Belarusian artists wait to take part in the parade during Victory Day celebrations in Minsk, Belarus on May 9. Belarus celebrates the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press) #

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Ukrainian soldiers dressed in World War II uniforms during a parade at the World War II memorial on the Victory Day in Kiev, Ukraine. (Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press) #

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A woman holds the flag of the former Bulgarian Communist Party on May 9 during Victory day celebrations, marking the end of World War II, in front of the monument of the Soviet Army in the center of Sofia. (Nikolay Doychinov/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A girl places a flower at the Victory Memorial in Chisinau, Moldova on May 9, 2012. The day is celebrated in former Soviet Republics as Victory Day over Nazi Germany in World War II. (John Mcconnico/Associated Press) #

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People gather to mark Victory Day at the World War II open air museum in Kiev, Ukraine on May 9. Russia and other post Soviet countries marked today the 67 years since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Children walk up a hill past a tank as people gather to mark Victory Day at the World War II open air museum in Kiev, Ukraine. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Usirov Usthan, a 92-year-old veteran of World War II, lays flowers on May 9 by the monument of the Unknown Soldier at the Antakalnis memorial during Victory Day celebrations in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A boy climbs on a World War II monument at an open air museum in Kiev, Ukraine on May 9 during Victory Day celebrations. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images) #

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World War II veterans sing near a portrait of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin (right) during Victory Day celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on May 9. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A World War II veteran holds a portrait of Josef Stalin during a Victory Day celebration in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 9. (Shakh Aivazov/Associated Press) #

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People meet the "Victory train", a vintage locomotive with members of a historical military club wearing Soviet army uniforms aboard, during the Victory Day celebration at Varshavsky railway station in St.Petersburg, Russia. (Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press) #

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World War II veterans clink glasses as they celebrate Victory Day in Minsk, Belarus on May 9. (Victor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Diplomats and soldiers of former Soviet republics attend a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany at the Central Soviet War Memorial in Berlin, Germany on May 9. (Markus Schreiber/Associated Press) #

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World War II veterans attend celebrations to mark Victory Day in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 9. (David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters) #

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Men in Russian uniforms help German born Red Army veteran Wilhelm Hoffman (center) at a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany at the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin on May 9. (Markus Schreiber/Associated Press) #

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A woman holds a photograph of a soldier during a march in Jerusalem, Israel marking Victory Day on May 9. (Ammar Awad/Reuters) #

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A World War II veteran wears medals during a Victory Day celebration in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 9. (David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters) #

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A guard stands at attention at the Victory Memorial in Chisinau, Moldova on May 9. (John Mcconnico/Associated Press) #

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A boy dressed in a Soviet army uniform forage cap places flowers at the monument of the Unknown Soldier at a memorial to World War II veterans in a memorial park in Kiev, Ukraine on May 9. Ukrainians continue to celebrate the World War II anniversary and Victory Day on May 9 as a national holiday marking the defeat of Nazi German forces in the second World War. ( Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press)