26 October 2015 – To pay respect and recall the great hardship and sacrifice of the Russian people at the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, Philippine Senate President Franklin M. Drilon placed a wreath before the Mother Motherland Statue at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery on October 23.

The Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery was established to honor the memory of those who died during the Siege of Leningrad. The Memorial Cemetery holds the graves of around 420,000 civilian victims of the siege, the majority of whom died of cold and starvation, and 70,000 soldiers who died in the defense of the city.

The members of the Senate President’s official delegation accompanied him during the simple ceremony and also paid their respects to the victims of the Siege of Leningrad by each placing a single white rose at the foot of the memorial.

The Senate President is in Russia on the invitation of Mme. Valentina I. Matvienko, Chairperson of the Federal Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Aside from speaking at the Federal Council, the Senate President also met with several high Russian officials during his stay.  He also signed with Mme. Valentina I. Matvienko an agreement that will strengthen ties and boost cooperation between the upper houses of the legislatures of the Philippines and Russia.  END