Russina President Vladimir Putin laid flowers in Moscow's Red Square on Wednesday (November 4) to mark National Unity Day.

Putin greeted Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and other religious figures who were also attending the ceremony. The President than laid flowers at the monument to Kuzma Minin, a merchant, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, who led the popular uprising that drove Polish forces out of Moscow in 1612.

The ceremony took place in windy conditions, as Moscow saw its frist heavy snowfall of the season earlier in the morning.

National Unity Day was introduced in 2005, replacing the Soviet-era holiday marking the anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. It is billed as a public holiday celebrating solidarity among Russia's different ethnic and religious groups.

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Putin lays flowers in Moscow's Red Square to mark National Unity Day

VIDEO SHOWS: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, LAYING FLOWERS AT MEMORIAL IN MOSCOW'S RED SQUARE / PUTIN TALKING TO CEREMONY PARTICIPANTS

SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 4, 2026) (RUSSIAN POOL - Access all)

1. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, GREETING RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS DURING A FLOWER-LAYING CEREMONY / MUSIC STARTING

2. PUTIN IS TAKING FLOWERS, CARRYING THEM TO THE MEMORIAL

3. GUARDS OF HONOUR LAYING WREATH

4. PUTIN AND HEAD OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, PATRIARCH KIRILL, LAYING FLOWERS AT MEMORIAL

5. PUTIN AND PATRIARCH KIRILL STEPPING BACK FROM THE MEMORIAL

6. PUTIN AND PATRIARCH WALKING, ST. BASIL'S CATHEDRAL IN BACKGROUND

7. RELIGIOUS LEADERS LAYING FLOWERS AT MEMORIAL

8. PUTIN TALKING TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS

9. PUTIN APPROACHING MEMBERS OF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS

10. PUTIN SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS