Vladimir Putin and George Bush bowed their heads in tribute to the victims of Nazism. The delegations of the two countries kept mournful silence. The national anthems of Russia and the US were played. Completing the ceremony was a march past of the guard of honour.
George Bush wrote an entry in the Commemoration Book. The distinguished American guest was presented with a memorial medal. A similar medal was presented to Bill Clinton six years earlier, in April 1996 when he paid tribute to the victims of the Leningrad siege.
The Piskaryovo Memorial Cemetery is the largest common World War II burial site. It is the resting place for more than half a million citizens of Leningrad.