The memorial comprises a colonnade of 15 bronze columns set out along Victory Park at Moscow’s Poklonnaya Gora.
Ten of the columns symbolise the ten fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The columns are set out in the same order in which the combined regiments from these fronts took part in the ceremonial march at the historic Victory Day parade in 1945.
Three of the columns symbolise the three naval fleets – the North, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets.
The remaining two columns symbolise the contribution to victory of the partisan movement and those who laboured in the rear.
Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov also took part in the opening ceremony.
Following the ceremony, Mr Putin placed a bouquet of red carnations at the foot of the monument to the countries that fought in the anti-Nazi coalition and took a short walk around Poklonnaya Gora, congratulating veterans and young people on the approaching holiday.