OREANDA-NEWS. October 25, 2011. The Khatsun Memorial in Russia's Bryansk Region was built to commemorate local villages burned by the Nazis during World War II, as well as the soldiers who fought in the area. Today is a sad anniversary, marking 70 years since 318 civilians were shot dead by the Nazis.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the Khatsun Memorial alongside war veterans and the relatives of victims.

The prime minister was among the first to visit the small museum at the memorial.

Natalia Somova, the head of the Regional Department of Culture, gave Mr Putin a short tour of the museum.

She told the prime minister that they have long had this idea – to set up a memorial museum – but it was hard to collect artifacts to display as all of the local residents had been killed and most of the artifacts had been lost.

However, the residents of the Bryansk Region – where the Nazis burned down 1,016 villages – began helping once they learned that a museum was being established. They supplied mementos that they had preserved from the time, such as photos, household items, letters and other historical documents.

The distant relations of Khatsun victims also provided photos of the victims.

Scouts who began working in the area discovered more items and arms. Local artists also contributed several paintings depicting the 1942 massacre.

Mr Putin talked to war veterans and scouts in the museum.