Old Izvestia

And there aren't many votes to gather;

Hundreds of Muscovites gathered Tuesday at a day-long ceremony to commemorate victims of the purges ordered by Joseph Stalin, reading from a list the names of people killed in the Russian capital.

The so-called "Returning of the names", an event organised by the rights group Memorial, draws a crowd annually for the emotional paying of respects in central Moscow, where people take turns reading aloud the victims' names in a horrifying non-stop litany that lasts from 10 am. to 10 pm.

"My grandmother was shot in 1937 in Moscow. My grandfather was shot in 1938 in the provinces. I think it's absolutely necessary to participate in such events," said Dina Terletskaya, 28.

...."Unfortunately, there is not a single politician or official who comes to commemorate the victims," said Yan Rachinsky, a historian with the Memorial group. "This topic is considered marginal."