Russians celebrate the end of the “great patriotic war” on May 9 each year. Victory Day, which commemorates the defeat of Nazism in Europe is the most important holiday in Russia.
The public and the state come together in a patriotic celebration during which people remember their family members who sacrificed their lives to defeat Nazism. Many of the day’s features - the parades, songs and commemorative practices - date back to the Soviet era.
But this year’s celebrations will be scaled down. In several regions, including Crimea and the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts that border Ukraine, the traditional military parades will not take place at all. The most striking change is the cancellation of the “Immortal Regiment” marches, which have been the centrepiece of civic commemorations of Victory Day over the past ten years.
