MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax) - The Immortal Regiment international march was held in 120 countries on Victory Day on May 9, setting an all-time record, co-chair of the Immortal Regiment of Russia civil movement, first deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs Yelena Tsunayeva said.
"Speaking of our Immortal Regiment international march, I'd like to emphasize that this year saw an absolute record of the participation of countries, residents of those countries, our fellow citizens and not just in the Immortal Regiment march, 120 countries," Tsunayeva said at a press conference on Monday.
The march was held in the traditional format in 83 countries, she said. It had a different format in other countries due to bans imposed by the authorities, "however, the key idea, by which event participants marched with portraits of their near and dear, was preserved," Tsunayeva said.
The march was held in Washington for the first time in six years, and such countries as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan took part in the march for the first time, she said. There was a march in the South Korean city of Busan, too. The first march took place in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur," Tsunayeva said.
The march in the Chinese capital of Beijing involved over 1,200 people. There were marches in Germany, Italy, France, Turkey and Spain, as well.
In former Soviet republics, the march was the largest in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, where more than 30,000 people took to the streets, Tsunayeva said.
The Immortal Regiment is an international civic and patriotic movement aimed to preserve the memory of the generation of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. On Victory Day each year, movement participants march through streets, carrying photos of family members who fought in that war.
The Immortal Regiment event was held in the offline format on May 9, 2020 and 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was held in the traditional format in 2022. The organizers decided to cancel the traditional march in 2023 and 2024.