User:Timur Strong/75th Anniversary of the Great Victory in Russia

The 75th Anniversary of the Great Victory on 9 May, 2020 commemorated the events of May 9, 1945, when Nazi Germany surrendered, marking the end of the Great Patriotic War. In the Soviet Union, and later in Russia and a number of other post-Soviet states, May 9 is celebrated as Victory Day as a symbol of the end of World War II. The main traditional elements of the yearly celebrations include a military parade, the procession of the Immortal Regiment ^[1], and a fireworks display in major Russian cities. In addition, there is usually a large number of state and public events, including congratulating the war veterans, laying flowers in front of war monuments, memorial lessons in schools, TV and live performances of the songs related to the Great Patriotic War, public celebrations in cities with elements of historical reconstructions, flash mobs on social media, etc.^[2]

In his decree, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced 2020 to be the Year of Memory and Glory ^[3]. However, the celebrations were hugely affected by the pandemic of COVID-19 [see also: COVID-19 pandemic]^[4]. The military parade was postponed and eventually held on 24 June, 2020, on the 75th anniversary of the Moscow Victory Parade in Red Square in 1945. On 9 May, 2020, the air display performed by military aircraft ^[5] was organized in 40 Russian cities, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sevastopol, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Murmansk, and others (for full list see ^[6]). The procession of the Immortal Regiment was officially held online on May 9, with people posting the stories about their relatives who had fought in World War II on the official website of the movement or on social media (with the hashtag #БессмертныйПолкДома). Many people chose to place photos of their relatives in the windows. The live procession was originally rescheduled for 26 July, 2020 and later put off indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many museums, concert halls, theaters and parks offered public events and special online programs connected with the 75th Anniversary of the Great Victory. Dozens of volunteer initiatives were held.