The World War II is more familiar to Russians in form of the Great Patriotic War. This term refers mainly to the military actions between Nazi Germany and USSR which took place between 1941 and 1945. The losses of the Soviet Union in this war are unprecedented. The official numbers name 20 million of male population and almost 7 million of females. However, according to newly revealed classified documents the actual number of deceased might be twice as big as 27 million.
The Immortal Regiment
No wonder that the Victory Day is one of the most celebrated holidays in modern Russia and former republics of USSR. The tragedy touched every single family. The celebration usually consisted of the parade of military equipment, mass celebrations and fireworks. One of the most important traditions was the congratulation of veterans. But in 2010 the youngest participants in the actions of World War II were older than 75 years old. This led to the rethinking of celebration. This day was supposed to symbolize the victory over death and to remind us of the greatest deed that our grandfathers and grandmothers accomplished together.
In 2012 three journalists from Tomsk - Sergei Lapenkov, Sergei Kolotovkin and Igor Dmitriev - formed a public movement, so called Immortal Regiment, which allowed the descendants of soviet soldiers and rear workers to solemnly and respectfully honor the memory of their ancestors. Anyone can take part in celebration. Usually it takes a form of the procession, where people are holding the portraits of their family members who participated in the Great Patriotic War. As for today the movement's ceremonies take place in more than 80 countries of the world. Due to the pandemic situations the processions of 2020 take place online. Everyone can access the broadcast on the web-page specifically designed for the cause.
The Faces of Victory
Here you can see the most iconic images taken by reporters during the four years of the Great Patriotic War and scrutinize the faces of people who won over Fascism.
Photos by Max Alpert
