August 18, 2024

Immortal or No?


Immortal or No?
An Immortal Regiment procession in St. Petersburg in 2018. Monoklon, Wikimedia Commons.

Russia's Immortal Regiment processions, in which citizens march in remembrance of veteran relatives, seems to be dying out amid a lack of official support.

The event began in 2012, organized by a group of Tomsk journalists to memorialize World War II veterans who were no longer able to march in Victory Day celebrations. Instead of veterans themselves marching, their children or relatives would march in their place, often displaying a photo or information about the veteran.

Demonstrations quickly spread to other regions, and Immortal Regiment marches became a common sight throughout Russia and even the Russian diaspora.

However, many marches were canceled or scaled back drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, security threats led to the cancellation of many demonstrations. And this year, many Victory Day celebrations were suspended wholesale, with authorities citing concerns stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Organizers now hope to rekindle the Immortal Regiment demonstrations and are urging schools and other institutions to take the lead.

At the same time, other displays of patriotism, those that are easier to control, are enjoying lots of official support.

You Might Also Like

Snowing on Your Parade
  • May 12, 2024

Snowing on Your Parade

A few things were notably absent (and present) from this year's Victory Day parade.
Detained on Victory Day
  • May 17, 2022

Detained on Victory Day

Over 125 citizens were detained during Immortal Regiment processions across Russia.
Immortal Anti-War Demos
  • May 10, 2022

Immortal Anti-War Demos

There were brave dissenters amid pro-regime Immortal Regiment demonstrations on May 9.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955