100,000 Participate in Immortal Regiment March in Saint Petersburg on Victory Day

Around 100,000 people took part in the Immortal Regiment march in central Saint Petersburg on May 9, 2026. Participants carried portraits of relatives killed or wounded during the Great Patriotic War, the term Russians use for World War II. 1 million participants according to official figures.

Security was extremely tight with many restrictions during the May 9, 2026, events. Spectators were forbidden to stand on the sidewalk to watch the parade and were kept at a distance along the route. Access to side streets was restricted until the end of the event.

The Immortal Regiment did not take place in Moscow on May 9, 2026. It also did not occur in most cities across Russia. No official reason was given for the cancellation of the Immortal Regiment in Moscow and most Russian cities in 2026.

Le Monde reported that in recent weeks Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory, including on the capital, had been relentless and threatened to disrupt the military parade on Red Square until the last minute. Russian photographer Mary Gelman walked the streets of Saint Petersburg on May 9, 2026, to document the commemorations.

She captured images of women participating in the Immortal Regiment in President Vladimir Putin's hometown.

Over the years the Immortal Regiment has become a key element of Kremlin propaganda. It aims to involve the population in the culture of remembrance of the Great Patriotic War. Le Monde reported that Mary Gelman walked the streets of Vladimir Putin's hometown during the May 9 commemorations to take the pulse of a country sealed off from the world.