KIEV, May 5 (RIA Novosti) – The interim authorities in Ukraine on Monday announced that a prayer service for the victims of World War II will be held in Kiev on Friday instead of a military parade to commemorate Victory Day.
The holiday is celebrated in several former Soviet countries to mark the Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany.
Religious organizations will hold a prayer service for the victims of the Second World War on Kiev’s Sophia Square, the Ukrainian government announced. The service will be attended by officials, cabinet members and the public.
The celebrations and a concert will be held in the memorial complex at the national museum of the war.
Wreath-laying ceremonies are scheduled to take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Eternal Glory Park in Kiev. Similar ceremonies will be also held at memorials and monuments to the soldiers killed during World War II in regional centers and other settlements.
Law enforcement agencies and the Kiev administration have been entrusted with securing public order and preventing possible provocations during the mass events.
Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, marks the final defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union in World War II, known in Russia and some former Soviet republics as the Great Patriotic War.
There are fears that more clashes will come on that date in light of ongoing events in Ukraine. Some people cherish the legacy of Ukrainian nationalists, who collaborated with the Nazis against Russia, while others see it as a symbol of victory over Nazism and by extension the modern-day nationalists.
In February, the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted from power President Viktor Yanukovych, amended the constitution and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25.
Last week, Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered security forces to resume a special operation in the country’s east to crack down on pro-federalization protests. Friday’s special op saw the bloodiest violence since the coup, with dozens killed in clashes. The highest casualty toll was reported in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, where dozens of pro-federalization activists burned to death in a building, besieged and set on fire by armed pro-Kiev radicals.
