Members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club are taking part in a journey from Moscow to Berlin to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. From April 25 to May 9 the bikers plan to ride through such European cities as Moscow, Minsk, Brest, Wroclaw, Brno, Bratislava, Vienne, Munich, Prague, Torgau, Karlshorst and Berlin.
The rally kicked off on April 25 – on this significant day in 1945 the Soviet Red Army encircled Nazi Berlin. According to the Night Wolves, anybody who wants to can take part in the ride.
Above: Members of the Russian Night Wolves Motorcycle Club ride to the Mount of Glory memorial complex in the village of Sloboda, some 25 kilometers east of Minsk, to honour Soviet soldiers of WWII, on April 26, 2015.
Above: Members of the Russian Night Wolves Motorcycle Club ride to the Mount of Glory memorial complex in the village of Sloboda, some 25 kilometers east of Minsk, to honour Soviet soldiers of WWII, on April 26, 2015.
Participants of the Moscow-Berlin road trip devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory plan to ride through Poland despite the official ban by the Polish government, and will not change their route, Night Wolves leader Alexander Zaldostanov told journalists on April 25 before the ride kicked off.
Above: The leader of the Russian motorcycling club Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldostanov, aka "Khirurg" (Surgeon), before a start of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Above: The leader of the Russian motorcycling club Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldostanov, aka "Khirurg" (Surgeon), before a start of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
3/10
© Sputnik / Maksim Blinov
The participants of the trip have tourist visas. Earlier, the Polish Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw saying Night Wolves bikers were banned from entering the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the move was politically biased and voiced strong protest against it.
Above: Leader of the Russian motorcycle club Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldostanov, during the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Above: Leader of the Russian motorcycle club Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldostanov, during the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
On April 26 bikers from the Night Wolves motorcycle club visited the Mound of Glory near Minsk. The memorial honors Soviet soldiers who fought during World War II.
Above: A member of the Russian Night Wolves Motorcycle Club (R) gives St. George ribbons during a visit to the Mount of Glory memorial complex in the village of Sloboda, some 25 kilometers east of Minsk, on April 26, 2015, honouring Soviet soldiers of WWII.
Above: A member of the Russian Night Wolves Motorcycle Club (R) gives St. George ribbons during a visit to the Mount of Glory memorial complex in the village of Sloboda, some 25 kilometers east of Minsk, on April 26, 2015, honouring Soviet soldiers of WWII.
Participants of the Moscow-Berlin road trip devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory plan to ride through Poland despite the official ban by the Polish government, and will not change their route, Night Wolves leader Alexander Zaldostanov told journalists on April 25 before the ride kicked off.
Above: A participant of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start of the trip.
Above: A participant of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start of the trip.
The motorcade started its journey on Saturday from a biker station in Nizhnie Mnevniki, Moscow. Thousands of people and journalists gathered at the event.
Above: Participants of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start of the trip.
Above: Participants of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start of the trip.
7/10
© AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko
During the journey bikers will visit war graves, obelisks and memorials of the Great Patriotic War in different countries.
Above: A man wearing a Soviet-era soldier uniform sits in a WWII Soviet army motorcycle as he takes part in seeing off Russian bikers leaving for Germany to mark the 70th anniversary of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, in Moscow, Saturday, April 25, 2015.
Above: A man wearing a Soviet-era soldier uniform sits in a WWII Soviet army motorcycle as he takes part in seeing off Russian bikers leaving for Germany to mark the 70th anniversary of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, in Moscow, Saturday, April 25, 2015.
During the journey bikers will visit war graves, obelisks and memorials of the Great Patriotic War in different countries.
Above: A participant of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start.
Above: A participant of the Night Wolves' road trip, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, before a start.
In Belarus, Night Wolves bikers laid a wreath at the memorial of the village of Khatyn which was burned down by Nazi forces during the war.
Above: Members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and other local Belarusian bikers visit the war memorial "Khatyn" during a bike ride commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, northeast of Minsk April 26, 2015.
Above: Members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and other local Belarusian bikers visit the war memorial "Khatyn" during a bike ride commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, northeast of Minsk April 26, 2015.
The Night Wolves laid flowers at the Mound of Glory memorial near Minsk. They were welcomed by Belarusian bikers and activists of the Belarusian Republican Union of Youth.
Above: Members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and other local Belarusian bikers walk past a bike at the war memorial Mound of Glory during a bike ride commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, outside Minsk April 26, 2015.
Above: Members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and other local Belarusian bikers walk past a bike at the war memorial Mound of Glory during a bike ride commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, outside Minsk April 26, 2015.
