Tajik Capital Dushanbe to Hold 'Immortal Regiment' March on May 9

DUSHANBE (Sputnik) – Some 200 people will take part in the "Immortal Regiment" march honoring victory over Nazism in World War II the in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on May 9, organizers of the event said Sunday.

"We have sent calls through social media, more than 200 people have responded," Nur Umarov, the deputy chairman of Tajikistan's Union of Internationalist Soldiers, told RIA Novosti.

On May 9, a day celebrated in former Soviet republics as the Victory Day over Nazi Germany in WWII, concerts and mass celebrations will take place in parks all over Tajikistan. President Emomali Rahmon will take part in laying of flowers and wreaths at the eternal flame memorial in the May 9 Victory park in Dushanbe.

The "Immortal Regiment" is a patriotic initiative that commemorates WWII soldiers in marches held across Russia and other countries in early May. During the marches, people carry photographs of their ancestors who participated in the war. Some 12 million people have participated in the 2015 Immortal Regiment march throughout Russia.

This year, commemorative marches are planned in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and many other countries.