Never Forget: The 'Immortal Regiment' Marches Through Prague

PRAGUE (Sputnik) – Some 700 people on Sunday took part in the first "Immortal Regiment" patriotic initiative held in the Czech capital of Prague, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The initiative is honoring victory over Nazism in World War II. Many young people from Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus and other countries took to the streets carrying portraits of their relatives who fought in the war or worked in the home front. Veterans of Czechoslovak and Russian units that fought against the Nazi troops were also among those taking part in the campaign. 

The participants of the march wore the orange-and-black-striped ribbons of St. George, symbolizing the Soviet contribution to the Allied victory in World War II.

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.