Areas that previously hosted Victory Day parades, concerts or field kitchens, are now used to celebrate Eurovision, an international TV song competition which takes place in Ukraine this year. For instance, Kiev's main street Khreshchatyk was chosen for the Eurovision Village, the official fan zone of the contest.
This choice might have upset many, but it is part of a larger trend.
Although Victory Day is still a national holiday in Ukraine, official events linked to the victory in WWII take place a day earlier. Moreover, Kiev is expected to turn May 9 into a workday, much to the veterans' discontent.
"We, the veterans, are fiercely opposed to making May 9 a workday. We urge to retain its current status as a holiday. Ukraine lost 7 million people [during the war]. More than 2,000 heroes of the Soviet Union are Ukrainians," Nikolai Martynovich, who heads Kiev's organization of veterans, said.
The Immortal Regiment marches are held in Russia and other countries on Victory Day to commemorate those who died in the Second World War, with relatives carrying their portraits.
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