On May 9, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to the Soviets in Berlin. Since then, May 9 marks the victory of the Allied forces over fascism in World War II.

In London on the 74th anniversary of this victory day, veterans, diplomats and local dignitaries took part in a ceremony at the Soviet War Memorial in the shadow of the Imperial War Museum in south London.

Immortal Regiment, London England

Hundreds of people, including many from the Russian community in London, gathered around the Memorial in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in Southwark. British, Soviet and Norwegian war veterans marched to the monument to start the act of remembrance that was opened by Catherine Rose, the Mayor of Southwark, and addressed by Philip Matthews from the Soviet Memorial Trust Fund and Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko. This was followed by the laying of floral tributes by Southwark councillors, diplomats from the countries of the former Soviet Union, British and Soviet veterans, and friendship associations. Officials from the Marx Memorial Library and others from the communist movement also laid wreaths and flowers at the memorial that was unveiled on May 9, 1999.

The ceremony concluded with the solemn Soviet lament, The Final Chord, sung by the choir of the Russian Embassy school in London, the Last Post and two minutes' silence to remember those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom during the war to defeat Nazi fascism.

Immortal Regiment, Manchester England

Many then went on to Trafalgar Square to join the Immortal Regiment parade. Around the world, since 2012, veterans who fought in World War II and their descendants take part in processions to commemorate the memory of their relatives, known as the March of the Immortal Regiment. The website Russia Beyond informed on May 8 that the march "originally began in 2012 in the Siberian city of Tomsk, but this year, the Immortal Regiment is held in more than 110 countries and 500 cities all over the world. People join the processions holding the portraits of their relatives who fought in World War II, and every year the number of participating cities grows." Millions of people took part across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.

Victory Day May 9th 1945 Moscow, Soviet Union

While many participants are Red Army veterans and their descendants, these marches are a converging point for all Allied veterans and their family members, as well as many others who wish to express their profound gratitude for the sacrifices made to defeat Nazi fascism.

(TML Weekly, New Worker)

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