May 11, 2026

The Parade Must Go On


The Parade Must Go On
Victory Day Parade in St. Petersburg. Fontanka, Telegram.

On May 9, Russia commemorated Victory Day with downsized parades, including in Moscow. Some cities even canceled their events over drone threats. However, St. Petersburg carried on with its "March of the Immortal Regiment," albeit with restrictions that included banning water bottles.

On May 8, Alexander Ravin, the Vice President of the Municipal Committee of Law, Order, and Security, said that on Victory Day, "the most unprecedented measures and forces imaginable will be displayed in our city." Multiple metro stations were closed. Authorities banned water bottles, alcohol, food, power banks, and flags of foreign countries from the march. To enter the march, attendees had to pass three security checkpoints. Cellphone carriers warned of possible internet outages during the event.

The procession went from Alexander Nevsky Square via Nevsky Prospekt to Palace Square. Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg's main throroughfare, and was completely barricaded with fences and policemen. Many residents of St. Petersburg's most famous avenue were left stranded on their building patios during the parade. 

Unlike previous Victory Day marches, there was no modern military equipment and no airplanes. Just a thousand troops participated. War veterans from the Great Patriotic War (World War II) were not invited due to security concerns.

Attendees carried black-and-white pictures of family members lost in the war. Many people held pictures of loved ones who died in Russia's War on Ukraine. Wagner mercenaries in uniform led one of the columns of the march, while carrying a flag with a picture of their disgraced leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Due to the restrictions, it is estimated that only 100,000 people participated in this year's Victory Day parade in St. Petersburg. In 2025, the march had over 1.1 million attendees. 

Meanwhile, also on Victory Day, police arrested 85-year-old Lyudmila Vasilyeva, a survivor of the Nazi invasion. She was detained near the Solovetsky stone holding flowers and a sign that read "Don't cover up your crimes with the people's victory." Vasilyeva was later released without charges.

You Might Also Like

Reliving the Glory Days
  • May 10, 2026

Reliving the Glory Days

A massive reenactment festival just before Victory Day reveals a great deal about modern Russian discourse.
  • May 05, 2026

"Become Russian"

How one Ukrainian refugee family has been hindered in trying to live as Russians.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955