Crowds formed at the Dinamo metro station as noon approached. Some carried portraits of relatives in bags along the street to shield them from the drizzle, while others displayed photo columns on the escalator for onlookers to see.
Television crews singled out vivid participants near the metro exit, dressed in tunics and other retro outfits. Small circles formed around interviewees as people jostled to be in the shot.
A strong breeze swept down Leningradsky Prospekt, and many participants moved toward the Belorusskaya metro station on Tverskaya Zastava, even before the official start of the procession.
In the middle of the road, Sergei, a veteran activist with the People’s Liberation Movement (NOD), handed out leaflets proclaiming a decisive struggle for the country’s independence. The pamphlets urged rejection of the colonial constitution and offered suggestions on how to counter the NATO war machine.
Asked by the socialbites.ca reporter about his feelings from the day, Sergei replied with a hint of anxiety.
“Our country is fighting Nazism in Ukraine. We once stood with Ukrainians in a great victory. Now behind the Nazis is the organized West, headed by the United States and its allies. We must win this fight.”
The activist spoke of patriotism as a guiding force.
“Patriotism is the ability to recognize what matters, to accept it here and now, and to take responsibility for it. We must build, protect, and prepare for transformation of the Motherland. If this country holds these values, it is love. Simply kissing birch trees is not enough,” he explained.
Not far from the activist, an elderly woman distributed the proletarian newspaper Mysl. The front page carried Vladimir Lenin’s article commemorating the tenth anniversary of Pravda, dated May 5, 1922, and passers-by eagerly accepted the issue.
What participants said
Across the route, residents of Moscow and guests from other regions and even other countries joined in as the sound of war-era music filled the air. The organizers selected two tunes for the march, with familiar voices leading the program, including marks of remembrance like the song Cranes and other commemorative pieces. Listeners also enjoyed favorites by Valentina Tolkunova and Nina Urgant during the Belorusskaya march.
The scent of buckwheat porridge from field kitchens signaled the proximity of metro stations, while ensembles performed military songs in areas without screens or speakers.
Some marchers joined out of curiosity rather than family history of the Great Patriotic War. For instance, two students from Uzbekistan, Vlad and Timur, had lived in Moscow for only a year and joined the procession for the first time.
“Today we helped to create the Immortal Regiment for the first time. It felt deeply emotional and meaningful. Usually we hear about tanks rolling in. We wondered what it would be like to witness the equipment firsthand,” said Timur in a conversation with socialbites.ca.
Another student, Daria, described her pride while recounting her impressions of the day.
“It is heartening to see so many people taking part. My great-grandparents fought. The procession started spontaneously; I am not fond of crowds, but my mother and I decided to join. This feels like one of the most important holidays for our country,” she said.
A 75-year-old athlete named Viktor Kudryavtsev joined the march in memory of his father.
“My father served at the Kremlin for decades, supporting the leadership and enduring hardships through the Finnish War and the Great Patriotic War. May 9 is a holiday for me. A lot of relatives are gone, yet I look forward to this day every year and prepare for it,” he shared.
President is expected
By around 15:00, near the intersection of Tverskaya Street and Gazetny Lane, the procession paused as organizers anticipated a visit from Vladimir Putin to the event.
When rain briefly let up, the crowd exchanged candid opinions about the current military and political landscape, and speeches often culminated in visible demonstrations.
A woman joked about walking to Washington, but the crowd did not echo the idea. An elderly participant laughed and commented on the distance to the capital, noting it was a long journey.
While waiting for the moment of showmanship, residents along Tverskaya and visitors on balconies stepped out to wave flags, and the audience responded with applause from many windows and corners of the street.