The peoples’ movement – The Immortal Regiment – has gathered 24 million participants across Russia. In addition, it took place in 40 countries of the world, gathering hundreds of thousands more , in all the post-Soviet states; in Bulgaria, Chechia, Serbia; in Paris, Venice, Toronto, New York.

People are united at the grass-root level in remembering the suffering that the War brought to their families, they are united in remembering their common history, despite the efforts to put wedges between people. This movement is one of the best things that happened to humanity in the recent years, safeguarding us from malicious manipulations of mind and from warmongering of the “national elites”.

Below is a poem, written by Velentin Komarov from Cherepovec in 2015 (translation is mine):

The Immortal Regiment

We’ve become older than our grand-fathers,
Who performed their last duty –
And now, today, on the Victory Day,
We march in their stead in the Immortal Regiment

We walk, having raised the Hero’s portrait,
Who hasn’t been even seen before…
We shall not desert this time the ranks!
And will carry through the ages,

The holy name of the person,
Who sacrificed his life, but saved the land!
And we shall remember, age after age,
The war, the accursed war!

So that never would repeat that,
What we didn’t get to know.
And grandchildren know at least a little…
Of the warmth of their grandfather’s hands.

So that they! The portrait of the Hero!
Would carry over the May-day roads!
And would give a standing ovation
To the fallen heroes as is they are living!

Бессмертный полк
Валентин Комаров
Череповец, май 2015

Мы стали старше наших дедов,
Исполнивших последний долг…
И вот сегодня, в День Победы,
За них идем в Бессмертный Полк.

Идем, подняв портрет Героя,
Невиденного никогда…
Мы не покинем нынче строя!
И понесем, через года,

Святое имя человека,
Что отдал жизнь, но спас страну!
И будем помнить, век от века,
Войну, проклятую войну!

Чтоб никогда не повторялось
То, что досталось нам – не знать
Тепло ладоней деда… малость…
Дай бог, своим внучатам дать.

Чтобы они! Портрет Героя!
Несли по майским мостовым!
И аплодировали стоя
Героям павшим, как живым!

Some materials and ideas fetched from https://cont.ws/post/267606.