A procession of the relatives of those who fought in World War II (WW II) will commemorate the triumph over Nazi Germany on May 9, which is celebrated in the CIS nations as Victory Day.  

A so-called 'Immortal Regiment' will march across Dushanbe on May 9 in honor of the veterans of World War II.

Participants in the procession, which will start in the morning of May 9, will carry photographs of their relatives who took part in World War Two.

Starting from the 800th Anniversary of Moscow Square, the “Regiment” will walk to Victory Park via Roudaki Avenue, according to the Republican Council of Veterans of War and Labor.   

Last year, more than 100 people participated in the “Immortal Regiment” march in Dushanbe to pay tribute to WW II heroes.

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ is a public non-profit organization, created in Russia on a voluntary basis with the aim of "immortalizing" the memory of home front workers, partisans and members of the resistance, concentration camp prisoners, survivors of the Siege of Leningrad and children of war.

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ brings together people of all ages, social groups and political beliefs.  Anyone can carry on the memory of war veterans and enroll to participate in the march to honor the memory of those who earned the hard-won victory in 1945.

Since its inception in 2007, the ‘Immortal Regiment’ initiative has been met with unprecedented support, and by 2015 it had received national status.  

In 2015, on the 70th anniversary of the victory in WW II, more than 1 million people took part in the event in Moscow, and up to 12 million across Russia.  Participants marched along the streets of cities around the country bearing portraits of their ancestors who were killed or participated in the war.

Meanwhile, the Republican Council of Veterans of War and Labor of Tajikistan says only 443 Tajik veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are estimated to be still alive.  The oldest of them is Dodarjon Umarov living in Khatlon’s Vakhsh district.  He is 114 years old.  Leokadiya Kovtun is the youngest of war veterans living in Tajikistan.  She turned 90 this year.   

More than 300,000 residents of Tajikistan took part in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and 92,000 of them died in battle.  54 of residents of Tajikistan were given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.  Besides, 15 other Tajikistan’s residents were Full Holders of the Order of Glory.

Victory Day marks the end of World War II in Europe, specifically the capitulation of Nazi forces to the Allies (the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France, the United States and other principal Allied nations) on May 8, 1945.

In Russia and other countries of former Soviet Union, the day of Victory over Nazi Germany was celebrated on May 9, because when the German Instrument of Surrender actually entered into force (May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET), it was already May 9 by Moscow Time.  Post-Soviet countries have continued the tradition.