MOSCOW, May 9. /TASS/. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, who is currently onboard the International Space Station (ISS), on Sunday joined the Immortal Regiment online march commemorating those who fought or died during World War II.
"Immortal Regiment onboard the International Space Station has become a family tradition! May the memory live forever!" he wrote on his Twitter account and attached a photo of his and his wife’s relatives who had fought during WWII.
This year’s Immortal Regiment march was held online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Photos were demonstrated on local television channels, on street screens and other media facades, as well as on the march’s website.
Бессмертный полк на борту Международной космической станции — уже семейная традиция!
— Oleg Novitskiy (@novitskiy_iss) May 9, 2021
Вечная память! pic.twitter.com/bU6mUBZKTn
Organizers plan to hold an Immortal Regiment march in a traditional offline format on June 24, 20201, the day when the first Victory Parade took place in Moscow 76 years ago.
The Immortal Regiment movement was first launched in the city of Tyumen in West Siberia in 2007 and was initially called "Victors’ Parade." It acquired its current name in 2012 in Tomsk, and in 2013 it involved 120 cities. The movement officially became nationwide in 2015.
By now, the Immortal Regiment march has spread beyond Russia.