STOCKHOLM, May 5. /TASS/. An Immortal Regiment march commemorating World War II heroes was held in the Swedish capital city Stockholm on Sunday, a TASS correspondent reported from the sie.

The march was organized for the fifth time by the Union of Sweden’s Russian Societies. It was preceded by a service at the Saint Sergius of Radonezh Orthodox Church.

The Immortal Regiment march started from Mariatorget Square. Participants marched down Sank Paulsgatan Street, carrying photos of their relatives who took part in World War Two and banners reading ‘Immortal Regiment’ in Russian and Swedish. The march ended on Medborgarplatsen Square in southern Stockholm with a rally of memory.

"Many people come here with their family members, with children. We know that it is possible to cover the entire distance with baby carriages," Lyudmila Sigel, the Union’s chairperson, says.

The Union of Sweden’s Russian Societies unites more than 50 Russian-language organizations. Russian compatriots began to celebrate Victory Day in Stockholm more than tem years ago. The first Immortal Regiment march was organized in 2015. This year, the event is to be held also in Norrkoping, Lulea, Falun, and in Gothenburg on May 9.

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ march is an annual event held throughout Russia and in other countries. The event is dedicated to the victory in Great Patriotic War (part of WWII) that claimed lives of about 28 million Soviet people, both soldiers and civilians. During the march, people carry portraits of their relatives who fought or died during the war. For the first time the event was held in 2007 in the city of Tyumen, Western Siberia, then it was called Victory Parade. The name Immortal Regiment appeared in 2012 when a similar rally was held in Tomsk. Since 2015 the ‘Immortal Regiment’ march has become nationwide.