MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Members of the all-Russian Volunteers of Victory movement will give out the St. George ribbon in 35 world countries this year, including Cyprus, Turkey, Morocco, Peru and Azerbaijan, said State Duma member Olga Zanko, the head of the central office of the All-Russia public movement Volunteers of Victory.

"Our volunteers abroad will give out St. George ribbons in 35 countries. These include Cyprus, Turkey, Congo, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and other nations," she said.

Zanko noted that the movement will not be able to carry out the campaign in all countries, because a number of nations outlawed the ribbon. "Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Estonia and some other countries are among them. Why did they do that? Because they are scared. Because nowadays the St. George ribbon is a symbol of truth, which unites millions of people in Russia and other countries," she emphasized.

This year, over 30,000 volunteers at 7,000 stands will give away the ribbons, including in the Arctic Circle. Information about their location will be available on the Volunteers of Victory website. "For security reasons, we did not apply their location in 11 regions to the map. These are our four returned regions and the ones near them. So, you need to address the regional Volunteers of Victory branches in these regions to get a ribbon there," Zanko added.

With a ribbon people will get a brochure telling them how to wear it the proper way. "We call on everyone to wear the St. George ribbon with respect. We believe that the best place for it is the chest, near the heart," she noted, recalling that Russia legally protects this symbol, and even holds people legally liable for disrespecting it.

Zanko added that the campaign gained steam after the start of the special military operation, bringing this symbol a wider meaning. "Today the St. George ribbon is a symbol of respect to defenders of the homeland of various historical epochs. It is also a thanks to our defenders who are combatting neo-Nazism in the special military operation zone," she concluded.

The head of the Immortal Regiment movement’s executive committee, Natalia Shadrina, believes that the St. George ribbon is currently also a symbol of support for troops in the special military operation zone. "When they see this ribbon they see our unity," she noted.