‘Immortal Regiment’ marches in African state (PHOTOS)

An ‘Immortal Regiment’ march took place on Wednesday in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in the run-up to the 79th anniversary of the Soviet victory in WWII, RIА Novosti reported, citing the Russian Embassy.

Diplomats said dozens of people attended the event in Kinshasa, organized for the fourth time in the Central African state. A six-meter-wide Russian flag was carried at the front of the column.

The procession was led by the Russian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Alexey Sentebov. The participants held up photographs of relatives who fought against the Nazi forces in WWII. 

“Among them were compatriots, embassy staff, Russian military observers, personnel from the UN police mission for stabilization in the DRC, and local graduates of Soviet and Russian universities,” the Russian Embassy said. Several Congolese citizens took part in the event. 

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ is a large-scale civic ceremony held in cities across Russia and the world, at which people carry photos of their relatives who fought in WWII, as an expression of gratitude to the Red Army for its decisive role in the defeat of the Axis powers.

The concept of the ‘Immortal Regiment’ started in the Russian city of Tomsk in 2012, and has since gained traction nationally and further afield.