Memory of the War and Other Memories in Russia

(Point & Counterpoint) The May 9 Victory Day over Nazi Germany has long been the main Russian national holiday, the principal day on which Russians turn to the past. In recent years, the Immortal Regiment, a march of people carrying portraits of their ancestors who fought in the war, has brought together millions across Russia and beyond. Critics of the Immortal Regiment see in it yet another manifestation of the official memory of the war, aimed at holding together the state’s historical narrative and consolidating the regime’s legitimacy. However, Ivan Kurilla believes that the Immortal Regiment helps people preserve their family memory and that many participants do not see it as an official event. 

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