Newsroom
Commemorative events marking the 81st anniversary of Victory Day took place across Cyprus on May 9, with ceremonies, marches and concerts organised in several cities.
According to the Russian Embassy in Cyprus, wreath-laying ceremonies were held at World War II memorials across the island. In Nicosia, diplomats from Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, China and Cuba attended a ceremony at the Monument to the Fallen in World War II.
A motor rally led by Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Murat Zyazikov later travelled from Nicosia to Limassol. Vehicles decorated with Russian tricolours and Victory Day symbols formed part of the convoy.
The main event of the evening was the “Immortal Regiment” procession along Limassol’s seafront. Organisers said more than 12,000 people attended the march, carrying portraits of relatives connected to the Second World War.
Flags of Russia, Cyprus, Greece and CIS countries were displayed during the event. Ambassador Zyazikov carried the Russian flag alongside a photograph of Magomet Ismailovich Zyazikov, who fought in the North Caucasus during the war.
Following the procession, the Nizhny Novgorod Provincial Orchestra performed a concert featuring wartime songs and patriotic music.
During his address, Ambassador Zyazikov spoke about the Soviet Union’s role in the Second World War and criticised attempts to reinterpret the conflict’s outcome. He also thanked people in Cyprus who participated in the commemorations.
The Russian Embassy thanked organisers, volunteers and attendees involved in the events.
