About 20,000 people in Vitebsk will attend the Victory Day parade
Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, along with their relatives, will march in a ceremonial procession in Vitebsk on May 9, Yekaterina Labuko, director of the regional methodological center for folk art, told a BELTA correspondent.
"The veteran organization decided that the anniversary date should be celebrated on a grand scale. The traditional procession will include veterans who are able to move, along with their family members – over 300 people in total. They will be preceded by 5 cars with veterans, including those who liberated Vitebsk. Then, members of the Officers' Union and the youth detachment "Poisk" will march," explained Yekaterina Labuko.
Military units, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and cadets will participate in the parade.
The theatrical procession is built on the concept of "from grateful descendants" and is timed to coincide with the Year of Youth. The "Immortal Battalion" of 200 students from the city's educational institutions will carry portraits of the liberator heroes.
About 250 more young people with flags will perform a choreographic composition and form the number 70. Young athletes will thank the veterans for freedom and peace. The concluding act will be a Viennese waltz – performed by over a hundred schoolchildren after Levitan's voice announces the end of the war.
Three diverse concert programs, including those by brass bands, will continue the celebration on Victory Square. It will conclude with an evening fireworks display.
"Events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Victory are generating great interest among residents and guests of Vitebsk. We expect about 20,000 citizens to attend the march of military units and the theatrical procession alone, which will begin at 10:00 AM. The internal affairs bodies of the region will take all necessary measures to ensure public order and safety," said Igor Skarinovich, deputy head of the public security police of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
Police officers will conduct personal searches of citizens and their belongings. Video surveillance cameras will be installed to monitor the behavior of event guests and record crimes and offenses.
Information on restrictions in the movement of city transport
Ekaterina Knyazeva