Nothing Sacred: Tallinn Rejects to Halt Traffic for Immortal Regiment March

Tallinn authorities refused to issue a permission to block traffic along the route of the 2016 Immortal Regiment march, commemorating the Victory Day, the press service of the city administration said Thursday.

TALLINN (Sputnik) — Earlier in the week, Tallinn's authorities registered the commemorating event. It is expected that the march will be attended by some 500 participants, who will march from Tallinn's bus station to the military cemetery, where a World War II war memorial, known as the Bronze Soldier, is situated.

"The department [of transport] is against the blocking of traffic for the duration of the event, because it would complicate the departure of intercity and intracity lines from the bus station and would complicate the movements of people, wishing to visit the military cemetery," the statement reads.

It was added in the statement that the department recommended to move to the cemetery by sidewalk in order not to impede the movement of other people.

The Immortal Regiment is a patriotic initiative that commemorates those who fought against Nazi Germany during World War II in marches held across Russia and other countries on May 9, celebrated as Victory Day in Russia and the former Soviet republics. During the marches, people carry photographs of their ancestors who participated in the war.