Some 200 Taking Part in 'Immortal Regiment' March in Beirut

The "Immortal Regiment" march honoring victory over Nazism in World War II took place in Lebanon for the second time, according to the spokeswoman of the Russian cultural center in Lebanon.

BEIRUT (Sputnik) – The "Immortal Regiment" march honoring victory over Nazism in World War II has brought together on Sunday some 200 members of the Russian diaspora in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the spokeswoman of the Russian cultural center in Lebanon said.

"This is the second time that the 'Immortal Regiment' is taking place in Lebanon. The campaign began at a church at 10:30 [07:00 GMT] after a memorial service. The procession then went from the church to the cultural center, after which children’s play 'The bitter memory of war' took place," Svetlana Safa told RIA Novosti.

The "Immortal Regiment" is a patriotic initiative that commemorates WWII soldiers in marches held across Russia and other countries in early May. During the marches, people carry photographs of their ancestors who participated in the war. Some 12 million people have participated in the 2015 Immortal Regiment march throughout Russia.

This year, commemorative marches are planned in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and many other countries.

On April 23, the St. George's Ribbon campaign began in Lebanon. The ribbon mimics the colors of a Soviet-time and later Russian decoration that was awarded for acts of valor on WWII battlefields.