Countries throughout the former Soviet sphere marked Victory Day on May 9 -- the 69th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Veterans, government officials, clergy, and ordinary citizens attended parades and commemorations to pay their respects to those who fought and died in the war.
Victory Day Commemorations Across The Region
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A girl sings at a Victory Day event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
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Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
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Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
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Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
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Soldiers parade in Bishkek.
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People in Minsk, Belarus, carry a portrait of Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
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Veterans attend a memorial In Vake Park in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
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Georgians in Tbilisi mourn those who died during the Second World War.
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Veterans and relatives commemorate Victory Day in Chisinau, Moldova.
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Chisinau, Moldova
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People in Chisinau, Moldova, wear wartime uniforms.
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Flowers decorate the memorial flame in Panfilov Park in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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Almaty, Kazakhstan
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Family members wear the St. George Ribbon, a Russian symbol of military valor, in Almaty.
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Veterans mark Victory Day in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Victory Day in Luhansk, Ukraine
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Two women in Kyiv, Ukraine, hold a portrait of former Red Army commander and World War II hero Georgy Zhukov, the most decorated officer in Soviet history.
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Veterans mark Victory Day in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
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The ship Kaliningrad, part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, lands in Kerch, Crimea, during Victory Day celebrations.
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People carry a portrait of Stalin during a parade in Simferopol, Crimea.
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Victory Day events in Ufa, in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan.