THE IMMORTALS

Yesterday I had the honor of being a part of the 3 million-large Immortal Regiment that marched across Russia. Relatives and friends of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War carried their portraits through more than a dozen Russian cities. Around 400,000 people are estimated to have walked as part of the Immortal Regiment in Moscow alone – though judging by the size of the crowd, the length of the path and the duration of the walk, I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual number was even greater. All four of my grandparents lived through The War, three served in it, two survived the Leningrad Blockade. My sister and I alternated carrying the photo of our grandfather, Vasiliy Mordvinov, an artillery officer.