Victory Day has always been one of the most popular Russian public holidays and this year as Russia celebrates 65 years since the end of the war, celebrations are expected to be extra special. Each year veterans and survivors of the siege of Leningrad participate in emotional yet joyous parade down Nevsky propekt and are cheered along the way by happy crowds who run out to greet them with flowers. There’s also a military parade in the morning which finishes at Palace Square, which this year will include marching bands and hopefully one or two tanks. If you are around the Hermitage area in the days before the parade you will probably see bands of young recruits rehearsing for the big day. Following the parade various concerts hit off on stages erected on Palace Square and the spit of Vasilevsky island and the whole day is rounded off with a huge fireworks display over the Neva at 22:00. Special events will also be taking place at Piskaryevskoye cemetery where hundreds of thousands of victims of the siege of Leningrad are buried as well as in Park Pobedy in the south of the city.