29 Apr 2021 | 03:18 PM UTC
Russia: Victory Day parade and rehearsals to prompt disruptions in central Moscow, other cities through May 9 /update 1
Victory Day parade, rehearsals planned in Moscow, other Russian cities, through May 9; disruptions likely.
Event
Annual Victory Day parades and related rehearsals will prompt significant disruptions in Moscow and other major cities through May 9. The main parade will take place on Red Square in Moscow May 9, and authorities have restricted movement on numerous roads to facilitate rehearsals for the event. Local traffic will be intermittently suspended until at least the end of May 9, though disruptions could persist into May 10. Affected routes include Bolshaya Nikitskaya, Mokhovaya, Okhotny Ryad, Oruzheyny, Tverskaya, and 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya. Short-notice disruptions are also likely on Strastnoy and Tverskoy boulevards. At night, traffic will be suspended on sections of 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya and Tverskaya. In addition, sporadic service suspensions are likely at nearby metro stations, including Ploschad Revolyutsii, Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Borovitskaya, and Lenin's Library; associated restrictions are also possible at Mayakovskaya, Pushkinskaya, Chekhovskaya, Tverskaya, Arbatskaya, Kuznetskiy Most, Lubyanka, and Kitay-Gorod stations. Disruptions will likely be particularly severe around and during nighttime rehearsals on April 29 and May 4, as well as the full dress rehearsal on Red Square on May 7.
Elsewhere, while disruptions will vary between event and location, the following events will likely have the highest impact:
Saint Petersburg: The military parade will take place on Palace Square and Nevsky Prospekt from 10:00, with rehearsals scheduled April 30, and May 5-8.
Yekaterinburg: The military parade and related events will take place from 10:00 on Lenin Avenue, 1905 Square, and other central streets. A dress rehearsal for the parade will take place May 7.
Significant public transport disruptions and traffic congestion are likely on alternative routes during the parades and rehearsals. Reduced availability of taxis is likely and authorities could restrict access to metro stations and divert bus routes. Traffic disruptions will likely persist for several hours after the parades have concluded. An increased security presence is likely in city centers ahead of rehearsals and on the day of the main parades. Localized short-term closures of Moscow's airspace are possible on May 9 to facilitate commemorative and practice flyovers, though similar exercises in previous years have not triggered widespread disruptions.
Disruptions are likely in other city centers around the country during commemorative events May 9, particularly in Novosibirsk, Smolensk, Tula, Vladivostok, and Volgograd.
Advice
Check route status before traveling in Moscow and other cities on affected dates; plan routes to avoid closed areas, and allow additional time for travel in city centers. Confirm flight schedules if departing or arriving in Moscow on affected dates.
