04 May 2023 | 12:09 PM UTC
Russia: Victory Day parade and associated rehearsals planned in Moscow, through May 9
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 in Russia through May 9. The main parade will take place in Red Square in Moscow from 10:00 May 9. Full rehearsals are planned for May 4 from 18:00 and May 7 from 09:00. On May 9, there will be further commemorative events across Moscow and other urban centers throughout Russia. On May 4, a government spokesman confirmed that the main parade would go ahead despite the May 3 drone attack on the Kremlin building. Security measures are likely to be even tighter than in previous years.
Local authorities have announced road closures and other security measures in preparation for the Victory Day events. Red Square is closed to traffic from April 27 through May 10, and parts of Tverskoy and Strastnoy Boulevards, and Putinkovsky Lane, will be closed throughout this period. Access to Lenin's Mausoleum is also closed through May 15. Further significant road closures will impact traffic in central Moscow. The most affected routes will include Mokhovaya Street, Bolshaya Nikitskaya, Tverskaya to the Garden Ring, and First Tverskaya-Yamskaya from the Garden Ring to Gashek Street. For the parade and rehearsals, the following major roads will also be closed: Tverskaya Street from Mokhovaya to Tverskoy Boulevard, a section of Tverskaya Street from Bolshaya Bronnaya to Bolshaya Sadovaya Streets, First Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street from Bolshaya Sadovaya to Gashek Street, part of Armory Lane, Mokhovaya Street from Vozdvizhenka to Tverskaya Street, Okhotny Ryad Street, and Teatralny Passage. The details will vary each day. Full details of road closures are provided by Moscow Transport here.
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 the full dress rehearsal on Red Square on May 7 and during the main parade on May 9.
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.
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.
