Russia is preparing this week to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the May 9, 1945 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with imperial flair and a military parade on Saturday.

An estimated 27 million of the former Soviet Union's soldiers and civilians were killed in World War II, and the Red Army's triumph in the deadliest war in history is a huge point of pride in Russia.

Victory Day brings together Russians from all walks of life irrespective of political sympathies.