"Victory Waltz"

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Today, the Ural State University of Economics held a dance event "Victory Waltz" for the twelfth time in the Historical Park of Yekaterinburg. 240 couples danced: schoolchildren, students, ordinary citizens.

The "Victory Waltz" was opened by the acting rector of USUE, Chairman of the Yekaterinburg Public Chamber, Honorary Citizen of Yekaterinburg Yakov Silin: "Today, here in the Urals, in the center of the country, a festive parade and the "Immortal Regiment" took place. And here is another symbol — the "Victory Waltz". We hope that new generations will preserve these symbols. The memory of generations is one of the guarantees that a great country, having won a Great Victory, is able to preserve it. Congratulations to everyone! I wish you peace, kindness and prosperity! Happy Great Victory Day!"

The "Victory Waltz" to the musical composition "In the Frontline Forest" was performed by students of Ural universities, colleges and schools, representatives of student groups and youth centers, as well as employees of the Ural Customs Administration. For the second year in a row, Tatyana Savinova, Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region and Minister of Health of the Sverdlovsk Region, joined the dance action.

"Why are we waltzing? Because this is the melody that was played on all dance floors and parks in the post-war years. This is the main symbol of the continuity of generations. The Victory Waltz is the most joyful, happiest peaceful action!" said Tatiana Savinova.

Thousands of people of different ages take part in the campaign every year. This year, the youngest is 9 years old, the oldest is 75 years old. For the second year in a row, Valentina Georgievna Mityukhlyaeva and Vasily Petrovich Palkin are participating in the dance flash mob. They had been carefully preparing for the event for two months: they did not miss a single rehearsal, additionally practiced the movements at home and repeated them immediately before the start of the event.

"I am participating in the Victory Waltz not only to pay tribute to the Soviet people. My father was a labor soldier in Nizhny Tura during the war years," said Vasily Palkin, a participant in the action and a resident of Yekaterinburg.

The project was conceived and first implemented by Ural State University of Economics in 2014. He immediately attracted the attention of residents of the Ural capital. Gradually, the cities of Russia and foreign countries joined the dance flash mob. This year, it was supported by residents of 86 Russian cities and abroad. A special feature of the project is the annual change of attributes. In previous years, the participants danced with handkerchiefs, canvases and flags, and this year — with tricolor ribbons.

Since 2020, the promotion has been held in two formats: offline, where those who wish to attend rehearsals, and online. Classes with a professional choreographer are held for full-time participants. This is the first time that Marina Malchukova, a student at USUU, is taking part in the campaign.: "We went to rehearsals for a month, but we also rehearsed extra to hone all the movements. Victory Day is a great holiday, the action allows us to pay tribute to the memory of our ancestors who gave their lives."

The international dance campaign "Victory Waltz" is aimed at preserving the memory of the heroic deed of the Soviet people, fostering patriotic feelings among young people, strengthening unity and passing on historical memory to the next generations. The format of the action is based on the tradition established in May 1945, when the inhabitants of the USSR danced on the streets of towns and villages, rejoicing at the end of the war and the great Victory. From the very beginning, the initiative was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the CSTO, Rossotrudnichestvo, Rosmolodezh, the Youth Public Chamber, the Eurasians – New Wave Foundation and other organizations and departments. Educational institutions, creative teams, cities and countries actively joined the event.