Victory Day Parade in Russia Posted by Jenya on May 13, 2015 in Culture, History, News, Russian life, Soviet Union, when in Russia
May 9, 2015 saw Russia’s annual Victory Day Parade in a momentous fashion. The Russian government spared no expense in pomp and circumstance. The parade celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the Allied victory on the Eastern Front against the Nazis. Several world leaders were in attendance, several key members that have attended in the past were not, and military might was on display, while millions of Russians celebrated their victory over an enemy that was quite determined to end their way of life.
The significance of this parade cannot be understated, both in Moscow, and abroad. World War II, or the Great Patriotic War according to some Russians, is arguably the last time the world united against a common cause or threat: to defeat the Axis powers led by Hitler. Millions of people from many different countries sacrificed their lives. Unfortunately, Russia had, according to many experts, suffered the most in terms of casualties – nearing twenty-five million total deaths. Since this was the seventieth anniversary, there aren’t many veterans left from that period.
This parade has been downplayed in recent years but its significance shouldn’t be. Virtually all Russians sacrificed during the war, like many in other countries too. Those that fought on the front line faced a determined and oft times, better armed, German army. Those that stayed behind, those not eligible or able to fight, found shortages of everything except grief. Russia was invaded by an army that destroyed many of its cities and committed horrible atrocities to its citizens – I dare say all countries are guilty of this to some degree. During this tragic period in history, Russia, along with many other countries, banded together in the name of eliminating a common enemy. This parade honors that accomplishment.
For those fortunate enough to be in Red Square or at least see it on the television, the parade is awesome. The grace and order displayed by the Russian military is impressive, as is the hardware they show off. Here is a video of what transpired in Russian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkz7WlR2ld8
For those wishing to watch a clip with some English, click below:
You may also like to view clips from 1945’s Victory Day Parade held on June, 24, 1945:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2SnuN1N5U
Thank you for stopping by. Всего хорошего!
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About the Author: Jenya
Born in Russia, I spent the first twenty years of my life in Orenburg, Russia and Mogilev, Belarus. For the last eleven years, I've lived in New Hampshire and Michigan, US. While I continue to absorb and adapt to American culture, I am always thrilled to share my Russian heritage with those who find it interesting. Travel, photography and art play a special part in my life. Twitter: @iamnx2u
Comments:
Moonyeen Albrecht:
Jenya, thanks for posting these videos. I cannot open them on the Blog that comes in my e-mail, but when I click on the “comment” link and the entire post shows up I CAN OPEN them. I guess something happens in the “translation.” I saw the Victory Parade in Vladimir back in 2003. In 2008 I was on the Volga and we just missed Victory Day in Volgogrtad. We were there the day before but had to leave so we were having a “sailiing day” on the actual Victory Day. I left Moscow this year on April 30th so this year I was too early, but we did see the preparations that they were making on Red Square. Would have been wonderful to be able to see it in person.
Moonyeen Albrecht:
Sorry about my typo in Volgograd. I need to check things better! : – )
Jenya:
Муни, большое спасибо! I hope your trip went well :-).
samonen:
The Parade itself, impressive as the pomp and circumstance was, was not what struck me in this celebration of the victory. It was the endless coverage, day after day weeks and months on end, before May 9th on television — even on the evening news broadcasts as if the war had just ended.
People seem to have all but forgotten that May 9th used to be a regular work day for twenty years after the 1945 victory. It seems that its importance of the Great Victory gets bigger and bigger the more distant history the war itself is. The overall militarization of it all is very striking. I wonder what it is needed for at his point in time, in this moment in history.
Personally I don’t like military parades very much, because I don’t particularly like countries who love to stage them. Nazi Germany and North Korea staged some “great” military grace and discipline, too — not to mention the fact that I can’t help thinking it is my tax money rolling there in the form of a killing machine.
Mike:
I agree with you, samonen. It’s hard to watch military parades.
The present-day Victory Day parade is actually an amalgamation of holidays. The military hardware on display came from the old Soviet celebration of the Bolshevik Revolution (Nov. 7) which is no longer a holiday.
As an antidote to the militarism, google Pete Seeger’s song Where Have All the Flowers Gone, which is as powerful today as it was 60 years ago. Seeger’s inspiration for the lyrics was a Don Cossack lullaby which was featured in Sholokhov’s novel Quiet Flows the Don.