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Marching in memory of common victory
Published: 09 May, 2010, 12:10
Edited: 21 June, 2010, 14:24
TAGS: Military, Russia, History
A spectacular parade has opened the Victory Day festivities in Moscow. On the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII, military from the allied forces have for the first time ever marched on Red Square during the parade.
It started at the traditional 10am Moscow time. President Dmitry Medvedev delivered an address to the nation and all the guests.
“In 1945, not only military but also a great moral victory was achieved. A common victory. All peoples of the former USSR struggled for it. Our allies were advancing it,” Medvedev said. “And today, soldiers of Russia, CIS countries and anti-Hitler coalition states will march together triumphantly. A single rank is evidence of our common readiness to defend peace, not to allow the revision of the outcomes of war and new tragedies.”
US President Barack Obama did not manage to come to Moscow for the Victory Day festivities, but ahead of May 9, he spoke to Russian political commentator Sergey Brilev about the importance of the anniversary.
“The commemoration in Russia is so important because it reminds us of the extraordinary sacrifice the then-Soviet Union made and the strength of the alliance,” said President Obama.
“The father of our current ambassador in Moscow, Ambassador John Beyrle, briefly fought with the Soviet Army. He was part of US operations there [in Europe]. He was captured, escaped in the Soviet Union and fought with the Soviet Army for a time. And that I think symbolizes the joint allied efforts that helped to defeat fascism. It is one of the most important military alliances of all time,” he added.
More than 10,500 Russian troops and around 1,000 foreign troops have marched on the cobblestones of Red Square. Among the foreigners were representatives of the UK, France and the US, as well as Poland and CIS countries.
War Witness: tribute to the victory in the Second World War.
The first part of the parade was a spectacular march of troops dressed in replica WWII uniforms. Cadets of Russian military academies and institutes followed. The final part was the display of military equipment, including the latest tanks, rocket launchers, planes and helicopters.
“It was an immaculate parade of the Russian troops and the foreign contingent who participated in it,” said Air Commodore Mark McGeown, head of the Royal Welsh Guard, who was among the special guests.
“I think it was an opportunity for us to demonstrate that we remember that our countries were allies in that great fight for freedom; that we stood shoulder to shoulder during those difficult days,” he added.
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I just returned from Tbilisi, Georgia, where I attended the May 9th, “День Победа”, “Day of Victory” celebration at Vake Park. I spent most of my day interviewing the old veterans who fought so gallantly in the Red Army to defeat the invading Germans. Each veteran was in his or her late 80s and early 90s, and their stories told of deeds during WW II when they were young and heroic. I noticed an Order of Lenin, and several other orders, on the suit coat of one old veteran and went to talk to him. He had fought valiantly in the battle of Stalingrad, where as an infantry officer he refused to leave his firing position in a building and was buried under the falling rubble. He lay buried for five days until his comrades dug him out. The collection of awards pinned to his coat included several medals for bravery. This old veteran expressed disappointment that he would not see the Georgian flag being carried in the Red Square parade. Seven hundred thousand Georgians fought in the Armed forces of the USSR during WW II, and 300,000 lost their lives. Anyone interested in seeing the Vake Park “День Победа” celebration can visit my website at http://www.tasuja.com.
Thanks to RT we were able to watch both videos of the parade, first on English catching the moment of glamour and spectacle and another, being official version on Russian, where the spectacle was reduced and substituted with about 15 min finale showing the meditative flame of the central memorial surrounded with red flowers. This official and wishful version – which I carefully watched – called for two great missing and implicit Russian subjects. The first one is the very slow-down technique of creating a frozen enhancing moment known from movie-director Alexandr Sokurov. The second one was the most impressive part of Russian soul: missing image of Patriarch Kirill. Whatever one watches-and-rationalize, Russian nucleus remains shy, warm, alone and intimate. Self denied human sacrifice not pretending to self-victimizing. No “Huraaa” - to my impression - would reach the heavenly echo if being without this two silent – visually missing drivers: Sokurov and Patriarch Kirill.