Moscow celebrated the 71st anniversary of the legendary Soviet war parade today. The festivities had a historic twist: 6,000 people gathered to march in Moscow’s Red Square, dressed in both Napoleonic-era clothing and Red Army military uniforms.
This year’s version of the annual parade paid tribute to the bicentenary of the Battle of Borodino. In a history-meets-vintage-fashion display, the march spotlighted soldiers wearing uniforms from 1812, followed by a company of drummers and servicemembers dressed in the vintage uniform of 1941.
Those who helped reenact the historic part of the parade included servicemembers from the Moscow garrison, the cavalry group of the Presidential Regiment and troops from the Interior Ministry.
Military hardware dating back to 1941 was also in the limelight during the parade, including the legendary T-34 and amphibian T-38 tanks, also known as the T-60. The hardware was on public display in the square an hour after the march finished as a temporary open-air museum.
The march also involved representatives from Moscow’s children's movement, members of military-patriotic clubs, cadets of the Moscow military and the Defense Ministry's military music schools, among others.
The military parade played a special role during World War II, as it boosted troop morale and helped lift the nation’s spirits in the push towards victory.
A number of WWII veterans were present as guests of honor at the march; some came to salute their grandsons and great-grandsons parading across Red Square during the red-letter day.