Here comes the dry goods! Learn about the 2019 Russian Victory Day military parade
The world-famous Red Square military parade not only carries a heavy historical mission, but also serves as a window for people to understand Russia. May 9 is the anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War in 1945, and the Red Square military parade is an important part of it.
(1) What are the military parades in Russia and the Soviet Union?
So, what are the main Red Square military parades in Russia?
The Red Square military parade generally refers to the military parade held in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9 and November 7. May 9 is to commemorate the victory of the Great Patriotic War in 1945. The military parade on November 7 was originally to commemorate the October Revolution on November 7, 1917, and later the commemorative theme was changed to commemorate the Red Square military parade on November 7, 1941.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany declared its unconditional surrender, and the Soviet Union designated May 9 as the Victory Day of the Great Patriotic War. In order to celebrate the victory of the anti-fascist war and to commemorate all the heroes who sacrificed their lives to defeat the enemy, Stalin ordered the first military parade, and a victory military parade was held on the Red Square in Moscow on June 24 of that year. Since then, the Soviet Union has scheduled the celebration and military parade of the victory of the Great Patriotic War on May 9 every year.
In the decades of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the Western countries, almost every year on May 9, a military parade with all kinds of advanced weapons and equipment was held in Moscow’s Red Square. These ceremonies went beyond the original meaning of celebrating victory, and emphasized the strategic deterrent effect on the West.
From 1991 to 1994, due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and economic recession, there was no military parade in Moscow.
May 9, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s "Great Patriotic War". After a lapse of five years, Russia held a celebration and a military parade in Victory Square on the bow mountain in Moscow.
May 9, 2005, the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s "Great Patriotic War". This military parade is more grand than previous military parades held in Russia. President Putin made a speech at the military parade and declared war on the threat of terrorism.
On May 9, 2008, two days after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took office, a grand military parade was held in Moscow’s Red Square. In this military parade, Russian heavy weapons and equipment, which had been silent for 17 years after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, made their debut at the Red Square military parade for the first time.
On May 9, 2015, in order to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, a grand military parade was held in Moscow. Russia sent invitations to the military of many countries and anti-fascist allies to participate in the military parade. Among them, the officers and men of the honor guards of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Armed Forces were dressed in the sixth-generation military uniforms, and the tenth was the finale. The video of China soldiers singing "Katyusha" neatly and loudly on the Red Square is still fresh in many people’s memories.
On November 7th, the Red Square parade began in 1918. During the Soviet period, it was to commemorate the October Revolution on November 7, 1917.
In November 1941, the Great Patriotic War was at a critical moment. German Nazi troops invading the Soviet Union approached Moscow. In order to boost morale, the Soviet government resolutely decided that on November 7 th, all weapons would be loaded with live ammunition, and after being reviewed, they would go directly to the front. In the end, the battle for Moscow ended in victory.
On November 7, 1990, the last military parade was held in Red Square before the disintegration of the Soviet Union. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the military parade on November 7 was once interrupted.
On November 7, 2003, Russia resumed the Red Square military parade, and the commemorative theme was changed to commemorate the 1941 Red Square military parade. Unlike the Victory Day military parade, the military parade resumed in 2003 no longer featured active troops, but was attended by students from reserve forces and military academies. The content of the military parade is also more focused on restoring the legendary military parade in 1941. Many Russians turn the present military parade on November 7th into a theme show of military history.
(2) How to recognize so many colorful flags in the military parade?
There are always many kinds of military flags in the parade on Victory Day every year. How to distinguish them?
On Victory Day, the flag-welcoming part of the military parade was escorted by ceremonial soldiers through the Red Square. In general, the tricolor flag of the Russian Federation was in front and the victory flag was behind, but there were exceptions. For example, in 2015, the victory flag appeared first.
(1) Victory Flag
On May 1st, 1945, the 1st Belarusian Army attacked the flag of the 79th Infantry Army of the 3rd Army and the 150th Infantry Division of Dritz. The banner reads "The 1st Belarusian Army raided the 79th Infantry of the 3rd Army and the 150th Infantry Division of Dritz, which won the second medal of Kutuzov".
Arms flag
The flag of the Russian Army is made of double-sided red cloth, and there is a grenade with golden flame and two crossed swords in the center of the flag. The burning hand radar symbolizes the combat effectiveness of the ground troops, while the crossed swords symbolize the Russian military tradition. Army flag is the youngest member of Russian flag, which was designed and used only in 2004.
The flag of the Russian navy has a much longer history. This white rectangular flag decorated with a blue diagonal cross pattern is called St. Andrei Flag, which represents the Apostle Andrei in the Orthodox Church. In Peter the Great’s view, it was Andrei’s Hui Ze that made Russia develop in the future, so the symbol representing him was taken as the flag of the fleet. Before the October Revolution, the flag of Saint Andreas was always the flag of the Russian naval fleet. It was not until November 18, 1917 that the red Communist International flag replaced the St. Andrei flag and became the main flag of the Soviet naval fleet. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the flag of Saint Andreas became the flag of the Russian navy again.
The flag of the Russian Air Force adopts the design of silver flying wings, crossed silver propellers and anti-aircraft cannons. In 1924, the Soviet Air Force set a similar flag as the airport flag of the aviation formation, and in 1967 it officially became the flag of the Soviet Air Force. After revision in 2004, this flag became the flag of the Russian Air Force.
(2) Memorial flag
The flag of the top ten armies during the Great Patriotic War, which will appear in the military parade every year, includes Karelia Army, Leningrad Army, 1st Army along the Baltic Sea, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Army of Belarus, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army of Ukraine. These troops made great contributions in the Great Patriotic War.
(3) What BGM are there in the Russian Red Square parade?
Holy War
"Holy War" is a song of the former Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, composed by Aleksandrov, the first head of the Song and Dance Troupe of the Soviet Red Army, and is known as the "Music Monument of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union". On the day of the Victory Day parade, "Holy War" will be used as the music for the entrance of the Russian flag and the Victory Flag. In 2006, China TV series Soldiers Assault took this song as an episode. In the play, Gao Cheng, the company commander, used this song to cover up his crying after the dissolution of Gang Qilian. In 2008, the theme song "Deep Sea" of China TV series "Hidden" was written with the melody of "Holy War".
Farewell of Slavic Women
Farewell to Slavic Women is one of the most patriotic marches in Russia. From 1941, the first military parade after the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, to 1945, the Red Square military parade after Germany surrendered. Every time this song is played on the Red Square, it will arouse the memory of the cruel war in Russia and cherish the hard-won peace gained through great sacrifice.
Since the military parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the victory of the anti-fascist war in 1995, this March has become a reserved track of the military parade on Victory Day of the Russian Patriotic War. In Russia, Farewell to Slavic Women has the reputation of "the second national anthem" and is deeply loved by people. This piece of music has a beautiful tune. It was written three times in different periods and was widely sung. Besides being performed as military music and chorus, this piece of music has been used many times in many film and television works. In the classic Soviet movie "Flying South in Wild Goose", the farewell of Slavic women sounded at the moment, which made the life and death of the characters in the film more touching. Today, in many railway stations in Russia, this music will be played when trains enter and leave the platform. Therefore, it is also called Russia’s Farewell March.
(4) How did the T-34 tank make the fighting people forget it for more than 70 years?
As in previous years, the T-34 tank will be the first to enter the Red Square as a representative of the weapons and equipment to be read in the Victory Day parade in 2019. In the more than 100 years since the tank was born, few tanks can enjoy the same reputation as the T-34 tank series. This tank, which has made great contributions to the victory of the Great Patriotic War, has become a legend in the history of Russian weapons and equipment because of its reliability, versatility, simple operation and easy production.
The scene of T-34 tanks bravely charging in the Great Patriotic War has become a totem in the hearts of countless Russians. Last year, Russia bought a batch of T-34s from Laos, and the local people spontaneously put on World War II uniforms to welcome them. The Russian army also lined up to hold a welcoming ceremony, which shows the status and importance of these tanks in their hearts.
At the beginning of this year, a remake film made by famous director mikhalkov caught fire in Russia. The film named T-34 Tank is a remake of the 1965 Soviet movie Ghost Chariot. The film tells the story of Lieutenant Iuskin, the tank captain, who was unfortunately captured while fighting with a German armored unit in the defending war in Moscow, and was later thrown into a concentration camp. In 1944, the Germans captured a new T-34/85 tank on the Eastern Front. In order to test the performance of this new Soviet tank, the German army ordered the captured Iuskin and three tank soldiers to drive the T-34/85 as a live target of the exercise. The film shows the tank soldiers’ fearless fighting will. No matter how many strong enemies they face, they must have the courage to go forward. Russians’ love for T-34 tanks is like a line in the film: If you want a miracle, there will be a miracle!
(5) What is worth seeing in the parade weapon on Victory Day in 2019?
Highlight 1: The Red Square parade review car is updated.
As the most concerned person in the military parade, the transportation of the military parade commander is also the focus of attention from the outside world. In the first Victory Day parade on May 8, 1945, Marshal zhukov rode to inspect the troops. Since 1953, cars have replaced military horses, and the "Jill" brand convertible of Moscow Likhachev Automobile Factory has been used as a military parade vehicle. In particular, the Gil 41047 convertible has been in service for more than 30 years since the 1980s. It was not until April this year that the last public rehearsal of the 2019 Russian Victory Day military parade was held at the Arabino training ground that the aurus convertible made its first public appearance.
This open-top review car, which is about to take part in the military parade, has a different body contour from that of Horus cars, and its doors are designed to be more spacious, with additional handrails and microphone stands. This convertible is equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission and all-terrain drive. Some Russian media said that this brand-new military parade review car may become the biggest highlight of this year’s military parade.
Highlight 2 Amata tank, the first Russian tank with toilet installed.
Amata tank is the latest generation of main battle tank in Russia, which adopts the latest military technology developed by Russia in recent years. Since the Amata tank made its debut in the Red Square military parade in 2015, with the more and more disclosure of its technology, the outside world has a better understanding of this star equipment.
Through it, we can also see the changes of Russian armored forces and even the whole Russian army. Amata tank with turret-free design can use all the armor to strengthen the protection of the car body, thus obtaining better protection. At the same time, it combines active protection system and reactive armor, which greatly improves the survivability in the future battlefield. Its active protection system includes millimeter-wave radar and interceptor used to intercept incoming missiles. Even in the era when missiles are flying everywhere in the future, Amata tanks have excellent survivability. According to the latest disclosure of Russian media, in order to improve comfort, an in-car toilet was set up in Amata tank for the first time. These design concepts have changed people’s stereotype that Russian tanks have unsatisfactory combat conditions and low comfort. As a milestone in the development history of Russian armored forces, Amata tanks have once again become the highlight of this year’s military parade.
Highlight 3 Flying Formation
The third highlight will appear in the air. On the 9th, the Russian "Warrior" and "Swift" aerobatic demonstration teams will use five Su-27s and four MIG-29s to complete the legendary "kubinka Diamond" aerobatics in the air. This skill requires nine fighters to be arranged in a diamond shape with minimum spacing and complete a series of difficult aerobatics. In addition to the air show, the audience can also see the star models such as Su -35S fighter and Tu -160 supersonic long-range bomber from the air echelon, which is a feast for their eyes.
Highlight 4 female soldier team
According to Russian media reports, the female soldier team participating in this year’s Victory Day military parade will be the largest in the past years, and the Russian military honor guard will also be included in the female soldier platoon for the first time. Since 2016, these female soldiers in white uniforms have become a beautiful scenery on the Red Square.
The female soldiers who participated in the parade mainly came from the Military University of Russian Ministry of Defence, Volschi Military Academy of Material Support, budyonny Military Communication College, Gagarin Air Force Academy, Mozhaiski Military Aerospace Academy and other military academies.
(CCTV reporter Gu Xin)