MEMORY LESSON
"Parades of the Great Patriotic War"
Much has been written about the November 7, 1941 parade and the events that accompanied it, especially picturesque were stories about Siberian divisions and tanks that went to the front immediately after the solemn march. Meanwhile, a lot of interesting details remained behind the scenes of official history and became known only recently. On the eve of the 24th anniversary of October, Muscovites met in a state of siege, fearing that the German troops, who were already on the near approaches to the capital, would be able to make the last push. The evacuation, which began on October 16, gave rise to a lot of rumors, including that Stalin and his closest associates in the Politburo had left Moscow. In this situation, in order to dispel rumors about the evacuation of the top leadership, to raise the fighting citizens, Stalin decided, as in a normal year, to hold a PARADE of troops.
In preparation for the parade, unprecedented security measures were taken, and Moscow's air defense was significantly strengthened - any German bomber that broke through could create a catastrophe. The parade was planned to be held in any weather, but, fortunately, that day it was completely non-flying - a snowstorm, fog, which excluded the possibility of an air raid on Moscow. Bad weather caused some difficulties with the musical accompaniment of the parade - it was difficult for the orchestra to play in the cold and snowstorm, but the parade still passed with proper music. It should be noted that the orchestra was conducted at this parade by Vasily Agapkin, a composer famous for his famous creation- march "Farewell of the Slav", which was in those autumn months perhaps the most popular melody of the country. Conducting the orchestra, Agapkin froze to the platform, so that he could get out of there at the end of the parade only with the help of his musicians.
It took a lot of work to assemble armored vehicles for participation in the parade, which the front badly needed. The situation was saved by freshly formed tank units, which had not yet managed to get to the front. A battalion of heavy tanks KV-1 arrived to participate in the parade directly from the factory, and the resupply of the tanks was carried out already on the way, on railway platforms. The troops went straight from the parade to the front - this common cliché is by no means an exaggeration. Many tank and motorized divisions directly from Red Square headed to the west of Moscow, where, after replenishing their ammunition and fuel supplies, they were distributed among the divisions defending the city.
For the Germans, the military parade in Moscow was an unpleasant surprise, and its wide coverage throughout the world, including in the occupied territories, through leaflets and radio broadcasting was one of the first serious "information" defeats of Germany in this war. The German command repeatedly promised to take Moscow before the onset of frost and hold their own parade on Red Square, and this promise turned out to be empty. The Nazis no longer had the strength for a decisive attack on the capital of the USSR, the advancing divisions were bled dry.
They (fascists) really wanted to march through Moscow. This would be the apotheosis of World War II. And their dream came true - only the apotheosis turned into a tragedy, a harbinger of an imminent end. 65 years ago. In the unconquered Moscow, a march of captured Wehrmacht soldiers and officers took place.
Eyewitnesses of that day recalled later: the “march” command sounded - and the boundless column flowed from the Moscow hippodrome to the festive street. More than 90 marching groups, from the head to the tail of the column - more than three kilometers. March of captured Germans in the capital of the USSR (aka "Parade of the Defeated" and "Great Waltz") took place on July 17, 1944. Prior to that, during Operation Bagration, the German Army Group Center was defeated, about 400 thousand soldiers and officers, including 21 generals, were destroyed or captured. The Allies doubted such a grandiose defeat of the Germans - so a good opportunity presented itself for the successes of the Soviet army in the war to show and raise the spirit of the people.
The first group of Germans (42,000 people) marched along the Leningrad highway and Gorky Street (now Tverskaya) to Mayakovsky Square, and then along the Garden Ring to the Kursk railway station. The second group (15 thousand) walked along the Garden Ring from Mayakovsky Square, reaching the Kanatchikovo station of the District Railway. The columns were accompanied by riders and foot guards, and the prisoners were followed by watering machines, symbolically washing away the dirt from the asphalt. It is curious that the idea of such a march was borrowed from the Germans themselves. In 1914, they drove the captured soldiers and officers of the Russian army, General Samsonov, around Koenigsberg. Nevertheless, many of the past 65 years ago in July Moscow found in individual viewers more compassion than hatred. “I saw some women with faces full of sympathy, I saw women with tears in their eyes,” wrote the German doctor Ziemer on this occasion. Well, such is the Slavic soul: compassion with us is always above, albeit noble, but hatred.
1945 VICTORY PARADE
In honor of the victory over Nazi Germany On June 24, 1945, a parade of troops of the active army, the Naval Navy and the Moscow garrison took place in Moscow - the Victory Parade. Ten fronts sent their best warriors. Among them were representatives of the Polish army. Consolidated regiments, consisting of the heroes of the Patriotic War, led by their illustrious generals under battle banners, marched solemnly along Red Square. The working people warmly welcomed the valiant warriors. Under the drumbeat, 200 Soviet soldiers threw 200 banners of the defeated German army to the foot of the Lenin Mausoleum. With this symbolic act soviet soldiers forever fixed in the memory of mankind the immortal feat of their people, their Armed Forces and the Leninist Party, which raised the whole country to the Great Patriotic War and led it to final victory.
The parade was hosted by Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. When passing in a solemn march ahead of the consolidated regiments of the fronts were the commanders of the fronts and armies, Heroes of the Soviet Union with the banners of famous units and formations. The march of the combined regiments of the fronts was completed by a column of soldiers.
“... For each consolidated regiment, military marches were specially chosen, which were especially loved by them ... Muscovites in high spirits walked with orchestras to the Red Square area to take part in the demonstration on that historic day. ... There was nothing comparable to the moment when two hundred fighters - war veterans - were thrown to the foot of the Mausoleum to the foot of the Mausoleum, two hundred banners of the Nazi army," said Marshal G.K. Zhukov.
The decision to hold a parade of winners was made shortly after Victory Day - May 15, 1945 Deputy Chief of the General Staff General of the Army remembered : “The Supreme Commander ordered us to think over and report to him our thoughts on the parade to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany, while indicating: “We need to prepare and hold a special parade. Let representatives of all fronts and all branches of the armed forces participate in it ... ".
May 24 I.V. Stalin was informed of the proposals of the General Staff for holding the Victory Parade. He accepted them, but did not agree with the timing. While the General Staff set aside two months for preparation, Stalin ordered the parade to be held in a month. On the same day, a directive was sent to the commander of the troops of the Leningrad, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian fronts signed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army General:
The Supreme Commander ordered:
1. To participate in the parade in the city of Moscow in honor of the victory over Germany, allocate a consolidated regiment from the front.
2. Form a consolidated regiment according to the following calculation: five two-company battalions of 100 people in each company (ten squads of 10 people). In addition, 19 officers from the calculation: regiment commander - 1, deputy regiment commanders - 2 (for combat and political affairs), regiment chief of staff - 1, battalion commanders - 5, company commanders - 10 and 36 deputies of flagmen from 4 assistant officers. In total, there are 1059 people in the consolidated regiment and 10 spare people.
3. In the consolidated regiment, have six companies of infantry, one company of artillerymen, one company of tankers, one company of pilots and one company of combined (cavalrymen, sappers, signalmen).
4. The companies should be staffed in such a way that the commanders of the departments are middle officers, and in each department - privates and sergeants.
5. Personnel for participation in the parade should be selected from among the soldiers and officers who have most distinguished themselves in battles and who have military orders.
6. Equip the consolidated regiment: three rifle companies - with rifles, three rifle companies - with machine guns, a company of artillerymen - with carbines behind their backs, a company of tankers and a company of pilots - with pistols, a company of sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen - with carbines behind their backs, cavalrymen, in addition - checkers.
7. The front commander and all commanders, including aviation and tank armies, arrive at the parade.
8. The consolidated regiment to arrive in Moscow on June 10, 1945, having 36 combat banners, the most distinguished in the battles of formations and units of the front, and all enemy banners captured in battles, regardless of their number.
9. Ceremonial uniforms for the entire regiment will be issued in Moscow.
ANTONOV
It was supposed to bring ten combined regiments of the fronts and a combined regiment of the Navy to the parade. Students of military academies, cadets of military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison were also involved in it, as well as military equipment including aviation.
At the fronts, they immediately began to form and staff consolidated regiments.
At the end of May, the combined regiments of the five-battalion fronts were formed.
The commanders of the consolidated regiments were appointed:
- - from the Karelian Front - Major General G.E. Kalinovsky
- - from Leningradsky - Major General A.T. Stupchenko
- - from the 1st Baltic - lieutenant general
- - from the 3rd Belorussian - Lieutenant General P.K. Koshevoy
- - from the 2nd Belorussian - Lieutenant General K.M Erastov
- - from the 1st Belorussian - Lieutenant General I.P. Tall
- - from the 1st Ukrainian - Major General G.V. Baklanov
- - from the 4th Ukrainian - Lieutenant General A.L. Bondarev
- - from the 2nd Ukrainian - Guard Lieutenant General I.M. Afonin
- - from the 3rd Ukrainian - Guard Lieutenant General N.I. Biryukov.
Most of them were corps commanders. The consolidated regiment of the Navy was headed by Vice Admiral V.G. Fadeev.
Although the directive of the General Staff determined the strength of each composite regiment in the amount of 1059 people with 10 spares, during the recruitment it increased to 1465 people, but with the same number of spares.
IN VERY A lot of problems had to be solved in a short time frame. So, if students of military academies, cadets of military schools of the capital and soldiers of the Moscow garrison, who on June 24 were to pass through Red Square, had parade uniforms, regularly engaged in drill training, and many participated in the May Day parade of 1945, then with the preparation of more than 15 thousand front-line soldiers, everything was different. They had to be accepted, placed, prepared for the parade. The most difficult thing was to cope with the tailoring of ceremonial uniforms in time. Nevertheless, the sewing factories of Moscow and the Moscow region, which started sewing it at the end of May, managed to cope with this difficult task. By June 20, all parade participants were dressed in new parade uniforms.
Another problem arose in connection with the production of ten standards, under which the consolidated regiments of the fronts were to go to the parade. The fulfillment of such a responsible task was entrusted to the unit of Moscow military builders, commanded by Major Engineer S. Maksimov. They worked around the clock to make a sample, but it was rejected. But there were about ten days left before the parade. It was decided to seek help from specialists in art and production workshops. Bolshoi Theater. The head of the art and props shop V. Terzibashyan and the head of the locksmith and mechanical shop N. Chistyakov were involved in the manufacture of standards. Together with them we made a new sketch of the original form. On a vertical oak shaft with a silver wreath framing a golden five-pointed star, a horizontal metal pin with “golden” spiers at the ends was attached. A two-sided scarlet velvet panel of the standard was hung on it, bordered with gold patterned hand-knitting and the name of the front. Separate heavy gold tassels fell down on the sides.
The sample was immediately approved, and the masters completed the work even ahead of schedule.
The best of the best front-line soldiers were instructed to carry the standards at the head of the consolidated regiments. And then not everything went smoothly. The fact is that when assembled, the standard weighed more than 10 kg. Not everyone could walk along Red Square with a drill step, holding it on outstretched arms. As always happens in such cases, people's ingenuity came to the rescue. The standard-bearer of the cavalry regiment I. Luchaninov recalled how the unfolded knife banner is fastened on the march. According to this model, but in relation to the foot formation, the saddlery and saddlery factory made special sword belts in two days, thrown on wide belts over the left shoulder, with a leather cup in which the flagpole was attached. 
And many hundreds of ribbons crowning the shafts of 360 combat banners that had to be carried across Red Square at the head of the consolidated regiments were made in the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater. Each banner represented military unit or a unit that distinguished itself in battles, and each of the ribbons marked a collective feat, marked by a military order. Most of the banners were guards.
By June 10, special trains with parade participants began to arrive in Moscow. The personnel were placed in the Chernyshevsky, Aleshinsky, Oktyabrsky and Lefortovo barracks, in the towns of Khlebnikovo, Bolshevo, Likhobory. As part of the consolidated regiments, the soldiers began combat exercises and training at the Central Airfield named after . They were held daily for six to seven hours. Intensive preparation for the parade demanded from its participants the exertion of all physical and moral strength. Honored heroes did not receive any indulgences.
For the host of the parade and the commander of the parade, horses were picked up in advance: the marshal - a white, light gray suit of the Terek breed, nicknamed "Kumir", the marshal - a black cracian suit, nicknamed "Pole".
Starting from June 10, 1945, the medal "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic war 1941-1945", established on May 9, 1945, the first in the Armed Forces were awarded front-line soldiers - participants in the Victory Parade. Along the way, orders and medals that had defects, as well as those awarded back in 1941-1943, were exchanged for new ones that appeared after the introduction of order bars in 1943.
At the direction of the General Staff, about 100,000 were delivered to Moscow from units of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts (from Berlin and Dresden). They were received in the gym of the Lefortovo barracks by the commander of the 181st rifle regiment 291st rifle division colonel A.K. Korkishko. 200 banners and standards, then selected by a special commission, were placed in a special room and taken under guard by the military commandant of Moscow. On the day of the Victory Parade, they were taken to Red Square in covered trucks and handed over to the personnel of the parade company of "porters".
On June 10, a company was formed from the soldiers-front-line soldiers of the combined regiments (10 lines, and in the line - 20 people). It was located in the front line opposite St. Basil's Cathedral. On the parade ground, where training began, the front-line soldiers did not look the best, but after all, aces were required, and not just combatants. Things went well when, at the suggestion of the commandant of Moscow, Lieutenant General K. Sinilov, an excellent combatant was appointed commander - Senior Lieutenant D. Vovk, deputy commander of a guard of honor company. They trained with sticks-struts from soldiers' tents 1.8 m long. But some could not withstand such physical exertion, while others did not go well with drill training. I had to do a partial replacement. The company included a group of tall warriors of the 3rd regiment of the division named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky. With their help, single combat training began. <Кавалер двух орденов Славы С. Шипкин вспоминал: “We were drilled like recruits, our tunics did not dry out with sweat. But we were 20-25 years old, and the great joy of victory easily overcame fatigue. The classes were beneficial, and we were sincerely grateful to the Dzerzhinsk guys ”. The company was prepared for the day of the parade. June 21, late in the evening, Marshal G.K. Zhukov on Red Square examined the training of "porters" and was satisfied.
Unfortunately, not everyone "passed the exam" at the dress rehearsal. According to the plan of the organizers, the procession of troops was to begin with the removal of the Banner of Victory, which was delivered to Moscow on June 20 from Berlin.
But due to poor drill skills, S.A. Neustroeva, M.A. Egorova and M.V. Kantaria Marshal G.K. Zhukov decided not to take him to the parade.
Two days before the parade, on June 22, signed by the Supreme Commander Marshal of the Soviet Union I.V. Stalin issued order No. 370:
ORDER
Supreme Commander
To commemorate the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I am appointing a parade of troops of the Army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison on Red Square on June 24, 1945 - the Victory Parade. Bring the combined regiments of the fronts, the combined regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the combined regiment of the Navy, military academies, military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison to the parade.
Today, the largest parade in the history of the CIS countries took place on Red Square. Kazakh military personnel also took part in it. In connection with this event, we decided to tell how the Victory Day Parades were held from 1945 to 2010.
Source: website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The very first Victory parade took place June 24, 1945. The decision to hold it was made back in mid-May, when the Soviet troops broke the resistance of the last German units that did not surrender. From the very beginning, Stalin wanted to make this event grandiose and hitherto unseen. To do this, it was necessary to present at the parade all the fronts and branches of the armed forces. On May 24, the General Staff put forward its proposals for holding the parade. The commander-in-chief made one adjustment to them - instead of two months, he allotted only a month to organize the parade. On the same day, orders to form consolidated regiments scattered across the fronts.
Each regiment was to consist of 1,000 personnel and 19 commanders. Later, already in the process of staffing the regiments, their strength increased to 1465 people. Particularly distinguished fighters who had awards for courage shown during the war years were selected for the regiments. Each regiment was supposed to have rifle units, artillerymen, tankers, pilots, sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen. Each branch of the military had its own dress uniform and weapons.
In addition to the consolidated regiments of the fronts, a separate regiment of the Navy, students of military academies and schools, as well as troops of the Moscow garrison, were to pass through the Parade.
Colonel-General Sergei Shtemenko and Chief of the General Staff Alexei Antonov were appointed responsible for holding the Parade. It is hard to even imagine how hard this burden was given to them, because such a large-scale event had to be organized as soon as possible.
For 15 thousand participants in the event, it was necessary to sew a new parade uniform. Factories in Moscow and the Moscow region worked without days off and breaks, but by June 20 they coped with the task, and all the ceremonial uniforms were ready.
Separately, it was necessary to make ten standards of the fronts. Initially, this task was entrusted to a division of Moscow military builders. Unfortunately, their option was rejected, and only ten days remained before the Parade. Experienced craftsmen from the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater came to the rescue. Under the guidance of the head of the art and props shop V. Terzibashyan and the head of the locksmith and mechanical shop N. Chistyakov, they prepared the standards for the deadline. These banners weighed about 10 kilograms each. To facilitate the task of those who will carry them in the parade, sword belts were designed and manufactured, thrown on wide belts over the left shoulder, with a leather glass in which the flagpole was attached.
The drill training of personnel began on June 10, when the consolidated regiments of the fronts arrived in the Moscow region. It took place at the Frunze Central Airfield. The fighters trained six to seven hours a day. Separately, a special company was prepared, which was to carry Nazi banners at the Parade. The soldiers trained with heavy sticks almost 2 meters long. According to the memories of the participants after these classes, sweat flowed from them in a stream. For the preparation of this company, soldiers of the 3rd regiment of the division named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky were specially allocated.
By the way, it was poor drill training that caused the cancellation of the removal of the Victory Banner to Red Square. A group of standard-bearers, consisting of Mikhail Yegorov, Meliton Kantaria and Captain Stepan Neustroev, participants in the hoisting of the Banner over the Reichstag, did not have time to learn the drill step at the proper level for their responsible mission.
It rained heavily on the day of the parade. Because of him, the flight of equipment over the Kremlin was canceled, as well as the passage of the column of workers. The parade brought together many war heroes, deputies of the Supreme Council, artists, heroes of labor. At 9:45 a.m., Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Kalinin and other members of the Politburo went up to the podium of the Mausoleum. Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky was appointed commander of the parade. He sat on a black horse named Pole. The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov on a white light gray horse named Kumir. At 10 o'clock they galloped towards each other. Five minutes later, the detour of the parade columns lined up on the square began. A loud “Hurrah!” swelled from all sides. Artillery fired 50 volleys. Zhukov got up and delivered a speech in which he congratulated everyone on the end of the war.
The passage of the columns was opened by Marshal Rokossovsky. Behind him was a group of young Suvorov drummers, pupils of the 2nd Moscow Military Music School. Already behind him were the combined regiments of the fronts in geographical location from north to south: Karelsky under the command of Marshal Meretskov, Leningradsky with Marshal Govorov, 1st Baltic with General Baghramyan, 3rd Belorussian led by Marshal Vasilevsky, 2nd Belorussian with the deputy commander of the troops Colonel General K. P. Trubnikov, 1st Belorussian, who was also led by Deputy Commander Sokolovsky, 1st Ukrainian led by Marshal Konev, 4th Ukrainian with Army General Eremenko, 2nd Ukrainian with commander Marshal Malinovsky, 3 1st Ukrainian Marshal Tolbukhin, consolidated regiment of the Navy with Vice Admiral Fadeev.
There were many of our compatriots in these regiments. For one of them, Mukhangali Turmagambetov, the war began in July 1941 near the borders of the USSR in Belarus. Together with other units, he retreated to the west, almost twice was captured. In the rank of sergeant of an anti-aircraft battery, the fighter participated in the legendary battle for Moscow. He happened to take part in the historic military parade on May 7, 1941. And now, having passed Stalingrad, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, the Carpathians and Austria, he again walked along Red Square, having passed a tough selection of ten thousand people.
After the columns of the consolidated regiments of the fronts, a company of soldiers carrying enemy banners began to move across the square. In preparation for the parade, 900 banners and standards of German units were taken out of Germany. The commission selected two hundred of them. The soldiers approached the foot of the Mausoleum and threw banners onto platforms specially constructed for this purpose. The soldiers were wearing white gloves on their hands to emphasize how disgusted everyone is with Nazi symbols. The first to be thrown was the Leibstandarte of the LSSAH, Hitler's bodyguard battalion. After the parade, all German banners were transferred to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces for storage.
The orchestra sounded again in the square. Parts of the Moscow garrison and a combined regiment of cadets of military academies and schools passed. The cadets of the Suvorov military schools closed the procession. The cavalry brigade and fighters on motorcycles followed the foot units.
Military equipment completed the parade. Anti-aircraft mounts on vehicles, batteries of anti-tank and large-caliber artillery, field artillery, such as the famous ZIS-2 and ZIS-3 guns, drove along the cobblestones of Red Square. They were followed by T-34 and IS tanks, followed by a combined military band.
Source ITAR-TASS archive
After this legendary parade, such large-scale celebrations in honor of May 9 were not held for twenty years. This day remained non-working only until the 48th year, when the country's leadership canceled the day off, making the New Year a non-working day. In 1965, the new General Secretary Brezhnev, who himself was a war veteran, remembered this holiday and decided to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Victory on a grand scale. Since then, May 9 has again become a day off and a national holiday.
Commander of the Moscow Military District Afanasy Beloborodov commanded the parade of 1965, and Minister of Defense Rodion Malinovsky, twenty years ago, who himself walked along the cobblestones of Red Square at the head of the combined regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, hosted the parade.
I remember the anniversary parade for the first time in the history of the removal of the Banner of Victory. Time put everything in its place, Kantaria and Yegorov, who did not take part in the Victory Parade, finally passed through Red Square as part of a banner group. The honor to carry the Banner was given to the participant in the assault on the Reichstag, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Konstantin Samsonov.
In terms of scale, the Parade of the 65th was not inferior to the first Victory Parade, and even surpassed it in terms of the amount of equipment. Almost a third of the participants in the parade were veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Vehicles from the war times and modern weapons of the Soviet army passed through the square.
There were also political motives in the decision to hold the Victory Parade. Foreign attachés present at the parade were amazed to see huge ballistic missiles passing by them. The announcer clearly stated that missiles could hit a target anywhere in the world. Not a little scared and in the headquarters of NATO. No one knew that only models of 8K713, 8K96 missiles developed by Sergei Korolev and 8K99 designed by Mikhail Yangel passed through the square. In reality, samples of these missiles have not yet been collected and tested. As a result, after the failure of the tests, they did not go into the series.
In the history of the parades on May 9, there was again a break of 20 years. The next, third of them took place only in the 85th, on the fortieth anniversary of the Victory. In the stands that day stood the new General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Mikhail Gorbachev, and members of the Politburo. The parade was commanded by General of the Army Pyotr Lushev, and was received by Defense Minister Marshal Sergei Sokolov. He also addressed the military with a speech in which he paid attention to the role of the European Resistance and the countries of the anti-fascist coalition in the victory. At the same time, he remarked: "Bourgeois propaganda removes responsibility from those who unleashed the war and are trying to belittle the role of the Soviet Union in defeating the fascist invaders."
The parade was opened by the drummers of the Moscow Military Music School. They were followed by a group of banners. The banner of Victory was carried by a participant in the war, an ace fighter who shot down 46 fascist aircraft, twice Hero of the Soviet Union - Nikolai Skomorokhov. 150 banners were carried across the square, the most distinguished units during the war years. Columns of veterans passed in the historical part of the parade: Heroes of the Soviet Union, full holders of the Orders of Glory, participants in the 1945 parade, partisans and home front workers. For the first time, foreign military personnel, veterans from Poland and Czechoslovakia, took part in the Parade.
Students of higher military academies and colleges marched in the columns of modern troops. Among them were representatives of the Frunze Military Academy, the V. I. Lenin Military-Political Academy, the Dzerzhinsky Academy, the Academy of Armored Forces, the Academy of Chemical Protection. In addition, paratroopers, marines, Suvorov and Nakhimov soldiers marched across the square. The Kremlin cadets, students of the Moscow Higher Military Command School, completed the passage of foot columns.
The passage of technology was also divided into historical and modern parts. For the last time in the history of the Soviet Union, T 34-85 tanks, SU-100 self-propelled guns, Katyushas - BM-13 mortars drove across the square.
Source ITAR-TASS archive
The 1985 parade featured a lot of new equipment that had entered service just a few years earlier. In total, 612 units of military equipment were used. Soldiers of the Taman division rode in armored vehicles BPM-2, paratroopers in BMD-1 and BTR-70. Tankers of the Kantemirovskaya division controlled T-72 tanks. Of the artillery, the howitzers "Carnation" and "Acacia", the guns "Hyacinth" participated in the parade. Ballistic missiles (Luna-M, Tochka, R-17) were also brought across the square.
The parade in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in 1995, in fact, was divided into two parts. The first of them - the historical one - took place on Red Square and began at ten o'clock. As planned by the organizers, this parade was supposed to reconstruct the first Victory Parade. Soldiers dressed as Red Army soldiers marched across the square. The Victory Banner was carried by a participant in the 1945 Victory Parade, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, retired Colonel-General of Aviation Mikhail Odintsov. He was followed by 4,939 war and labor veterans in the consolidated regiments and under the banners of the fronts in which he fought.
Among the guests of the Parade were UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali, US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. As well as the heads of the former Soviet republics: Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and others.
The modern part of the parade took place on Poklonnaya Hill, where a tribune was built especially for this. The parade was commanded by Colonel-General Leonid Kuznetsov and received by Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev. The parade was attended by 10 thousand people, 330 units of military equipment, 45 aircraft, 25 helicopters. It lasted a record two hours.
Cadets of the Frunze Academy, the Dzerzhinsky Academy, the Academy of Armored Forces, the Ryazan Airborne School, etc. passed in foot columns. For the first time, students of the Military Academy of Economics, Finance and Law, which opened in 1993, took part in the parade. BTR-80, BMP-3, T-80 tanks, Smerch multiple launch rocket system, S-300 air defense system participated in the parade. Quite in the spirit of that time was the refusal to participate in the parade of ballistic missiles.
For the first time in the history of celebrations for the Victory Day, the aviation part of the parade took place. Il-78 tanker aircraft accompanied by Su-24 front-line bombers were demonstrated, MiG-31 fighter jets, An-124 Ruslan cargo giants, Ka-27 helicopters intended for ship-based deployment flew by.
On May 9, Russia celebrates one of the most significant holidays - Victory Day in World War II. The day of the legendary victory of the Red Army over fascism and the Day of Remembrance of the soldiers who died in this bloody time. Many different facts are known about this terrible time for the country: the exploits of Soviet soldiers, the stories of home front workers and residents of cities that survived the war. But there are also little-known, but no less interesting, facts about the great holiday in its meaning - Victory Day.
Two capitulations and different dates for one of them
Berlin was taken by Soviet troops on May 2, 1945, but the soldiers of the Nazi army resisted for another week. The act of surrender of the Third Reich, signed in Reims on May 7, 1945, did not satisfy Stalin, and the head of the USSR ordered that Marshal Zhukov accept the general surrender in Berlin from representatives of the Nazi armed forces. The final surrender of Germany was signed at 22:43 on May 8 CET, but in Moscow at that time it was already 00:43 on May 9.
Photo source: Wikimedia
That is why in Europe the holiday is celebrated on the 8th. But there this day is not called the Victory Day, but the Day of Reconciliation. On May 8, the victims of Nazism are honored in Europe. And in the United States, two holidays are celebrated at once - Victory Day in Europe and Victory Day in Japan (V-E Day and V-J Day).
But despite this, officially the Soviet Union was at war with Germany until January 25, 1955.
Real Banner of Victory over the Reichstag and staged photo
Designed to be hoisted over the Reichstag, the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, which became the Banner of Victory, was installed on the roof of the Reichstag on April 30 at 22 o'clock Berlin time, but on May 1 Moscow time. He became the fourth banner from the ones installed on the roof of the building. The first three were destroyed as a result of a night long-range German shelling of the roof of the Reichstag, as a result of which the glass dome of the building was destroyed. But the enemy artillery could not destroy the banner fixed on the eastern roof, hoisted by Berest, Yegorov and Kantaria. The photo of Yevgeny Khaldei "The Banner of Victory over the Reichstag" became a symbol of victory.
Photo source: Wikimedia
But in fact, it is known for certain that the photo is staged. The roles of the standard-bearers were performed by Alexei Kovalev, Abdulkhakim Ismailov and Leonid Gorichev. The picture was taken on May 2, when Berlin was already taken. Subsequently, the photo was edited: thunderclouds were added, and the banner was also changed, it became more red. The second watch of Abdulkhakim Ismailov, who supported Alexei Kovalev, who was hoisting the flag, was also retouched.
Photo source: Flickr
Why was the Banner of Victory not carried across Red Square, and who cut it?
The Banner of Victory, which was brought to Moscow on June 20, 1945, was to be carried through Red Square. And despite the training of the calculation of the bannermen, the keeper of the Banner at the Museum of the Soviet Army claimed that those who hoisted it over the Reichstag and seconded to the capital as the standard-bearer Neustroev and his assistants Yegorov, Kantaria and Berest were unsuccessful at the rehearsals - the fact is that in the war the soldiers were not to military training. Appointing other standard-bearers was ridiculous, and besides, it was too late. Then Zhukov decided that the Banner would not be carried out. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, there was no Banner at the Victory Parade. The first time the Banner was taken to the parade in 1965.
Photo source: Flickr
And later it turned out that someone cut off a strip 3 centimeters wide from the Banner of Victory. According to one version, the Katyusha gunner who stormed the Reichstag took it as a souvenir. According to another, a piece of the Banner was taken by an employee of the political department of the 150th Infantry Division. The second version is more likely, since in the early 70s a woman came to the Museum of the Soviet Army, told this story and showed her shred, which fit the size of the Banner.
Photo source: Wikimedia
Who determined the date of the First Victory Parade and why the parade was hosted by Zhukov
The first Victory Parade took place on June 24, 1945. Initially, it was planned to be held at the end of May, but the date was determined by the garment factories, which had to produce 10,000 sets of ceremonial uniforms for soldiers.
Also on June 24, there was a heavy downpour, due to which the overflight was canceled. All participants in the parade were soaked through. The uniform of Marshal Rokossovsky sat down so badly that he had to be torn apart to take it off.
The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov on a silver-white horse Kumir. In his place was supposed to be Stalin, as commander in chief, but he remained sitting on the podium.
As it turned out, the Generalissimo fell from the stubborn Idol during a rehearsal. Stalin told Zhukov that he would have to take the parade on horseback, but always on this horse. Marshal Zhukov did an excellent job.
The monument to Marshal Zhukov was erected in Moscow on Manezhnaya Square on May 8, 1995 in honor of the 50th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Photo source: Flickr
20 years without a parade
The thing is that in 1948 the country's leadership said that we must forget about the war and engage in the restoration of the state. And only in 1965, on May 9, Brezhnev revived as a holiday. Then the Second Victory Parade was held. The third parade took place on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Victory - in 1985, the next - after another 15 years. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, parades on May 9 were not held until 1995, and only from that year did they become annual.
Photo source: kremlin.ru
St. George's ribbon - where does one of the main symbols of Victory Day come from?
Few people know about the important meaning of the St. George's Ribbon, or rather, the George estate for Victory Day. May 6, 1945, right on the eve of Victory Day, was the day of George the Victorious, and the surrender of Germany was signed by Marshal Zhukov, also named George.
Photo source: Flickr
The Great Victory in the war against Nazi Germany is the logical conclusion of the incredible efforts of those who could not return alive from the battlefield, giving their lives defending Kyiv and Sevastopol, Leningrad and Moscow, Stalingrad and Odessa, those who defended literally every centimeter of their native land. Since then, 70 years have passed. But the Victory Parade of 1945 will not be erased from the memory of all mankind. The world will always remember the courage and unprecedented heroism shown by the Soviet people in the struggle for peace.
Celebration Ordinance
On June 22, 1945, all the central newspapers of the USSR published an order given by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin. It said that in honor of the commemoration of the Victory over Nazi Germany, on June 24, a parade of troops would take place on Red Square in Moscow. It was also reported that they would be commanded by Marshal of the USSR K.K. Rokossovsky. Taking the Victory Parade (1945) was entrusted to another most famous Soviet military leader - Marshal G.K. Zhukov. It is characteristic that Stalin issued this decree exactly 4 years after the attack of the Nazi-German troops on the country.
Event organisation
Such an outstanding event - the 1945 Victory Parade - began to be prepared a month before it was held. At the head of the course, it was decided to carry the banner, which was hoisted over the Reichstag. I must say that the Banner of Victory was delivered to Moscow directly from Berlin. A guard of honor was appointed to meet and escort him. Captain Samsonov and sergeants Kantaria and Yegorov carried the banner out of the plane. They handed him over to the standard-bearer Shkirev. They were also assisted by the Heroes of the Soviet Union Art. sergeants Mashtakov and Parshin. It was they who had the honor to carry the Banner of Victory through the entire Red Square. Also on the plane were brought and German standards with banners.
In the meantime, almost all Moscow clothing factories were busy making parade uniforms not only for generals and officers, but also for soldiers. In addition, a plan was carefully developed to illuminate the city and fireworks. Much attention was paid to the organization of cultural recreation for the military. Films were shown for them, performances and concerts were staged.
Equipment preparation
The future passage of infantry units along Red Square was practiced at the Khodynka field, where the Central Airfield was located. And the Garden Ring area, starting from Smolenskaya Square and up to the Crimean Bridge, was used as a training ground for various military equipment. It is worth noting that the rehearsals were held exclusively at night.
When they organized the Victory Parade in Moscow (1945), it was not without problems. In order not to spoil the road surface, specially made wooden floorings were laid in the area of the Kremlin and Historical passages. But under the weight of tanks and artillery, they simply crumbled. They had to be replaced with more powerful oak and birch boards, folded into slabs. And in order for the equipment not to slip, the entire route of its movement was sprinkled with sand.
Also, a special mode of movement was established for tanks. The cars went to Red Square through the center of the capital at a distance of 20-60 m from each other at a speed not exceeding 5 km / h, and only in one row.
It was decided to line up the troops for the Victory Parade (1945) in the order in which the fronts operated during military operations. In addition, for each of the consolidated regiments, exactly those marches that they liked were selected. The penultimate rehearsal of the parade took place at the Central Airfield. The general one took place on Red Square. Despite the fact that only a month was allocated for the organization of such a grandiose event, all the regiments were ideally prepared for it.
Start
Finally, that unforgettable morning came when the first - historical - Victory Parade was to take place. On June 24, 1945, by 9 o'clock, all the stands for guests were filled. Meanwhile, the consolidated regiments of ten fronts froze in orderly ranks. At about 10 o'clock, the commander of the parade, K.K. Rokossovsky, left for Red Square on a beautiful black horse. Almost simultaneously with him, all the state leaders of the USSR, headed by I.V. Stalin, climbed the Mausoleum.
Exactly at 10 o'clock Rokossovsky gave the command: "Parade, at attention!" After that, the doors of the gates of the Spasskaya Tower swung open, and Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov swiftly and solemnly rode out of them on a snow-white horse. Immediately, a huge military band, consisting of 1400 musicians, which was led by Major General S. Chernetsky, thundered N. Glinka's anthem "Glory!"
In front of the central tribune, both marshals approached, and Rokossovsky reported on the readiness of the troops to begin the Victory Parade (1945). You can see a photo of this significant moment in our article. Then they solemnly began to go around the military ranks. From time to time, Zhukov stopped in front of the columns and congratulated everyone on the victory over Nazi Germany. After that, the marshal went up to the Mausoleum and delivered his historic speech about the role not only of the army, but of the entire Soviet people in the Great Victory. When he finished, three powerful “Hurray!” sounded over Red Square, and then the anthem of the Soviet Union. Then an artillery salute burst out, consisting of 50 volleys, and, finally, accompanied by marches, the troops began their solemn procession along Red Square.
Parade
It is worth noting that the regiments marched in the same order in which they were located during the hostilities - from north to south. The first were the fighters of the Karelian Front, led by Marshal K. Meretskov. This regiment caught up with the Mausoleum at 10:30. Behind him were the troops of the Leningrad Front, led by Marshal of the USSR L. Govorov, and the 1st Baltic, in front of which General of the Army I. Bagramyan marched. They were followed by the consolidated regiments of the 3rd (Marshal A. Vasilevsky), 2nd (Deputy Rokossovsky K. Trubnikov) and 1st (Deputy Zhukov V. Sokolovsky) Belorussian Fronts.
The Victory Parade (1945) continued. More and more columns passed through Red Square. Following Belorussky, a regiment of the 1st Ukrainian Front appeared, ahead of which were Marshal I. Konev and three times Hero of the USSR A. Pokryshkin with a flag. He was followed in turn by representatives of the 4th (General A. Eremenko), 2nd (commander R. Malinovsky) and 3rd (Marshal F. Tolbukhin) Ukrainian fronts.
In conclusion, the sailors marched in a parade march, led by Vice Admiral V. Fadeev. An interesting fact is that in each of the regiments, the first 3 ranks of fighters carried in their hands the banners of divisions, literally hung with orders and ribbons. In addition, representatives of the Polish Army also marched along Red Square. The parade was also attended by the soldiers of the Moscow garrison, the People's Commissariat of Defense and students of various military academies.
climax
The orchestra fell silent, and suddenly there was silence. To everyone present, it seemed endless. Suddenly there was a sharp drum roll and with it a column of soldiers appeared, carrying two hundred Nazi banners captured in battles. Their cloths dragged along the pavement, wet from the rain. And then the Victory Parade (June 1945) finally came to its climax and unforgettable moment. Approaching the Mausoleum, two hundred soldiers made a turn to the right and threw enemy banners at its foot.
It is worth noting that this ceremony was quite unusual. In the process of developing the scenario for the 1945 Victory Parade, some historical research was carried out. It turns out that legionnaires in ancient Rome did the same with enemy military attributes.
The final stage
In addition to marching regiments, military equipment also took part in the event: tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and heavy artillery. Everything went according to plan. The only deviation from it was that because of the rain, which gradually turned into a real downpour, the demonstration of the workers of the capital did not take place. But, despite this, the people did not disperse for a long time. In total, the Victory Parade in Moscow in 1945 lasted 2 hours.
And closer to the night, the sky over Red Square was lit up with many powerful searchlights. Hundreds of balloons flew in the air, and thousands of flares rained down from them, and colorful fireworks were launched from the ground. At some point, high in the sky, the image of the Order of Victory solemnly appeared, illuminated by the beams of searchlights.
Procession in Berlin
After such grandiose celebrations in Moscow, the government of the USSR, together with the High Command, decided to hold another so-called small Victory Parade (1945, photo above). It took place on September 7 in Berlin. Allied troops of the USSR, the USA, France and Great Britain took part in it. This parade was not so big, but at that time its political importance could not be overestimated. He was received by Marshal G. Zhukov, Field Marshal B. Montgomery, Generals de Tassigny and D. Eisenhower.
It is worth noting the fact that the 1945 Victory Parade in Berlin clearly demonstrated the prestige of the Soviet Union. And all this is thanks to our heroic soldiers, who showed their excellent bearing and discipline there.
