Moscow's Red Square hosted a ceremonial Parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 in gratitude to the descendants of the victors of the Nazi invaders and in deep respect for the great feat, heroism and dedication of war veterans.
The Parade was attended by about 14 thousand military, including from the CIS countries, as well as Mongolia and China. Some Russian soldiers marched in tunics that resembled uniforms from the time of World War II.
The 2020 was declared by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin the Year of Memory and Glory in order to preserve historical memory and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The authorities planned to conduct thousands of events, some of which had to be canceled or transferred to the online format due to well known circumstances.
The Victory Parade, which took place on May 9 for the last 25 years, was postponed by decision of the Russian President to June 24. Why on this date?
On June 24, 1945, by order of Joseph Stalin, the first historical Victory Parade took place on the main square of the country. The parade was hosted by the outstanding marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, and the troops were commanded by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky.
About 35 thousand military took part in the solemn procession. It lasted 2 hours (122 minutes) in the pouring rain, but people filling the Red Square did not notice it.
The military parade on June 24, 1945 was a triumph of the victorious people, the military art of the Soviet commanders, all the Armed Forces, their fighting spirit.
In the Soviet period, the Victory Parade was held only in the anniversary years: 1965, 1985 and 1990. Since 1995, the parade has been held annually.
