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Revision as of 05:32, 14 June 2009 by Volunteer Marek (talk | contribs) (restoring text, not sure why it was removed)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 was a victory parade held after the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It took place in the Soviet capital of Moscow, mostly centering around a military parade through Red Square. The parade took place on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month after May 9th, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commanders.
Marshals Georgy Zhukov, who had formally accepted the German surrender to the Soviet Union, and Konstantin Rokossovsky, rode through the parade ground on white and black stallions, respectively. The fact is commemorated by the equestrian statue of Zhukov in front of the State Historical Museum, on Manege Square. The Premier of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, stood atop of Lenin's Mausoleum and watched the parade. Renowned historian Anthony Beevor states that Stalin actually intended to lead the parade riding Zhukov's white stallion but the horse bolted in the manege because of Stalin's lack of riding skills. Even when the Soviet leader grabbed the mane, he eventually fell to the ground. After that, he just spat and said "Let Zhukov take the parade. He's an old cavalryman."
Displays of the Red Army aircraft and vehicles were some of the focal points of the ceremony. One of the most famous moments at the end of the troops parade took place when various Red Army soldiers carried the banners of Nazi Germany and threw them down next to the Mausoleum. One of the standards that was tossed down belonged to the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Hitler's personal bodyguard raised to divisional size.
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General view
- Kuban Cossack unit marching at the parade Kuban Cossack unit marching at the parade
- Deposition of Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler standards Deposition of Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler standards
- Marshals Zhukov and Rokossovsky Marshals Zhukov and Rokossovsky
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Officers of Polish First Army leading their troops at the parade
See also
References
- This YouTube clip shows the hurrahs of the soldiers and sailors as Zhukov and Rokossovsky trot through Red Square
- Antony Beevor, Berlin: the downfall, 1945, Viking, 2002, p24
- This YouTube clip shows the moment in the 1945 victory parade when the Nazi banners were being thrown to the ground
External links
- German Flags at the 1945 Soviet Victory Parade
- Official site of the 2005 Russian 60th celebration of the 1945 Victory Parade
- Short Colour Video recordings of the Military Parade
- Russian site from where the short video of the parade can be downloaded