On may 9 Russia celebrates one of the greatest and most significant holidays – Victory Day. On this day, everything from small to large – remember the feat of the Soviet people, who liberated the world from fascism. The victory came at a heavy price, because this holiday “with tears in his eyes.” About the history of the holiday, its traditions, about how the country was going to win.
May 9, 1945 in the suburbs of Berlin was signed the most important document – the act of unconditional and complete surrender of the Wehrmacht. Its Memorandum was signed by General field Marshal of the German army Keitel, Marshal of the USSR Zhukov and air Marshal tedder, A. UK. On the same day in the Soviet Union early in the morning on the radio Levitan was read the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on may 9 became a national holiday Victory Day and a day off. Long and hard the Great Patriotic war lasted 1418 days and nights, was completed. Joy of the Soviet people who survived the war, there was no limit: they cheered, cried, hugged and kissed congratulating each other.
The first Victory Day was celebrated as, perhaps, had very few events in the history of the USSR and Russia. Evening in Moscow thundered the salute of Victory, which did not know the history of the USSR at the same time thousands of anti-aircraft guns was given to thirty volleys. And the sky at this point was illuminated globes searchlight air defense forces.
Day off may 9 remained three years, and then about the war as a nightmare was told to forget and focus on the restoration of the national economy. Of the great Victory day remembered in 1965, when we celebrated the 20th anniversary. 9 may again declared a holiday, the cities began to hold parades, demonstrations, fireworks, veterans and honoring them.
Victory Parade
The first Victory parade on 24 June 1945. It was the most mass and longest parade in 2 hours and 9 minutes on the red square in Moscow held a solemn March of thousands of 40 distinguished soldiers of the consolidated regiment, Karelian, Leningrad, 1st Baltic, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Belorussian, the 1st, 4th, 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts, mixed regiment of the Navy. Ahead of the consolidated regiments of the fronts were the commanders of fronts and armies, the Heroes of the Soviet Union carried the banners of famous units and formations.
More than 1850 units of military equipment took part in the parade. The audience was able to see the legendary heavy tank Joseph Stalin-2″, the average “T-34”, self-propelled artillery ISU-152 and ISU-122, SU-100 and SU-76 rocket launchers, including the famous “Katyusha”, artillery of all calibers. Technique the winning country was on red square more than 50 minutes! The final chord of the parade was a March of 200 standard-bearers who threw the banners of the defeated German troops on the platform at the foot of the Mausoleum. They all wore white gloves, which emphasized the aversion to enemies (dais, the banners and gloves were burned on the same day). The parade was commanded by Soviet Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, and took him — the Marshal of the USSR Georgy Zhukov.
Jubilee parade with the passage of military equipment in honor of the 70th anniversary of the great Victory 9 may 2015 lasted on red square is 1 hour and 20 minutes. It was attended 14000 troops, 200 military vehicles, 143 aircraft and helicopter.
Tradition of Victory day
The great Patriotic war left a sad mark on virtually every family. In memory of those killed and missing in the war fronts, in memory of the heroic exploits on the battlefield and selfless work of those who remained in the rear, in the memory of the living and the dead, on this day in the towns and villages host a variety of events – from wreath-laying and flowers to the memorials and mass graves, demonstrations and parades before touching meetings of veterans, which every year is becoming less and traditional festivals. In the parks organize performances, thematic exhibitions unfold, bring these field kitchens and treat “narkomovskih 100 grams”. On this festive day, near tears, and joy.
The long road to Victory
Victory was forged not only at the front but also deep in the rear. Thousands of Soviet enterprises were evacuated and redeveloped for the needs of the front.
During the Victory Parade in 1945, Marshal Zhukov said: “On the Soviet-German front was trampled on the authority of German arms and predetermined victorious outcome of the war in Europe.” Still, after the Soviet Union in the shortest time was able to create more sophisticated and powerful weapons.
All in all, the years of the second world war, the Soviet Union produced about 870 thousand units of military equipment including 120 thousand aircraft, thousand tanks 90, 360 and 300 thousand cannons and mortars. The main breakthrough in the production of armaments was made in late 1941 – early 1942, when they began to work evacuated to the rear of the factories (see table).
War has become a grave challenge for the country’s economy. Experts estimate that during the war years in the Soviet Union was destroyed in 1710 cities, 70 thousand villages, 32 thousand factories, looted 98 thousand collective farms and MTS 2890. The total amount of all the above destruction was 128 billion dollars. It is six times more than the amount of damage caused by the war France or Poland. Surprisingly, exhausted by war, the country was able in just five years to not only recover, but also reach the position of second economic power world power.
