Every country, every nation has its main holiday, which is celebrated annually for a long time. He unites the nation with a sense of pride for the valiant deeds of the ancestors, which will remain in the memory of descendants forever. There is such a holiday in Russia. This is Victory Day, which is celebrated on May 9.
A bit of history
The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 and lasted for 4 long years. The Soviet people endured a lot during the years of fascist occupation, but still they won. The people paved the road to the Victory Day with their own hands. Only thanks to his selfless work and military merit, the Soviet Union was able to win this war, although it was not easy to do so.
The final push that led to the end of hostilities with Germany was very long and difficult. The Soviet troops began to advance in the region of Poland and Prussia in January 1945. The Allies were not far behind. They were rapidly moving towards Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. According to many historians then and now,Hitler's suicide on 20 April 1945 sealed Germany's total defeat.
But the death of a mentor and leader did not stop the Nazi troops. The bloody battles for Berlin, however, led to the fact that the USSR and the allies defeated the Nazis. Victory Day is a tribute to the heavy price paid by the ancestors of many of us. Hundreds of thousands were killed on both sides - only after that the capital of Germany capitulated. It happened on May 7, 1945, contemporaries remembered that significant day for a long time.
The Price of Victory
About 2.5 million soldiers were involved in the storming of Berlin. The losses of the Soviet Army were huge. According to some reports, our army lost up to 15 thousand people per day. In the Battle of Berlin, 325 thousand officers and soldiers died. There was a real bloody war. Victory Day - it was still the day, the first celebration of which was just around the corner.
Since the fighting was within the city, Soviet tanks could not maneuver widely. It was only in the hands of the Germans. They used anti-tank weapons to destroy military equipment. In a matter of weeks in the Berlin operation was lost by the Soviet Army:
- 1997 tanks;
- more than 2000 guns;
- about 900 aircraft.
Despite the huge losses in this battle, our troops defeated the enemy. The Day of the Great Victory over the Nazis was also marked by the fact that about half a million German soldiers were taken prisoner in this battle. The enemy suffered heavy losses. The Soviet troops werea huge number of German units were destroyed, namely:
- 12 tank;
- 70 Infantry;
- 11 motorized divisions.
Loss of life
According to the main sources, about 26.6 million people died in the Great Patriotic War. This number is determined by the demographic balance method. This number includes:
- Dead as a result of military and other actions of the enemy.
- Persons who left the USSR during the war, as well as those who did not return after it ended.
- Deaths due to increased mortality during the period of hostilities in the rear and in the occupied territory.
As for the sex of the dead and dead people during the Second World War, most of them are men. The total number is 20 million people.
Public holiday
Kalinin signed a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR that May 9 - Victory Day - is a public holiday. It was declared a public holiday. At 6 am Moscow time, this decree was read out on the radio by a well-known throughout the country announcer - Levitan. On the same day, a plane landed on Red Square in Moscow, delivering the act of surrender of Germany.
Celebration of the first Victory Day
In the evening in Moscow they gave the Victory Salute - the largest in the history of the USSR. Of the thousand guns, 30 volleys were fired. It took a long time to prepare for the first celebration dedicated to the Victory Day. The holiday was celebrated like no other in the Soviet Union. people onhugging and crying in the streets, congratulating each other on the victory.
The first military parade took place on June 24 on Red Square. Marshal Zhukov received him. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The regiments of the following fronts marched along Red Square:
- Leningradsky;
- Belarusian;
- Ukrainian;
- Karelian.
Also, a combined regiment of the Navy passed through the square. Commanders and Heroes of the Soviet Union walked ahead, carrying flags and banners of military units that had distinguished themselves in battle.
At the end of the military parade on Red Square, Victory Day was marked by the fact that two hundred banners of defeated Germany were carried and thrown at the Mausoleum. Only after the expiration of time, the military parade began to be held on Victory Day - May 9.
Forgetting period
The country's leadership after the war felt that the Soviet people, tired of fighting and bloodshed, should forget those events a little. And oddly enough, the custom of celebrating such an important holiday on a grand scale did not last long. In 1947, a new scenario for Victory Day was introduced by the country's leadership: it was completely canceled, and May 9 was recognized as an ordinary working day. Accordingly, all festivities and military parades were not held.
In 1965, in the year of the 20th anniversary, Victory Day (May 9) was reinstated and again recognized as a national holiday. Many regions of the Soviet Union held their own parades. And this day ended with the usual salute for everyone.
The collapse soon followedUSSR, which led to the emergence of various conflicts, including those on political topics. In 1995, a full-fledged celebration of Victory Day was resumed in Russia. In the same year, as many as 2 parades took place in Moscow. One was on foot and passed through Red Square. And the second was carried out using armored vehicles, and it was observed on Poklonnaya Gora.
The official part of the holiday is traditional. They sound on Victory Day - words of congratulations, followed by the laying of wreaths and flowers at the monuments and memorials of the Great Patriotic War and the obligatory evening fireworks crowns the festival.
Victory Day
There is no more touching, tragic and at the same time glorious holiday in our country than Victory Day. It is still celebrated annually on May 9th. No matter how the facts of our history have changed in recent years, this day remains beloved by everyone, dear and bright holiday.
On May 9, millions of people remember how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought, not sparing their lives, with enemies who decided to conquer the Soviet Union. They remember those who worked hard at factories producing equipment and weapons for the military. People were starving, but they held on, because they understood that the future victory over the fascist invaders depended only on their actions. It was these people who won the war, and thanks to their generation, today we live under peaceful skies.
How is Victory Day celebrated in Russia?
Rallies and demonstrations take place on this day. Flowers and wreaths are laid at the monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Honoredveterans and participants of those distant and at the same time such close events. In general, the same scenario always awaits us on this day. On Victory Day, in many countries they don’t arrange noisy parties, they don’t blow up firecrackers in the evenings. But this date enters the young hearts of Russians with black-and-white newsreels about that time, soul-stirring songs about a cramped dugout, about the front line and the soldier Alyosha forever frozen above the mountain.
9 May is a holiday of the proud victorious nation. It has been 70 years since the first celebration of Victory Day. But until now, this date is sacred for every Russian person. After all, there is not a single family that has not been touched by the grief of loss. Millions of soldiers went to the front, thousands of people remained to work in the rear. All the people rose to defend the Fatherland, and they managed to defend the right to a peaceful life.
An invariable attribute of the Victory Day holiday
Over the years, the holiday acquired its own traditions. In 1965, at the parade dedicated to the great date, a banner was carried out. It remained an invariable attribute of the holiday, which symbolized Victory Day. This banner is extremely significant today: until now, parades are full of red banners. Since 1965, the original Victory attribute has been replaced with a copy. The first banner can be seen at the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Also, the unchanging colors that accompany May 9 are black and yellow - symbols of smoke and flame. The St. George Ribbon has been a constant reflection of gratitude for peace and respect for veterans since 2005.
Heroes are winners
Every yearRussia celebrates a peaceful spring. Only, unfortunately, front-line wounds, time and disease are inexorable. To date, out of every hundred winners in the Great Patriotic War, only two people have survived. And this is a very sad statistic, especially for those who were born only after they started celebrating Victory Day. Veterans are our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who still remember those war years. They should be treated with special attention and honor. After all, it was they who made the sky above our heads become and remains peaceful.
Time treats ruthlessly everyone, even the valiant heroes of a harsh war. Year after year, the participants in those terrible events are becoming less and less. But they, as before, go out into the streets with orders and medals on their chests. Veterans meet with each other, remember the old days, commemorate friends and relatives who died in those years. Elderly people visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame. They travel to places of military glory, visit the graves of comrades who did not live to see our bright days. We must not forget the significance of exploits, which they have in relation to each individual fate and to world history in general. A little more time will pass, and there will be no witnesses and participants in that bloody war at all. Therefore, it is important to be very sensitive to this date - May 9.
Remember our ancestors
The main we alth of every human soul is the memory of the ancestors. After all, in order for us to live now and be what we are, many generations of people created our society. They made life as we know it.
Memoryabout the departed is priceless. The heroism of the victors of the Second World War cannot be estimated. We do not know all these great people by name. But what they have done cannot be measured by any material good. Even without knowing the names, our generation remembers them not only on Victory Day. We say words of gratitude every day for our peaceful existence. The largest number of flowers - a pronounced evidence of people's memory and admiration - is at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Eternal Flame always burns here, as if saying that although the names remain unknown, the human feat is immortal.
All those who fought in the Great Patriotic War did not fight for their well-being. People fought for the independence and freedom of their homeland. These heroes are immortal. And we know that a person is alive as long as he is remembered.
Monuments and monuments dedicated to Victory Day
The Second World War left a huge and unforgettable mark in the history of our country. For 70 years now, we have been commemorating this great May every year. Victory Day is a special holiday that honors the memory of the dead. In the vastness of Russia, there are a lot of memorials dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. And all monuments are different. There are inconspicuous obelisks in small villages, and huge monuments in large cities.
Here are some famous throughout the country and the world buildings dedicated to the soldiers of the Second World War:
- Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
- Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.
- Heroes Square in Novorossiysk.
- Alley of Heroes in St. Petersburg.
- Eternalfire of Glory in Novgorod.
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and more.
Feast "with tears in the eyes"
This significant and at the same time mournful holiday cannot be separated from the song "Victory Day". It contains these lines:
This Victory Day
Smell of gunpowder, It's a holiday
With gray hair at the temples.
It's joyWith tears in my eyes …”
This song is a kind of symbol of the great date - May 9th. Victory Day is never complete without it.
In March 1975, V. Kharitonov and D. Tukhmanov wrote a song dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The country was preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, and the Union of Composers of the USSR announced a competition to create the best song on the theme of heroic events. A few days before the end of the competition, the work was written. It was performed at the last audition of the competition by the wife of D. Tukhmanov, the poetess and singer T. Sashko. But it didn't take long for the song to become popular. Only in November 1975, at a celebration dedicated to the Day of the Police, did the listener remember the song performed by L. Leshchenko. After that, she gained the love of the whole country.
There are other performers of the famous "Victory Day". This is:
- I. Kobzon;
- M. Magomaev;
- Yu. Bogatikov;
- E. Piekha and others.
Victory Day will forever remain that holiday for Russians, which is met with bated breath and with tears in their eyes. Eternal memory to the heroes!
