Russian soldiers march through Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2016, during the Victory Day military parade marking 71 years after the victory in WWII. Military parades and solemn marches will be held in 43 Russian cities, the “Immortal Regiment” rally will be held in 26 countries.
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“It (the commemoration) has become a symbol of sacred closeness between Russian Federation and its people”, Putin told the parade. Many carried photographs of relatives who fought in the war or endured home-front deprivations such as the 872-day siege of Leningrad by Nazi forces.
“We must defeat this evil, and Russian Federation is open to join forces with all countries and is ready to work on the creation of a modern, non-aligned system of global security”, Putin added. “But the most important thing is to create the conditions for a political settlement of the crisis in the country”, Putin said during the meeting with executives from Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Victory Day military parade in Red Square.
In the former Russia-led Soviet Union authorities often placed individuals in psychiatric clinics to crack down on dissent.
Donetsk’s “Day of the Republic” featured a parade of more than 10,000 people who waved local flags as well as those of Russian Federation and two separatist regions of ex-Soviet Georgia whose independence is recognized by Moscow and a handful of its allies. The march in downtown Moscow was the largest of its kind ever seen in Russian Federation with police estimating a turn out of over half a million people.
Traditionally, the parade was started by drummers from the Moscow Military Music School, whose students opened the legendary Victory Parade in 1945. Less than half of some 70 world leaders invited to attend last year’s 70th anniversary showed up. Meanwhile, the parade also featured female military service personnel from the Military University for the first time.
The marches are not only held throughout Russian Federation, but in foreign countries, including the United States, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
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In the afternoon, a huge of crowd estimated at more than 400,000 held a procession through central Moscow to Red Square honouring the Red Army soldiers who fought in World War II and the civilians who suffered.
