Exactly 70 years ago, on June 24, 1945, the historic Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. This event, friends, is dedicated to this photo selection.
1. Victory parade. Soviet soldiers with the defeated standards of the Nazi troops.
The march of the combined regiments during the Victory Parade completed the formation of soldiers carrying 200 lowered banners and standards of the defeated Nazi troops. These banners were thrown on a special platform at the foot of the Lenin Mausoleum to the gloomy beat of drums. Hitler's personal standard was thrown first.
2. Victory Parade. Soviet soldiers with the defeated standards of the Nazi troops.
3. Group portrait of pilots - participants in the Victory Parade. From left to right in the front row: three officers from the 3rd APDD (long-range air regiment), pilots of the 1st Guards APDD: Mitnikov Pavel Tikhonovich, Kotelkov Alexander Nikolaevich, Bodnar Alexander Nikolaevich, Voevodin Ivan Ilyich. In the second row: Bychkov Ivan Nikolaevich, Kuznetsov Leonid Borisovich, two officers of the 3rd APDD, Polishchuk Illarion Semenovich (3rd APDD), Sevastyanov Konstantin Petrovich, Gubin Petr Fedorovich.
4. Ceremony of farewell to the soldiers of the Red Army with the Banner of Victory before it was sent to Moscow. In the foreground is the Soviet self-propelled gun SU-76. Berlin, Germany. May 20, 1945
5. Banner group of the combined regiment of the 1st Ukrainian Front at the Victory Parade. First from the left - three times Hero Soviet Union fighter pilot Colonel A.I. Pokryshkin, second from left - twice Hero of the Soviet Union, fighter pilot Major D.B. Glinka. Third from left - Hero of the Soviet Union Guard Major I.P. Slavic.
6. Heavy tanks IS-2 pass through Red Square during the parade in honor of the Victory on June 24, 1945.
7. Solemn building Soviet troops before the parade dedicated to sending the Banner of Victory to Moscow. Berlin. May 20, 1945
8. IS-2 tanks in Moscow on Gorky Street (now Tverskaya) before entering Red Square during the parade in honor of the Victory on June 24, 1945.
9. Line of Soviet soldiers and officers at the Victory Parade in Moscow.
10. The head of the political department of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Major General Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (center), the future leader of the USSR in 1964-1982, during the Victory Parade. At the parade, he was the commissar of the combined regiment of the 4th Ukrainian Front. The far left is the commander of the 101st Rifle Corps, Lieutenant General A.L. Bondarev, Hero of the Soviet Union.
11. Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov takes the Victory Parade in Moscow. Underneath it is a light-gray Terek horse breed named Kumir.
12. Pilots - Heroes of the Soviet Union - participants in the Victory Parade. 06/24/1945
Fifth from the right is Guard Captain Vitaly Ivanovich Popkov, commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (personally shot down 41 enemy planes). While there is only one Golden Star on his chest, the second one will appear in 3 days. Facts from his biography formed the basis of the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle” (the prototype of the commander Titarenko (“Maestro”) and the Grasshopper). Sixth from the right - Colonel General, commander of the 17th air army Vladimir Alexandrovich Sudets (1904-1981).
13. Victory Parade. The formation of sailors of the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea fleets, as well as the Dnieper and Danube fleets. In the foreground, Vice-Admiral V. G. Fadeev, who led the combined regiment of sailors, Captain 2nd Rank V.D. Sharoiko, Hero of the Soviet Union Captain 2nd Rank V.N. Alekseev, Hero of the Soviet Union, lieutenant colonel of the coastal service F.E. Kotanov, captain 3rd rank G.K. Nikiporets.
14. Victory Parade. Soviet soldiers with the defeated standards of the Nazi troops.
16. Victory Parade. Build tank officers.
17. Soldiers of the 150th Idritsa Rifle Division against the background of their assault flag, hoisted on May 1, 1945 over the Reichstag building in Berlin and which later became the state relic of the USSR - the Banner of Victory.
In the photo, participants in the assault on the Reichstag, who escorted the flag to Moscow from the Berlin Tempelhof airfield on June 20, 1945 (from left to right): captain K.Ya. Samsonov, junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, Sergeant M.A. Egorov, senior sergeant M.Ya. Soyanov, captain S.A. Neustroev.
18. Victory Parade. Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Patriotic War.
19. Hero of the Soviet Union Major General A.V. Gladkov with his wife at the end of the Victory Parade. The original title is "The Joy and Pain of Victory".
20. IS-2 tanks in Moscow on Gorky Street (now Tverskaya) before entering Red Square during the parade in honor of the Victory on June 24, 1945.
21. Meeting of the Banner of Victory at the airport in Moscow. The Banner of Victory is carried along the Central Moscow airfield on the day of its arrival in Moscow from Berlin. At the head of the column is Captain Valentin Ivanovich Varennikov (future First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, General of the Army, Hero of the Soviet Union). 06/20/1945
22. Warriors carry the Victory Banner along the Central Moscow airfield on the day it arrives in Moscow from Berlin. June 20, 1945
23. Troops at the Victory Parade.
24. Guards mortars "Katyusha" at the Victory Parade.
25. A column of paratroopers and submariners on Red Square.
26. A column of Red Army officers with defeated Nazi banners at the Victory Parade.
27. A column of officers of the Red Army with defeated fascist banners at the approach to the Lenin Mausoleum.
28. A column of Red Army officers throwing fascist banners at the foot of the mausoleum of V. I. Lenin.
29. Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov GK welcomes the troops taking part in the Victory Parade.
30. A rally at one of the airfields near Berlin before the departure of the Victory Banner to Moscow for the Victory Parade.
31. German banners thrown by Soviet soldiers on Red Square during the Victory Parade.
32. General form Red Square during the passage of troops on the day of the Victory Parade.
34. Victory Parade on Red Square.
35. Before the start of the Victory Parade.
36. Consolidated regiment of the 1st Belorussian Front during the Victory Parade on Red Square.
37. Tanks at the Victory Parade.
38. Solemn ceremony of handing over the Banner of Victory to the military commandant of Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel-General N. Berzarin to be sent to Moscow. 20 May 1945
39. Participants of the Victory Parade pass through Manezhnaya Square.
40. Consolidated regiment of the Third Belorussian Front, led by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky.
41. Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Budyonny, Supreme Commander of the USSR Armed Forces Joseph Stalin and Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov on the podium of Lenin's Mausoleum.
Great victory in the war with Nazi Germany is the logical conclusion of the incredible efforts of those who could not return alive from the battlefield, giving their lives, defending Kyiv and Sevastopol, Leningrad and Moscow, Stalingrad and Odessa, those who defended literally every centimeter native land. Since then, 70 years have passed. But the Victory Parade of 1945 will not be erased from the memory of all mankind. The world will always remember the courage and unprecedented heroism shown by the Soviet people in the struggle for peace.
Celebration Ordinance
On June 22, 1945, all the central newspapers of the USSR published an order given by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin. It said that in honor of the commemoration of the Victory over Nazi Germany, on June 24, a parade of troops would take place on Red Square in Moscow. It was also reported that they would be commanded by Marshal of the USSR K.K. Rokossovsky. Taking the Victory Parade (1945) was entrusted to another most famous Soviet military leader - Marshal G.K. Zhukov. It is characteristic that Stalin issued this decree exactly 4 years after the attack by the fascist German troops to the country.
Event organisation
Such an outstanding event - the 1945 Victory Parade - began to be prepared a month before it was held. At the head of the course, it was decided to carry the banner, which was hoisted over the Reichstag. I must say that the Banner of Victory was delivered to Moscow directly from Berlin. A guard of honor was appointed to meet and escort him. Captain Samsonov and sergeants Kantaria and Yegorov carried the banner out of the plane. They handed him over to the standard-bearer Shkirev. They were also assisted by the Heroes of the Soviet Union Art. sergeants Mashtakov and Parshin. It was they who had the honor to carry the Banner of Victory through the entire Red Square. Also on the plane were brought and German standards with banners.
In the meantime, almost all Moscow clothing factories were busy making parade uniforms not only for generals and officers, but also for soldiers. In addition, a plan was carefully developed to illuminate the city and fireworks. great attention was given to the organization of cultural recreation for the military. Films were shown for them, performances and concerts were staged.
Equipment preparation
The future passage of infantry units along Red Square was practiced at the Khodynka field, where the Central Airfield was located. And the Garden Ring area, starting from Smolenskaya Square and up to the Crimean Bridge, was used as a training ground for various military equipment. It is worth noting that the rehearsals were held exclusively at night.
When they organized the Victory Parade in Moscow (1945), it was not without problems. In order not to spoil the road surface, specially made wooden floorings were laid in the area of the Kremlin and Historical passages. But under the weight of tanks and artillery, they simply crumbled. They had to be replaced with more powerful oak and birch boards, folded into slabs. And in order for the equipment not to slip, the entire route of its movement was sprinkled with sand.
Also, a special mode of movement was established for tanks. The cars went to Red Square through the center of the capital at a distance of 20-60 m from each other at a speed not exceeding 5 km / h, and only in one row.
It was decided to line up the troops for the Victory Parade (1945) in the order in which the fronts operated during military operations. In addition, for each of the consolidated regiments, exactly those marches that they liked were selected. The penultimate rehearsal of the parade took place at the Central Airfield. The general one took place on Red Square. Despite the fact that only a month was allocated for the organization of such a grandiose event, all the regiments were ideally prepared for it.
Start
Finally, that unforgettable morning came when the first - historical - Victory Parade was to take place. On June 24, 1945, by 9 o'clock, all the stands for guests were filled. Meanwhile, the consolidated regiments of ten fronts froze in orderly ranks. At about 10 o'clock, the commander of the parade, K.K. Rokossovsky, left for Red Square on a beautiful black horse. Almost simultaneously with him, all the state leaders of the USSR, headed by I.V. Stalin, climbed the Mausoleum.
Exactly at 10 o'clock Rokossovsky gave the command: "Parade, at attention!" After that, the doors of the gates of the Spasskaya Tower swung open, and Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov swiftly and solemnly rode out of them on a snow-white horse. Immediately, a huge military band, consisting of 1400 musicians, which was led by Major General S. Chernetsky, thundered N. Glinka's anthem "Glory!"
In front of the central tribune, both marshals approached, and Rokossovsky reported on the readiness of the troops to begin the Victory Parade (1945). You can see a photo of this significant moment in our article. Then they solemnly began to go around the military ranks. From time to time, Zhukov stopped in front of the columns and congratulated everyone on the victory over Nazi Germany. After that, the marshal went up to the Mausoleum and delivered his historic speech about the role not only of the army, but of the entire Soviet people in the Great Victory. When he finished, three powerful “Hurray!” sounded over Red Square, and then the anthem of the Soviet Union. Then an artillery salute burst out, consisting of 50 volleys, and, finally, accompanied by marches, the troops began their solemn procession along Red Square.
Parade
It is worth noting that the regiments marched in the same order in which they were located during the hostilities - from north to south. The first were the fighters of the Karelian Front, led by Marshal K. Meretskov. This regiment caught up with the Mausoleum at 10:30. Behind him were the troops of the Leningrad Front, led by Marshal of the USSR L. Govorov, and the 1st Baltic, in front of which General of the Army I. Bagramyan marched. They were followed by the consolidated regiments of the 3rd (Marshal A. Vasilevsky), 2nd (Deputy Rokossovsky K. Trubnikov) and 1st (Deputy Zhukov V. Sokolovsky) Belorussian Fronts.
The Victory Parade (1945) continued. More and more columns passed through Red Square. Following Belorussky, a regiment of the 1st Ukrainian Front appeared, ahead of which were Marshal I. Konev and three times Hero of the USSR A. Pokryshkin with a flag. He was followed in turn by representatives of the 4th (General A. Eremenko), 2nd (commander R. Malinovsky) and 3rd (Marshal F. Tolbukhin) Ukrainian fronts.
In conclusion, the sailors marched in a parade march, led by Vice Admiral V. Fadeev. An interesting fact is that in each of the regiments, the first 3 ranks of fighters carried in their hands the banners of divisions, literally hung with orders and ribbons. In addition, representatives of the Polish Army also marched along Red Square. The parade was also attended by the soldiers of the Moscow garrison, the People's Commissariat of Defense and students of various military academies.
climax
The orchestra fell silent, and suddenly there was silence. To everyone present, it seemed endless. Suddenly there was a sharp drum roll and with it a column of soldiers appeared, carrying two hundred Nazi banners captured in battles. Their cloths dragged along the pavement, wet from the rain. And then the Victory Parade (June 1945) finally came to its climax and unforgettable moment. Approaching the Mausoleum, two hundred soldiers made a turn to the right and threw enemy banners at its foot.
It is worth noting that this ceremony was quite unusual. In the process of developing the scenario for the 1945 Victory Parade, some historical research was carried out. It turns out that legionnaires in ancient Rome did the same with enemy military attributes.
The final stage
In addition to the marching regiments, she took part in the event and military equipment: tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and heavy artillery. Everything went according to plan. The only deviation from it was that because of the rain, which gradually turned into a real downpour, the demonstration of the workers of the capital did not take place. But, despite this, the people did not disperse for a long time. In total, the Victory Parade in Moscow in 1945 lasted 2 hours.
And closer to the night, the sky over Red Square was lit up with many powerful searchlights. Hundreds of balloons flew in the air, and thousands of flares rained down from them, and colorful fireworks were launched from the ground. At some point, high in the sky, the image of the Order of Victory solemnly appeared, illuminated by the beams of searchlights.
Procession in Berlin
After such grand celebrations in Moscow, the government of the USSR, together with the High Command, decided to hold another so-called small Victory Parade (1945, photo above). It took place on September 7 in Berlin. Allied troops of the USSR, the USA, France and Great Britain took part in it. This parade was not so big, but at that time its political importance could not be overestimated. He was received by Marshal G. Zhukov, Field Marshal B. Montgomery, Generals de Tassigny and D. Eisenhower.
It is worth noting the fact that the 1945 Victory Parade in Berlin clearly demonstrated the prestige of the Soviet Union. And all this is thanks to our heroic warriors, who showed their excellent bearing and discipline there.
For several years now, on the ninth of May, after an almost 18-year break, a parade with the participation of aviation and armored vehicles has been held on Red Square. to restore the tradition seems logical. Indeed, according to opinion polls, nine out of ten of our citizens consider the Victory to be special, important and significant.
Meanwhile, the answer to the question of how the tradition of holding the Victory Parade was born is not so obvious. As shown by the Kremlin archives, there are enough white spots in the history of the very first Victory Parade.
Editorial change
It would seem that what happened on Red Square on June 24, 1945 has been studied up and down. Even a color newsreel has been preserved, capturing all the details of the ceremony. And in more than half a century that has passed since the first parade, it seems that there could not be any blank spots in this one. If not for one thing, but: access to the Kremlin archive secrets is still limited.
And recently, finally, it appeared to get acquainted with the secret folders of the Politburo for May-June 1945. Thanks to the neat Soviet clerks, the cases were organized by topic, and there was no need to leaf through hundreds of volumes, looking for the necessary materials. Documents on the holding of parades and the organization of fireworks from 1945 to the early 1960s were bound in one folder.
Among the documents of the same type on plain A4 paper, the folder contained two unusual in form and sensational in content documents. Firstly, this is a diagram of “the formation of troops during the passage of a solemn march at the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945”, drawn in color on thick Whatman sheets. Secondly, the original of the speech of Georgy Zhukov, which the legendary marshal held in his hands, standing in the rain on the podium of the Mausoleum in June 45th, is stored in a separate envelope. Judging by the notes on the document, the marshal had to not only read from a piece of paper written by someone else's hand, but also scrupulously follow special notes: with what intonation to pronounce this or that section of the text, where to place accents.
Apparently, the outline of the speech of the legendary commander on the eve of the parade was meticulously processed by an unknown specialist in the art of speech. Possibly a professional speaker. On the left, in the margins of the document, either with a blue chemical pencil or blue ink (during the rain, the inscriptions flowed - and this is clearly visible in the photograph), he placed notes in calligraphic handwriting on how individual fragments of the text should sound. An unknown prompter suggested to the Marshal of the Soviet Union where to say “quieter”, “more heartfelt”, “a little louder”, where “firmly and loudly”, “quieter and more severely”, “widely, more solemnly”, finally, where “louder and louder with growth."
Today it is no longer possible to find out the name of the author of the text of Zhukov's speech and remarks to it. One thing is clear: it was not Georgy Konstantinovich who wrote and edited the report. Still - after all, the document had the most important political significance. It is also obvious that he was coordinated and corrected at the very top. By the way, in the future with this text there were many misadventures. After the fact, it was subjected to editorial revision already in the Khrushchev-Brezhnev times.
Secret Scenario
Find out in the Kremlin archives who and how prepared the script for the first Victory Parade.
The decision to hold parades on Red Square since the thirties was made at meetings of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. The memoranda, as a rule, signed by Kliment Voroshilov, reported on the number of participants in the upcoming event and brands of heavy equipment. The request of the military was approved by the Kremlin Areopagus without discussion. In general, the usual routine.
However, as it now turns out, the organization of the 1945 parade differed from the previous ones in that for the first time a detailed parade scheme was sent to the Kremlin. She was trained in the office of the head of the Moscow garrison. The scheme was personally approved by the commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District, Colonel-General Pavel Artemiev. The date C "22" is on the document. No month specified. According to some reports, Stalin accepted the parade only on May 24, so it can be assumed that the final plan for the parade was approved just two days before it was held - on June 22, 1945.
In one of the longest in the Soviet (two hours) parades, perhaps everything that could fall under the then definition of "military power" took part. just lucky cavalry. It is understandable. Although archaic, but spectacular: two batteries of horse artillery, 16 carts of a machine-gun squadron, six squadrons of a combined cavalry regiment, cavalry regiment of the NKVD. For comparison: there were only 53 T-34 tanks that contributed to the Victory at the parade. It is curious that the entire 3rd Ukrainian Front is represented at the parade by fourteen companies, and one division of the NKVD troops was honored to appear in the amount of as many as twenty-four companies. The Central Military-Technical Training School was represented at the parade by two battalions of mine detectors with dogs.
Surprisingly, this most detailed scenario of the parade was not formally approved either by the Politburo or personally by Stalin. However, the very fact that the document was included in the materials of the Central Committee under the heading "top secret" suggests that without the "hand of the Kremlin" this issue could not be resolved.
At the same time, the Politburo decided to hold a demonstration on Red Square, suggesting that the Moscow City Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks begin it immediately after the parade of troops. However, on June 24, Stalin and his colleagues in the Politburo turned out to be beyond the control of heavenly forces - it was pouring rain all over the capital. Now such a trifle is dealt with relatively easily, causing precipitation in advance with the help of reagents on the approach of clouds to Moscow, and then the plans of the seemingly omnipotent leadership of the party and government had to be changed on the go.
First, they refused to fly 570 aircraft. The parade warrant was to be personally led by Air Chief Marshal Alexander Novikov. The length of the battle order of the "Stalin's falcons" according to the plan was as much as 30 kilometers. But no one saw this spectacle over Red Square in 1945.
The downpour also canceled the workers' demonstration. Subsequently, having restored the Victory Parade, the Soviet leadership did not return to the topic of popular demonstrations on Victory Day. Apparently, they considered that it was enough for citizens to show patriotic feelings on May 1 and November 7. On May 9, on Red Square, the state demonstrated exclusively its military power and fighting spirit. The Soviet custom is being revived in full: the world will once again see with its own eyes a demonstration of the nuclear-missile fist of the Empire.
Victory Parade (in the USSR) - a parade in Moscow, held on June 24, 1945, to commemorate the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War.
On June 22, 1945, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin No. 370 was published in the central newspapers of the USSR:
To commemorate the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, on June 24, 1945, in Moscow, on Red Square, I appoint a parade of troops of the Army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison - the Victory Parade.
Bring to the parade: consolidated regiments of the fronts, a consolidated regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, a consolidated regiment of the Navy, military academies, military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison.
The Victory Parade will be hosted by my Deputy Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov.
Command the Victory Parade to Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky.
I entrust the general leadership for organizing the parade to the commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District and the head of the garrison of the city of Moscow, Colonel General Artemyev.
Supreme Commander,
Marshal of the Soviet Union
I. Stalin
The Supreme Commander ordered:
1. To participate in the parade in Moscow, in honor of the victory over Germany, allocate a combined regiment from the front.
2. Form a consolidated regiment according to the following calculation: five two-company battalions of 100 people each. in each company (10 departments of 10 people). In addition, 19 people commanders from the calculation - regiment commander 1, deputy. commander of regiment 2 (in combat and political affairs), chief of staff of regiment 1, battalion commanders 5, company commanders 10 and 36 people. denominators with 4 assistant officers; in the consolidated regiment 1059 people. and 10 people. spare.
3. In the consolidated regiment to have six companies of infantry, one company of artillerymen, one company of tankers, one company of pilots and one company of combined - cavalrymen, sappers, signalmen.
4. The companies should be staffed in such a way that the commanders of the departments are middle officers, and in the composition of the departments - privates and sergeants.
5. Personnel for participation in the parade should be selected from among the soldiers and officers who have most distinguished themselves in battles and who have military orders.
6. Equip the consolidated regiment: three rifle companies - with rifles, three rifle companies - with machine guns, a company of artillerymen - with carbines behind their backs, a company of tankers and a company of pilots - with pistols, a company of sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen - with carbines behind their backs, cavalrymen, in addition - checkers.
7. The front commander and all army commanders, including aviation and tank armies, arrive at the parade.
8. The consolidated regiment to arrive in Moscow on June 10 of this year, having thirty-six combat banners of the formations and units of the front most distinguished in battles and all the combat banners of formations and units of the enemy captured in battles, regardless of their number.
Ceremonial uniforms for the entire regiment will be issued in Moscow.
The General Staff was engaged in the preparation. It is troublesome, similar to a front-line operation: to select the 40,000 most distinguished in the troops and transfer them, along with equipment, to Moscow by June 10. The railroad drove letter echelons out of turn. But people needed not only to accommodate, but also to dress. The order was entrusted to the Bolshevichka factory, and city ateliers were also involved. The equipment was concentrated at the training ground in Kuzminki. The possibility of rain was taken into account: so that the horses would not slip, the paving stones on the square were sprinkled with tyrsa - a mixture of sand and sawdust. In honor of the parade, a 26-meter Fountain of the Winners was erected at the Execution Ground. Then he was removed. They considered it ridiculous.
The parade was hosted by Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. Zhukov and Rokossovsky rode through Red Square on white and black horses. JV Stalin watched the parade from the podium of Lenin's Mausoleum. Molotov, Kalinin, Voroshilov, Budyonny and other members of the Politburo were also present on the podium.
The first on the square was the consolidated regiment of Suvorov drummers, followed by the consolidated regiments of 11 fronts in the order of their location in the theater of operations by the end of the war - from north to south - and the regiment Navy. Representatives of the Polish Army marched in a special column with the regiment of the 1st Belorussian Front.
In front of the regiments (each 1059 people) - the commanders of the fronts and armies. Bannermen with assistants - Heroes of the Soviet Union - carried 36 banners of formations and units of each front that distinguished themselves in battles. And for each regiment, an orchestra of 1,400 musicians performed a special march.
The march of the combined regiments was completed by a column of soldiers carrying 200 lowered banners and standards of the defeated German troops. These banners were thrown to the beat of drums on a special platform at the foot of the Lenin Mausoleum. The first to be abandoned by Fyodor Legkoshkur was the Leibstandarte of the LSSAH, the SS battalion of Hitler's personal guard. The deposition of the German banners was deliberately carried out with gloves to emphasize the disgust for the defeated enemy. After the parade, gloves and a wooden platform were solemnly burned.
Marching across Red Square, the troops turned their heads to the podium of the Mausoleum, and passing by the representatives of the allies (who delayed the opening of the second front for so long), defiantly did not do this, holding their heads straight.
Then the units of the Moscow garrison marched in a solemn march: the combined regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the military academy, the military and Suvorov schools, a composite cavalry brigade, artillery, motorized, airborne and tank units and subunits, brigades of heavy tanks "Joseph Stalin-2" and medium T-34, recognized as the best tanks of World War II.
Regiments of ISU-152, ISU-122 and SU-100 self-propelled "St. Battalions of light SU-76s, nicknamed "the death of four tankers". Next came the famous "Katyusha", artillery of all calibers: from 203 mm to 45 mm and mortars. A steel avalanche rolled over the area for 50 minutes! The parade lasted two hours and nine minutes.
A participant in the parade recalled: “With greedy interest, while we were passing by the Mausoleum, for several seconds, without stopping, I looked at Stalin’s face. It was thoughtful, calm, tired and stern. And motionless. No one stood close to Stalin, around him there was some kind of space, a sphere, an exclusion zone. He stood alone. I did not experience any special feelings, except for curiosity. The Supreme Commander was inaccessible. I left Red Square inspired. The world was arranged correctly: we won. I felt yourself as a particle of the victorious people ... "
2,500 guests were invited to the Kremlin reception on the occasion of the parade. It was on it that Stalin delivered his famous toast, which included the following words: “I drink, first of all, to the health of the Russian people, because they are the most prominent nation of all the nations that make up the Soviet Union ... I raise a toast to health of the Russian people, not only because they are the leading people, but also because they have a clear mind, steadfast character and patience ... Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust!
More Stalin did not arrange such celebrations either on June 24 or on May 9: he understood that the country needed to be restored. Only in 1965 did Victory Day become our official holiday, and parades began to be held on May 9 on a regular basis. The Victory Parade is dedicated to the eponymous documentary, filmed in 1945, one of the first color films in the USSR.
Interesting Facts
# Zhukov's horse was a Terek breed of light gray color, and his name was Kumir. There is a version that the horse of Marshal Zhukov was an Akhal-Teke breed, light gray in color, named Arab. It is this nickname that confuses many. It was with him that the Arab line began. However, this version has not been confirmed. Rokossovsky's horse was a thoroughbred horse of a karakov suit. His nickname is Pole.
# The decision to hold the Victory Parade was made by Stalin in mid-May 1945 (May 24, 1945), almost immediately after the defeat of the last non-surrendering group of German troops on May 13.
# During the Victory Parade, it was pouring continuous rain, down to a downpour, this is clearly visible on the newsreel. Many participants in the Victory Parade remember that rain. Due to heavy rain, the air part of the parade and the passage of columns of workers of the capital were canceled.
# The Victory Parade was not hosted by the Supreme Commander (Stalin), but by his deputy (Zhukov). S. M. Shtemenko, who was in charge of preparing the parade, argued that Zhukov was supposed to receive the parade from the very beginning. A number of sources claim that Stalin did not accept the parade due to the fact that he did not have sufficient riding skills. In the memoirs of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov "Memoirs and Reflections", according to Stalin's son Vasily, it is stated that just before the parade, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief tried to learn how to handle a horse, but she carried him and Stalin fell. This episode is missing from earlier editions of the book.
# Marshal Zhukov, who was hosting the parade, was accompanied by Major General Pyotr Pavlovich Zelensky on a white horse named Celebes. Marshal Rokossovsky, who commanded the parade, was accompanied by an adjutant - Lieutenant Colonel Klykov on a horse named Eaglet.
# Enemy banners and standards thrown onto the platform at the Mausoleum were collected by SMERSH trophy teams in May 1945. All of them are outdated 1935, taken in regimental storage areas and arsenals (new ones were not made until the end of the war; the Germans never went into battle under the banner). The dismantled Leibstandarte LSSAH is also an old model - 1935 (the cloth from it is stored separately - in the archive of the FSB). In addition, among the banners are almost two dozen of the Kaiser's, mostly cavalry, also the flags of the party, the Hitler Youth, the Labor Front, etc. All of them are now saved in the TsMVS. Rumors that the "Vlasov tricolor" was among the overthrown trophies are not true. However, in the color version of the film, one can clearly see how some kind of White Guard banner is falling (time 00:10:24) with the icon of the Savior.
# The combined orchestra ended the parade with the melody of "Patriotic Song" - a piece of music that had been virtually banned for a long time.
# G. Zhukov violated two ancient traditions at once, which prohibit the passage on horseback and with an uncovered head through the gates of the Kremlin's Spassky Tower.
Salute of Victory over the Kremlin
On May 9, our Motherland celebrates the Victory Day over Nazi Germany every year. The parade is traditional for this day. Today I want to consider the first military victory parade on June 24, 1945 in Moscow on Red Square. In particular, we will consider the features of preparing for the parade, which troops took part, the number of participants, equipment and weapons at the parade, the formation of troops, and so on.
Order No. 370
The order to hold the victory parade was signed by the Supreme Commander (Stalin) on June 22, 1945 under number 370. The order prescribed:
- Bring the troops of the active army, the Navy, academies, schools and the troops of the Moscow garrison to the Parade.
- Parade "Victory" held on Red Square.
- Takes the parade - Marshal of the USSR Zhukov.
- Commanding the parade - Marshal of the USSR Rokossovsky.
- Leading the preparation of the parade - Colonel General Artemyev (commander of the Moscow garrison).
Parade time
The Moscow parade on June 24, 1945, commemorating the victory over Germany, was well planned. It lasted 2 hours 9 minutes and 10 seconds according to official documents. It is problematic to consider the chronicle for studying the parade, but today the preparation documents have already been declassified, so on their basis it is possible to conduct a study.
The timing of the Victory parade was approved by the commandant of the city of Moscow, Lieutenant General Silov in May 1945. Below is a table with the calculation of the time.
| Event | Duration |
|---|---|
Start of the Victory Parade at 10:00 |
|
| Departure of the host of the parade | 50 seconds |
| Report of the parade commander and handing the drill note to the receiver | 20 seconds |
| Detour of the troops hosting the parade | 15 minutes |
| Festive speech | 10 minutes |
| Salute | 3 minutes 30 seconds |
| Preparing for solemn march | 1 minute 30 seconds |
| Infantry movement | 36 minutes |
| Set distance by cavalry | 2 minutes |
| cavalry movement | 4 minutes |
| Artillery movement | 29 minutes |
| Vehicle movement | 21 minutes |
| Formation and passage of the orchestra | 5 minutes |
| Total parade time | 2 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds |
Completion of the parade 12 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds |
|
Only on the basis of this document it can be seen that the main emphasis was placed on infantry and equipment.
German banners on Red Square
The parade on June 24, 1945 is unthinkable without war trophies. These were the banners of the defeated German units and subunits. The war lasted 4 years, during which many banners were repulsed from the enemy, so it was impossible to take them all to Red Square. It was decided to select the 200 most significant. On June 21, 1945, the list of trophy banners of the German troops selected for the parade was approved by Colonel Peredelsky. The list turned out as follows:
- Unit banners - 26
- Battalion banners - 138
- Division banners - 36
A complete list of German units can be found at archival documents, I will give only the name german parts and regiments whose banners were carried on Red Square. These are the following regiments: 1 cuirassier, 5 cuirassier, 1 cavalry, 2 cavalry, 3 cavalry, 4 cavalry, 8 cavalry, 12 light cavalry, 10 cavalry infantry, 11 cavalry infantry, 4 hussar, 6 hussar, 1 dragoon, 8 heavy dragoon, 10 dragoon, 3 mountain fighter squadron "Horst Wessel", 10 lancers, 1 cavalry lancers, 2 lancers, 8 cavalry lancers, 4 lancers, 17 artillery.
Preparing for the parade
Any parade requires careful preparation and rehearsal. The military parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945 was no exception, and preparations for it (valid) began on June 12. To this end, a Plan of Action for the preparation of the parade was drawn up. It was compiled by the commandant of Moscow, Lieutenant General Sinipov, and the Plan was approved by the head of the Moscow Garrison, Colonel General Artemyev.
| Event | date of | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| First parade rehearsal in full force infantry | 12 June | 7:00-9:00 | Central airfield |
| Review of artillery units and units | June 13 | 7:00-9:00 | Garden Ring: from Smolenskaya Square to Krymsky Bridge |
| Review training of armored and mechanical units | June 13 | 15:00-18:00 | polygon Kuzminki |
| View all equipment | June 16 | 03:00-05:00 | the Red Square |
| Building Orchestras | |||
| Dress rehearsal for the parade | June 17 | 7:00-9:00 | Central airfield |
All events were held as usual, without any incidents and incidents.
Parade participants
Before the "Victory" in June 1945, it turned out to be massive. This was important, since the USSR fought the enemy for 4 years, successfully ended the war and wanted to hold a parade at the highest level in order to put an end to the military epic that covered Europe in the 30s and 40s of the last century. To demonstrate the mass nature of the parade, you can provide data on the number:
- People - 36 845 people
- Artillery pieces - 590
- Artillery traction equipment - 652
- Equipment and armored vehicles - 614
- Aircraft - 630
From the combat units, the troops of the following fronts took part in the parade.
| Front | Number of mouths | Composite Regiment Commander |
|---|---|---|
| Karelian | 8 | Major General Kalinovsky Grigory Evstafievich |
| Leningradsky | 14 | Major General Andrey Trofimovich Stuchenko |
| 1st Baltic | 14 | Lieutenant General Anton Ivanovich Lopatin |
| 1st Belarusian | 14 | Lieutenant General Rosly Ivan Pavlovich |
| 2nd Belarusian | 14 | Lieutenant General Erastov Konstantin Maksimovich |
| 3rd Belarusian | 14 | Lieutenant General Koshevoy Pyotr Kirillovich |
| 1st Ukrainian | 14 | Major General Baklanov Gleb Vladimirovich |
| 2nd Ukrainian | 14 | Lieutenant General Afonin Ivan Mikhailovich |
| 3rd Ukrainian | 14 | Lieutenant General Biryukov Nikolai Ivanovich |
| 4th Ukrainian | 14 | Lieutenant General Andrey Bondarev |
| Navy | 10 | Vice Admiral Fadeev Vladimir Georgievich |
The location of the troops is taken from the approved scheme for building the army at the Victory parade. The document was approved by Colonel-General Artemyev.
Why didn't Stalin accept the Parade?
Probably the most popular question is why Stalin did not accept the 1945 parade, because he was the supreme commander? There is no official version on this subject, but there is a legend that is often repeated in books and memoirs. The fact is that the host of the parade had to ride a horse. Later, Zhukov said that Vasily Stalin, the son of Joseph Vissarionovich, said that on June 16, Stalin fell off his horse at a rehearsal. There were no consequences, but after that it was decided that Zhukov would take the parade.
The text of Zhukov's solemn address, when the military victory parade on June 24, 1945 moved to the solemn part, well reflects the spirit of what is happening.
