Today, the largest parade in the history of the CIS countries took place on Red Square. Kazakh military personnel also took part in it. In connection with this event, we decided to tell how the Victory Day Parades were held from 1945 to 2010.


Source: website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The very first Victory parade took place June 24, 1945. The decision to hold it was made back in mid-May, when Soviet troops broke the resistance of the last who did not give up German units. From the very beginning, Stalin wanted to make this event grandiose and hitherto unseen. To do this, it was necessary to present at the parade all the fronts and branches of the armed forces. On May 24, the General Staff put forward its proposals for holding the parade. The commander-in-chief made one adjustment to them - instead of two months, he allotted only a month to organize the parade. On the same day, orders to form consolidated regiments scattered across the fronts.

Each regiment was to consist of 1,000 personnel and 19 commanders. Later, already in the process of staffing the regiments, their strength increased to 1465 people. Particularly distinguished fighters who had awards for courage shown during the war years were selected for the regiments. Each regiment was supposed to have rifle units, artillerymen, tankers, pilots, sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen. Each branch of the military had its own dress uniform and weapons.


In addition to the combined regiments of the fronts, the Parade was supposed to pass separate regiment Navy, students of military academies and schools, as well as troops of the Moscow garrison.


Colonel-General Sergei Shtemenko and Chief of the General Staff Alexei Antonov were appointed responsible for holding the Parade. It is hard to even imagine how hard this burden was given to them, because such a large-scale event had to be organized as soon as possible.

For 15 thousand participants of the event, it was necessary to sew a dress uniform of a new sample. Factories in Moscow and the Moscow region worked without days off and breaks, but by June 20 they coped with the task, and all the ceremonial uniforms were ready.


Separately, it was necessary to make ten standards of the fronts. Initially, this task was entrusted to a division of Moscow military builders. Unfortunately, their option was rejected, and only ten days remained before the Parade. Experienced craftsmen from the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater came to the rescue. Under the guidance of the head of the art and props shop V. Terzibashyan and the head of the locksmith and mechanical shop N. Chistyakov, they prepared the standards for the deadline. These banners weighed about 10 kilograms each. To facilitate the task of those who will carry them in the parade, sword belts were designed and manufactured, thrown on wide belts over the left shoulder, with a leather glass in which the flagpole was attached.

The drill training of personnel began on June 10, when the consolidated regiments of the fronts arrived in the Moscow region. It took place at the Frunze Central Airfield. The fighters trained six to seven hours a day. Separately, a special company was prepared, which was to carry Nazi banners at the Parade. The soldiers trained with heavy sticks almost 2 meters long. According to the recollections of the participants after these classes, sweat flowed from them in a stream. For the preparation of this company, soldiers of the 3rd regiment of the division named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky were specially allocated.


By the way, it's bad. drill caused the cancellation of the removal of the Banner of Victory to Red Square. A group of standard-bearers, consisting of Mikhail Yegorov, Meliton Kantaria and Captain Stepan Neustroev, participants in the hoisting of the Banner over the Reichstag, did not manage to learn the drill step at the proper level for their responsible mission in time.


On the day of the parade I went heavy rain. Because of him, the flight of equipment over the Kremlin was canceled, as well as the passage of the column of workers. The parade brought together many war heroes, deputies of the Supreme Council, artists, heroes of labor. At 9:45 a.m., Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Kalinin and other members of the Politburo went up to the podium of the Mausoleum. Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky was appointed commander of the parade. He sat on a black horse named Pole. The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov on a white light gray horse named Kumir. At 10 o'clock they galloped towards each other. Five minutes later, the detour of the parade columns lined up on the square began. A loud “Hurrah!” swelled from all sides. Artillery fired 50 volleys. Zhukov got up and delivered a speech in which he congratulated everyone on the end of the war.


The passage of the columns was opened by Marshal Rokossovsky. Behind him was a group of young Suvorov drummers, pupils of the 2nd Moscow Military Music School. Already behind him were the combined regiments of the fronts in geographical location from north to south: Karelsky under the command of Marshal Meretskov, Leningradsky with Marshal Govorov, 1st Baltic with General Bagramyan, 3rd Belorussian led by Marshal Vasilevsky, 2nd Belorussian with the deputy commander of the troops Colonel General K. P. Trubnikov, 1st Belorussian, who was also led by Deputy Commander Sokolovsky, 1st Ukrainian led by Marshal Konev, 4th Ukrainian with Army General Eremenko, 2nd Ukrainian with commander Marshal Malinovsky, 3 th Ukrainian Marshal Tolbukhin, consolidated regiment Navy with Vice Admiral Fadeev.


There were many of our compatriots in these regiments. For one of them, Mukhangali Turmagambetov, the war began in July 1941 near the borders of the USSR in Belarus. Together with other units, he retreated to the west, almost twice was captured. In the rank of sergeant of an anti-aircraft battery, the fighter participated in the legendary battle for Moscow. He happened to take part in the historic military parade on May 7, 1941. And now, having passed Stalingrad, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, the Carpathians and Austria, he again walked along Red Square, having passed a tough selection of ten thousand people.


After the columns of the consolidated regiments of the fronts, a company of soldiers carrying enemy banners began to move across the square. In preparation for the parade, 900 banners and standards of German units were taken out of Germany. The commission selected two hundred of them. The soldiers approached the foot of the Mausoleum and threw banners onto platforms specially constructed for this purpose. The soldiers were wearing white gloves on their hands to emphasize how disgusted everyone is with Nazi symbols. The first to be thrown was the Leibstandarte of the LSSAH, Hitler's bodyguard battalion. After the parade, all German banners were transferred to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces for storage.


The orchestra sounded again in the square. Parts of the Moscow garrison and a combined regiment of cadets of military academies and schools passed. The cadets of the Suvorov military schools closed the procession. The cavalry brigade and fighters on motorcycles followed the foot units.


Completed the parade military equipment. Anti-aircraft mounts on vehicles, batteries of anti-tank and large-caliber artillery, field artillery, such as the famous ZIS-2 and ZIS-3 guns, drove along the cobblestones of Red Square. They were followed by T-34 and IS tanks, followed by a combined military band.


Source ITAR-TASS archive

After this legendary parade, such large-scale celebrations in honor of May 9 were not held for twenty years. This day remained non-working only until the 48th year, when the country's leadership canceled the day off, making it a non-working day New Year. In 1965, the new General Secretary Brezhnev, who himself was a war veteran, remembered this holiday and decided to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Victory on a grand scale. Since then, May 9 has again become a day off and a national holiday.

The commander of the Moscow Military District Afanasy Beloborodov commanded the parade of the 65th year, and the Minister of Defense Rodion Malinovsky, twenty years ago, who himself walked along the cobblestones of Red Square at the head of the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, hosted the parade.

I remember the anniversary parade for the first time in the history of the removal of the Banner of Victory. Time put everything in its place, Kantaria and Yegorov, who did not take part in the Victory Parade, finally passed through Red Square as part of a banner group. The honor to carry the Banner was given to the participant in the storming of the Reichstag, the Hero Soviet Union Colonel Konstantin Samsonov.


In terms of scale, the Parade of the 65th was not inferior to the first Victory Parade, and even surpassed it in terms of the amount of equipment. Almost a third of the participants in the parade were veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Vehicles from the war times and modern weapons of the Soviet army passed through the square.


There were also political motives in the decision to hold the Victory Parade. The foreign attachés present at the parade were amazed to see the huge ballistic missiles passing by them. The announcer clearly stated that missiles could hit a target anywhere in the world. Not a little scared and in the headquarters of NATO. No one knew that only models of 8K713, 8K96 missiles developed by Sergei Korolev and 8K99 designed by Mikhail Yangel passed through the square. In reality, samples of these missiles have not yet been collected and tested. As a result, after the failure of the tests, they did not go into the series.


In the history of the parades on May 9, there was again a break of 20 years. The next, third of them took place only in the 85th, on the fortieth anniversary of the Victory. There was a new one in the stands that day General Secretary CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev and members of the Politburo. The parade was commanded by General of the Army Pyotr Lushev, and was received by Defense Minister Marshal Sergei Sokolov. He also addressed the military with a speech in which he paid attention to the role of the European Resistance and the countries of the anti-fascist coalition in the victory. At the same time, he remarked: "Bourgeois propaganda removes responsibility from those who unleashed the war and are trying to belittle the role of the Soviet Union in defeating the fascist invaders."

The parade was opened by the drummers of the Moscow Military Music School. They were followed by a group of banners. The banner of Victory was carried by a participant in the war, an ace fighter who shot down 46 fascist aircraft, twice Hero of the Soviet Union - Nikolai Skomorokhov. 150 banners were carried across the square, the most distinguished units during the war years. In the historical part of the parade, columns of veterans passed: Heroes of the Soviet Union, full holders of the Orders of Glory, participants in the parade of the 45th year, partisans and home front workers. For the first time, foreign military personnel, veterans from Poland and Czechoslovakia, took part in the Parade.

in columns modern troops were students of higher military academies and colleges. Among them were representatives of the Frunze Military Academy, the V. I. Lenin Military-Political Academy, the Dzerzhinsky Academy, the Academy of Armored Forces, and the Chemical Protection Academy. In addition, paratroopers marched across the square, marines, Suvorov and Nakhimov. The Kremlin cadets, students of the Moscow Higher Military Command School, completed the passage of foot columns.


The passage of technology was also divided into historical and modern parts. Last time in the history of the Soviet Union, T 34-85 tanks, SU-100 self-propelled guns, Katyushas - BM-13 mortars drove across the square.


Source ITAR-TASS archive

The 1985 parade featured a lot of new equipment that had entered service just a few years earlier. In total, 612 units of military equipment were used. Soldiers of the Taman division rode in armored vehicles BPM-2, paratroopers in BMD-1 and BTR-70. Tankers of the Kantemirovskaya division controlled T-72 tanks. Of the artillery, the howitzers "Carnation" and "Acacia", the guns "Hyacinth" participated in the parade. Ballistic missiles (Luna-M, Tochka, R-17) were also brought across the square.


The parade in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in 1995, in fact, was divided into two parts. The first of them - the historical one - took place on Red Square and began at ten o'clock. As planned by the organizers, this parade was supposed to reconstruct the first Victory Parade. Soldiers dressed as Red Army soldiers marched across the square. The Victory Banner was carried by a participant in the 1945 Victory Parade, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, retired Colonel-General of Aviation Mikhail Odintsov. He was followed by 4,939 war and labor veterans in the consolidated regiments and under the banners of the fronts in which he fought.

Among the guests of the Parade were UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali, US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. As well as the heads of the former Soviet republics: Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and others.


The modern part of the parade took place on Poklonnaya Hill, where a tribune was built especially for this. The parade was commanded by Colonel-General Leonid Kuznetsov and received by Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev. The parade was attended by 10 thousand people, 330 units of military equipment, 45 aircraft, 25 helicopters. It lasted a record two hours.

Cadets of the Frunze Academy, the Dzerzhinsky Academy, the Academy of Armored Forces, the Ryazan Airborne School, etc. passed in foot columns. For the first time, students of the Military Academy of Economics, Finance and Law, which opened in 1993, took part in the parade. The parade was attended by BTR-80, BMP-3, T-80 tanks, jet system salvo fire"Smerch", air defense system S-300. Quite in the spirit of that time was the refusal to participate in the parade of ballistic missiles.

For the first time in the history of celebrations for the Victory Day, the aviation part of the parade took place. Il-78 tanker planes were demonstrated, accompanied by Su-24 front-line bombers, MiG-31 fighter jets, An-124 Ruslan cargo giants, and Ka-27 helicopters intended for ship-based deployment flew by.


On June 24, 1945, the legendary first Victory Parade took place in Moscow. On that rainy day on Red Square, the capital honored the victors of fascism. The parade was commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky, and received by Marshal G.K. Zhukov.

In theory, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was to take over the parade on a white horse, i.e. I.V. Stalin, but as the son of the leader, Vasily, later told Zhukov, supposedly Stalin was supposed to take the parade himself, but while training, he fell off his horse and, arguing that he was “already old to take parades,” entrusted this matter to Zhukov.

An interesting detail: marching across Red Square, our troops turned their heads to the trumpeter of the Mausoleum, greeting and saluting the Politburo, and passing by the representatives of the allies (who delayed the opening of the second front for so long), no matter how pointedly they did it, holding their heads straight.

~40,000 people were involved in the first Victory Parade. According to the participants, main task marching was not to stray from the step and keep the line. To do this, those walking nearby grappled with each other with their little fingers, which made it possible to walk more smoothly.

It is also curious that the gloves of the standard-bearers who threw 200 captured German banners on special platforms to the Mausoleum (Hitler's personal standard was thrown first) were burned after the Parade, like the platforms themselves. Such is the disinfection from the fascist infection.

It is only incomprehensible why, having held such a grandiose parade in 1945, Stalin no longer held such celebrations either on June 24 or May 9. And only in 1965 Victory Day became our official holiday and parades began to be held on May 9 on a regular basis.

The first Victory Parade was filmed by numerous photographers, and was also filmed on video, incl. and color trophy film (video links are also included).



ORDER OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF


"In commemoration of the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I am appointing a parade of troops of the active Army, Navy and Moscow garrison on Red Square on June 24, 1945 - the Victory Parade.

To bring to the parade: the combined regiments of the fronts, the combined regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the combined 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
June 22, 1945. N 370

Marshals Zhukov and Rokossovsky on horseback. Manezhnaya Square
(on the left - Zholtovsky's house, where the American Embassy was, in the background - the National Hotel):

Georgy Zhukov listens to the report of Konstantin Rokossovsky:

These guys won the war
(probably not even 20 yet):

And their "fathers-commanders"

Tankers at the Victory Parade:

Sailors at the Victory Parade:

Kuban Cossacks at the Victory Parade:

Artillerymen and their cannons at the National Hotel are preparing to enter Red Square
(on the site of the house to the right of the hotel, the now broken Intourist will be built later):

Memoirs of an old Muscovite who took part in the first Victory Parade:


"The day of June 24, 1945, when the Victory Parade took place, turned out, unfortunately, overcast, it's been raining since morning. On Red Square, occupied by consolidated regiments, according to our disposition, we ended up next to the Execution Ground, on which, for some reason, a fountain was arranged. It worked and made a great noise, the jets rose up to twenty meters, and this, together with the rain, created the impression that streams of water were falling on you. Nevertheless, it was difficult to cool our anxious mood!

The day before it was published order of the Supreme Commander on the Victory Parade, and we finally officially learned that G.K. would be hosting the parade. Zhukov, and commanded by K.K. Rokossovsky. Many of us thought that maybe Stalin would accept it. I also admitted such an idea, but it was not entirely clear how he would look on a horse. This parade has been repeatedly and officiously described, therefore, for me, its everyday details, perceived from the point of view of an ordinary participant, are of their own value; they make this event mine.

Consolidated regiments stood on the square in relation to the Mausoleum in two rows: the 1st row corresponded to the northern half of the former Soviet-German front, the second - to the south. Our consolidated regiment of the Navy stood behind the regiment of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, that is, in the second row (behind us was already a company carrying enemy banners and military relics). So we could see the rear side of the first row. I was fascinated by the magnificent immediacy of front-line soldiers: hidden from the eyes of their superiors, some of them managed to quietly smoke into their fists, and one, apparently tired of standing, even took off his helmet and, putting it on the pavement, sat down. From the cadet's point of view, such liberties were impossible.

Until the movement "along the solemn march" began, I kept looking at the German banners and especially at Hitler's personal standard. We saw these priceless trophies for the first time, and their spectacle was amazing. It was impossible to look away from the dazzling whiteness of the silk banners that touched the wet, almost black paving stones of Red Square. White color on the banners was an unexpected dominant. I thought that red and black should prevail, as on the former national flag Hitler's third empire.

After Zhukov's speech, the performance of the anthem and the roar of artillery salute troops began to march. I really wanted to get a better look at Stalin. With greedy interest, while we were passing by the Mausoleum, I stared at his face for several seconds without stopping. It was thoughtful, calm, tired and stern. And motionless. The pockmarks on the cheeks were very clearly visible. No one stood close to Stalin, there was some kind of space around him, a sphere, an exclusion zone. And this, despite the fact that there were a lot of people at the Mausoleum. He stood alone. I looked at him for these few seconds, turning my head to the right in alignment, raising my chin and touching my neighbor in line with my elbow so that she, the line, would in no case lose its ideal straightness. I did not experience any special feelings, except for curiosity. The Supreme Commander was inaccessible.

As soon as our regiment passed the Mausoleum, the orchestra fell silent, and a thunderous crackle of drum roll was heard over the quiet area. The culmination of the parade came: the banners of defeated Germany were thrown onto the wooden platforms at the foot of the Mausoleum, towards its stands, towards Stalin.

Radio report from the Victory Parade tell everyone famous writers, poets and journalists: Sun. Ivanov, A. Tvardovsky, L. Kassil and a few others. The passage of our regiment was commented on by the author of "The Optimistic Tragedy" and the screenplay "We are from Kronstadt" Vs. Vit. Vishnevsky. Of course, during the march, fragments of phrases from the speakers reached my ears, but attention was not focused on them. The text of that commentary was later published. It contains these words:

"A battalion of cadets of naval schools is coming - the future officers of the Big Fleet of the USSR, those who will lead ships into the open ocean, those who will show the flag of the USSR in the waters and ports of the whole world. Greetings to you who shed blood in the battles for Russia!"

From Red Square I left elated. The world was arranged correctly: we won. I felt like a part of the victorious people, and what could be sweeter than a sense of accomplishment!

We were soaked to the skin: having taken off the flannel, I saw with some sadness that the new snow-white uniform under it on the shoulders and on the chest was covered in purple stains, but the vest was in order, only wet. At dinner we received the festive "one hundred grams", and then we handed over parcels from American Christian Baptists. Of course, it was pleasant, despite the fact that the boxes had previously been opened (they said that either the special officers or the political officers seized the Bibles).

The parcels contained: a pack of "Old gold" cigarettes, "Pearl" soap, sweets, a bar of chocolate, granulated sugar, a small towel and some other little things. We all laughed that many of the parcels contained knitting needles and white gloves. This somehow resonated with my idea of ​​​​allies: well, which of ours will be engaged in knitting during the war, it is necessary to fight! They don't quite understand what war is. And white gloves not of our cut were useless: it may be convenient to play golf in them, but we have nowhere to put them (we go to the parade in white cotton gloves, but these American ones have completely different cut and shade). So most of all I was happy with cigarettes, and my mother, as I noticed when I came home - with granulated sugar, although she and Nonna said that they were not at all interested in sending, it was important that I, at least for a while, was at home.

The next day for the parade participants was arranged reception at which Stalin delivered his famous toast about the patience of the Russian people. Naturally, the authorities were invited to the reception, and even then not all of them, and by order of the People's Commissar of the Navy, we were thanked, which, frankly, is very dear to me.

There were two receptions in honor of the Victory: on May 24 and June 25, 1945, both of them were held in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Stalin made his famous toast about the patience of the Russian people at the first.

Unprecedentedly quickly written a huge picture dedicated to this significant reception, I saw her in the Tretyakov Gallery later, in September or November. If my memory serves me right, it was called "For the Russian people!". Stalin, Molotov, Beria, Zhukov, all the marshals, members of the Politburo and the Council of People's Commissars, commanders of the fronts and fleets, in general, all the celebrities of that time are depicted at a huge table in the St. George's Hall of the Kremlin with photographic accuracy. Some kind of hard bluish radiation emanated from the picture. There were no people in the picture ... It is a pity that this picture is not exhibited, it managed to preserve the hypnotic charm of that year.

After the second reception, on June 26, 1945, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, military rank Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, and on June 27, 1945 this title was awarded to Stalin.

The picture occupied whole hall. The visitors spoke only in whispers and moved around the hall almost on tiptoe: the picture was overwhelming. A whole gamut of thoughts was born - from admiration for the brilliance of victory, to ... to "to whom is war, and to whom is mother dear." It was this picture that involuntarily and gradually led me in the end to the idea that for Stalin she, the war, was "mother of her own." But this understanding came much later.

70 years ago, on June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place on the Red Square of Moscow. It was the triumph of the victorious Soviet people, who defeated Nazi Germany, which led the united forces of Europe in the Great Patriotic War.

The decision to hold a parade in honor of the victory over Germany was made by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin shortly after Victory Day - in mid-May 1945. Deputy Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army S.M. Shtemenko recalled: “The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered us to think over and report to him our thoughts on the parade to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany, while indicating: “We need to prepare and hold a special parade. Let representatives of all fronts and all branches of the armed forces take part in it ... "

On May 24, 1945, the General Staff presented to Joseph Stalin their views on holding a "special parade." The Supreme Commander accepted them, but postponed the date of the parade. The General Staff asked for two months to prepare. Stalin ordered the parade to be held in a month. On the same day, the commanders of the troops of the Leningrad, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian fronts received a directive from the Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov, to hold a parade:

The Supreme Commander ordered:

1. To participate in the parade in the city of Moscow in honor of the victory over Germany, allocate a consolidated regiment from the front.

2. Form a consolidated regiment according to the following calculation: five two-company battalions of 100 people in each company (ten squads of 10 people). In addition, 19 officers from the calculation: regiment commander - 1, deputy regiment commanders - 2 (for combat and political affairs), regiment chief of staff - 1, battalion commanders - 5, company commanders - 10 and 36 deputies of flagmen from 4 assistant officers. In total, there are 1059 people in the consolidated regiment and 10 spare people.

3. In the consolidated regiment, 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 each department - 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. Arm 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 commanders, including aviation and tank armies, arrive at the parade.

8. The consolidated regiment to arrive in Moscow on June 10, 1945, having 36 combat banners, the most distinguished in the battles of formations and units of the front, and all enemy banners captured in battles, regardless of their number.

9. Ceremonial uniforms for the entire regiment will be issued in Moscow.

Defeated standards of the Nazi troops

IN celebratory event ten combined regiments of the fronts and a combined regiment of the Navy were to participate. Students of military academies, cadets of military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison, as well as military equipment, including aircraft, were also involved in the parade. At the same time, the troops that existed as of May 9, 1945 of seven more fronts of the USSR Armed Forces did not take part in the parade: the Transcaucasian Front, the Far Eastern Front, the Transbaikal Front, Western Front Air Defense, Central Air Defense Front, Southwestern Air Defense Front and Transcaucasian Air Defense Front.

The troops immediately began to create consolidated regiments. The fighters for the main parade of the country were meticulously selected. First of all, they took those who showed heroism, courage and military skill in battles. Such qualities as height and age mattered. For example, in the order for the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front dated May 24, 1945, it was noted that height should not be less than 176 cm, and age should not be older than 30 years.

At the end of May, the regiments were formed. By order of May 24, there should have been 1059 people and 10 spare people in the consolidated regiment, but in the end the number was increased to 1465 people and 10 spare people. The commanders of the consolidated regiments were determined:

- from the Karelian Front - Major General G. E. Kalinovsky;

- from Leningradsky - Major General A. T. Stupchenko;

- from the 1st Baltic - Lieutenant General A. I. Lopatin;

- from the 3rd Belorussian - Lieutenant General P.K. Koshevoy;

- from the 2nd Belorussian - Lieutenant General K. M Erastov;

- from the 1st Belorussian - Lieutenant General I.P. Rosly;

- from the 1st Ukrainian - Major General G.V. Baklanov;

- from the 4th Ukrainian - Lieutenant General A. L. Bondarev;

- from the 2nd Ukrainian - Guard Lieutenant General I. M. Afonin;

- from the 3rd Ukrainian - Guard Lieutenant General N. I. Biryukov;

- from the Navy - Vice Admiral V. G. Fadeev.

The Victory Parade was hosted by Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The entire organization of the parade was led by the commander of the Moscow Military District and the head of the Moscow garrison, Colonel-General Pavel Artemyevich Artemyev.

Marshal G.K. Zhukov takes the Victory Parade in Moscow

During the organization of the parade, a number of problems had to be solved in a very short time. So, if students of military academies, cadets of military schools in the capital and soldiers of the Moscow garrison had parade uniforms, then thousands of front-line soldiers had to sew them. This task was solved by garment factories in Moscow and the Moscow region. And the responsible task of preparing ten standards, under which the consolidated regiments were to come out, was entrusted to a unit of military builders. However, their project was rejected. In an emergency order, they turned for help to specialists from the art and production workshops of the Bolshoi Theater. The head of the art and props shop V. Terzibashyan and the head of the locksmith and mechanical shop N. Chistyakov coped with the assigned task. On a vertical oak shaft with a silver wreath that framed a golden five-pointed star, a horizontal metal pin with “golden” spiers at the ends was fixed. A double-sided scarlet velvet banner of the standard was hung on it, bordered with gold patterned hand knitting and with the name of the front. Separate heavy gold tassels fell down on the sides. This sketch was accepted. Hundreds of ribbons, which crowned the shafts of 360 combat banners, which were carried at the head of the consolidated regiments, were also made in the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater. Each banner represented military unit or a unit that distinguished itself in battles, and each of the ribbons marked a collective feat, marked by a military order. Most of the banners were guards.

By June 10, special trains with parade participants began to arrive in the capital. In total, 24 marshals, 249 generals, 2536 officers, 31,116 privates, sergeants participated in the parade. Hundreds of units of military equipment were prepared for the parade. The training took place at the Central Airfield named after M.V. Frunze. Soldiers and officers trained daily for 6-7 hours. And all this for the sake of three and a half minutes of an impeccable march through Red Square. Parade participants were the first in the army to be awarded the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", established on May 9, 1945.

At the direction of the General Staff, about 900 units of captured banners and standards were delivered to Moscow from Berlin and Dresden. Of these, 200 banners and standards were selected, which were placed under guard in a special room. On the day of the parade, they were taken to Red Square in covered trucks and handed over to the soldiers of the parade company of "porters". Soviet soldiers carried enemy banners and standards with gloves, emphasizing that it was disgusting to even take the shafts of these symbols into the hands. At the parade, they will be thrown onto a special platform so that the standards do not touch the pavement of the sacred Red Square. Hitler's personal standard will be the first to be thrown, the banner of Vlasov's army will be the last. Later, this platform and gloves will be burned.

The parade was planned to start with the removal of the Victory Banner, which was delivered to the capital on June 20 from Berlin. However, the standard-bearer Neustroev and his assistants Yegorov, Kantaria and Berest, who hoisted him over the Reichstag and sent to Moscow, went extremely poorly at the rehearsal. The war was not up to drill. The same battalion commander of the 150th Idritso-Berlin rifle division Stepan Neustroev had several wounds, his legs were injured. As a result, they refused to take out the Banner of Victory. By order of Marshal Zhukov, the banner was transferred to the Central Museum armed forces. For the first time, the Banner of Victory was taken to the parade in 1965.

Victory parade. standard-bearers

Victory parade. Build sailors

Victory parade. Line of tank officers

Kuban Cossacks

On June 22, 1945, an order was published in the central newspapers of the Union Supreme Commander №370:

Order of the Supreme Commander

“In commemoration of the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I am appointing a parade of troops of the army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison on Red Square on June 24, 1945 - the Victory Parade.

Bring the combined regiments of the fronts, the combined regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the combined regiment of the Navy, military academies, military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison to the parade.

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 morning of June 24 was rainy. It started to rain fifteen minutes before the start of the parade. The weather improved only in the evening. Because of this, the aviation part of the parade and the passage of Soviet workers were canceled. Exactly at 10 o'clock, with the battle of the Kremlin chimes, Marshal Zhukov rode on a white horse to Red Square. At 10:50 a detour of the troops began. The Grand Marshal greeted the soldiers of the combined regiments in turn and congratulated the Parade participants on the victory over Germany. The troops responded with a mighty "Hurrah!" Having traveled around the shelves, Georgy Konstantinovich went up to the podium. The Marshal congratulated the Soviet people and their valiant armed forces on their victory. Then the anthem of the USSR was played by 1,400 military musicians, 50 volleys of artillery salute rolled like thunder, and three Russian “Hurrah!” resounded over the square.

The solemn march of victorious warriors was opened by the parade commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky. He was followed by a group of young drummers, pupils of the 2nd Moscow Military Music School. They were followed by the combined regiments of the fronts in the order in which they were located during the Great Patriotic War, from north to south. The first was the regiment of the Karelian Front, then the Leningrad, 1st Baltic, 3rd Belorussian, 2nd Belorussian, 1st Belorussian (it had a group of soldiers of the Polish Army), 1st Ukrainian, 4th Ukrainian, 2nd th Ukrainian and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. The combined regiment of the Navy brought up the rear of the solemn procession.

The movement of troops was accompanied by a huge orchestra of 1,400 people. Each consolidated regiment passes under its own combat march almost without pauses. Then the orchestra fell silent and 80 drums were beaten in silence. A group of soldiers appeared, carrying 200 lowered banners and standards of the defeated German troops. They threw the banners on the wooden platforms near the Mausoleum. The stands burst into applause. It was an act full of sacred meaning, a kind of sacred rite. The symbols of Nazi Germany, and hence the "European Union-1", were defeated. Soviet civilization proved its superiority over the West.

Then the orchestra played again. Parts of the Moscow garrison, the consolidated regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, students of military academies and cadets of military schools marched along Red Square. Pupils of the Suvorov schools closed the procession - the future of the Soviet country.

Then, a combined cavalry brigade headed by Lieutenant General N. Ya. Kirichenko passed by the stands at a trot, drove through anti-aircraft installations on vehicles, batteries of anti-tank and large-caliber artillery, guards mortars, motorcyclists, armored vehicles, vehicles with paratroopers. The parade of vehicles continued best tanks World War II T-34 and IS, self-propelled artillery mounts. The parade on Red Square ended with the passage of the combined orchestra.

It was a real triumph of the victorious people, the Soviet civilization. The Soviet Union survived and won the most terrible war in the history of mankind. Our people and army have defeated the most efficient military machine in the Western world. They destroyed the terrible embryo of the "New World Order" - the "Eternal Reich", in which they planned to destroy the entire Slavic world and enslave humanity. Unfortunately, this victory, like others, was not eternal. New generations of Russian people will again have to stand in the fight against world evil and defeat it.

MEMORY LESSON

"Parades of the Great Patriotic War"

Much has been written about the November 7, 1941 parade and the events that accompanied it, especially picturesque were stories about Siberian divisions and tanks that went to the front immediately after the solemn march. Meanwhile, the mass interesting details stayed behind the scenes official history and became known only recently. On the eve of the 24th anniversary of October, Muscovites met in a state of siege, fearing that the German troops, who were already on the near approaches to the capital, would be able to make the last push. The evacuation, which began on October 16, gave rise to a lot of rumors, including that Stalin and his closest associates in the Politburo had left Moscow. In this situation, in order to dispel rumors about the evacuation of the top leadership, to raise the fighting citizens, Stalin decided, as in a normal year, to hold a PARADE of troops.

In preparation for the parade, unprecedented measures security, and Moscow's air defense was significantly strengthened - any German bomber that broke through could create a catastrophe. The parade was planned to be held in any weather, but, fortunately, that day it was completely non-flying - a snowstorm, fog, which excluded the possibility of an air raid on Moscow. Bad weather caused some difficulties with musical accompaniment parade - it was difficult for the orchestra to play in frost and blizzard, but the parade still passed with appropriate music. It should be noted that the orchestra conductor at this parade was Vasily Agapkin, a composer famous for his most famous creation - the march “Farewell of the Slav”, which was perhaps the most popular melody of the country in those autumn months. Conducting the orchestra, Agapkin froze to the platform, so that he could get out of there at the end of the parade only with the help of his musicians.

It took a lot of work to assemble armored vehicles for participation in the parade, which the front badly needed. The situation was saved by freshly formed tank units, which had not yet managed to get to the front. Battalion heavy tanks The KV-1 arrived to participate in the parade directly from the factory, and the resupply of the tanks was carried out already on the way, on railway platforms. The troops went straight from the parade to the front - this common cliché is by no means an exaggeration. Many tank and motorized divisions directly from Red Square headed to the west of Moscow, where, after replenishing their ammunition and fuel supplies, they were distributed among the divisions defending the city.

For the Germans, the military parade in Moscow was an unpleasant surprise, and its wide coverage throughout the world, including in the occupied territories, through leaflets and radio broadcasting was one of the first serious "information" defeats of Germany in this war. The German command repeatedly promised to take Moscow before the onset of frost and hold their own parade on Red Square, and this promise turned out to be empty. The Nazis no longer had the strength for a decisive attack on the capital of the USSR, the advancing divisions were bled dry.

They (fascists) really wanted to march through Moscow. This would be the apotheosis of World War II. And their dream came true - only the apotheosis turned into a tragedy, a harbinger of an imminent end. 65 years ago. In the unconquered Moscow, a march of captured Wehrmacht soldiers and officers took place.
Eyewitnesses of that day recalled later: the “march” command sounded - and the boundless column flowed from the Moscow hippodrome to the festive street. More than 90 marching groups, from the head to the tail of the column - more than three kilometers. March of captured Germans in the capital of the USSR (aka "Parade of the Defeated" and "Great Waltz") took place on July 17, 1944. Prior to that, during Operation Bagration, the German Army Group Center was defeated, about 400 thousand soldiers and officers, including 21 generals, were destroyed or captured. The Allies doubted such a grandiose defeat of the Germans - so a good opportunity presented itself Soviet army in the war to show and raise the spirit of people.
The first group of Germans (42,000 people) marched along the Leningrad highway and Gorky Street (now Tverskaya) to Mayakovsky Square, and then along the Garden Ring to the Kursk railway station. The second group (15 thousand) walked along the Garden Ring from Mayakovsky Square, reaching the Kanatchikovo station of Okruzhnaya railway. The columns were accompanied by riders and foot guards, and the prisoners were followed by watering machines, symbolically washing away the dirt from the asphalt. It is curious that the idea of ​​such a march was borrowed from the Germans themselves. In 1914, they drove the captured soldiers and officers of the Russian army, General Samsonov, through Koenigsberg. Nevertheless, many of the past 65 years ago in July Moscow found in individual viewers more compassion than hatred. “I saw some women with faces full of sympathy, I saw women with tears in their eyes,” wrote the German doctor Ziemer on this occasion. Well, such is the Slavic soul: compassion with us is always above, albeit noble, but hatred.

1945 VICTORY PARADE

In honor of the victory over Nazi Germany, on June 24, 1945, a parade of troops of the active army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison took place in Moscow - the Victory Parade. Ten fronts sent their best soldiers to him. Among them were representatives of the Polish army. Consolidated regiments, consisting of the heroes of the Patriotic War, led by their illustrious generals under battle banners, marched solemnly along Red Square. The working people warmly welcomed the valiant warriors. Under the drumbeat, 200 Soviet soldiers threw 200 banners of the defeated German army. By this symbolic act, the Soviet soldiers forever fixed in the memory of mankind the immortal feat of their people, their Armed Forces and the Leninist Party, which raised the whole country to the Great Patriotic War and led it to final victory.
The parade was hosted by Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. When passing in a solemn march ahead of the consolidated regiments of the fronts were the commanders of the fronts and armies, Heroes of the Soviet Union with the banners of famous units and formations. The march of the combined regiments of the fronts was completed by a column of soldiers.
“... For each consolidated regiment, military marches were specially chosen, which were especially loved by them ... Muscovites in high spirits walked with orchestras to the Red Square area to take part in the demonstration on that historic day. ... There was nothing comparable to the moment when two hundred fighters - war veterans - were thrown to the foot of the Mausoleum to the foot of the Mausoleum, two hundred banners of the Nazi army," said Marshal G.K. Zhukov.

On June 24, 1945, at 10 am, a parade was held on Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the Victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. The parade was hosted by the First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR and Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. The parade was commanded by the commander of the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union K. K. Rokossovsky .

On June 22, 1945, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin No. 370 was published in the central Soviet newspapers: Fleet and Moscow garrison - Victory Parade.

In late May and early June, intensive preparations for the parade took place in Moscow. In the tenth of June, the entire composition of the participants was dressed in a new parade uniform and started the pre-holiday training. The rehearsal of the infantry units took place on the Khodynka field, in the area of ​​​​the Central Airfield; on the Garden Ring, from the Krymsky Bridge to Smolenskaya Square, a review was held artillery units; motorized and armored vehicles conducted a review training at the training ground in Kuzminki.

To participate in the celebration, consolidated regiments were formed and prepared from each front operating at the end of the war, which were to be led by front commanders. From Berlin, it was decided to bring the Red Banner hoisted over the Reichstag. The construction of the parade was determined in the order of the general line of the active fronts - from right to left. For each consolidated regiment, military marches were specially determined, which were especially loved by them.

The penultimate rehearsal of the Victory Parade took place at the Central Airfield, and the general rehearsal took place on Red Square. On June 22 at 10 am Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov and K.K. Rokossovsky appeared on Red Square on white and black horses. After the announcement of the command "Parade, at attention!" a roar of applause swept across the square. Then a combined military band of 1400 musicians under the direction of Major General Sergei Chernetsky performed the anthem "Glory to the Russian people!" M. I. Glinka. After that, the parade commander Rokossovsky gave a report on readiness for the start of the parade. The marshals made a detour of the troops, returned to the Mausoleum of V. I. Lenin, and Zhukov, rising to the podium, on behalf of and on behalf of the Soviet government and the CPSU (b) congratulated "the valiant Soviet soldiers and all the people on the Great Victory over Nazi Germany." The anthem of the Soviet Union sounded, and a solemn march of troops began.

The combined regiments of the fronts, the People's Commissariat of Defense and the Navy, military academies, schools and parts of the Moscow garrison took part in the Victory Parade. The consolidated regiments were staffed by privates, sergeants and officers of various branches of the armed forces, who distinguished themselves in battle and had military orders. Following the regiments of the fronts and the Navy, a consolidated column of Soviet soldiers entered Red Square, carrying 200 banners of the Nazi troops lowered to the ground, defeated on the battlefields. These banners were thrown to the foot of the Mausoleum to the beat of a drum as a sign crushing defeat aggressor. 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, consolidated cavalry brigade, artillery, motorized, airborne and tank units and subunits.

At 11 p.m., the sky over Moscow was lit up with the light of searchlights, hundreds of balloons appeared in the air, and volleys of fireworks with multi-colored lights were heard from the ground. The culmination of the holiday was a panel with the image of the Order of Victory, which appeared high in the sky in the beams of searchlights.

The next day, June 25, a reception was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace in honor of the participants in the Victory Parade. After a grandiose holiday in Moscow, at the suggestion of the Soviet government and the High Command, in September 1945, a small parade of allied forces took place in Berlin, in which Soviet, American, British and French troops took part.

Lit .: Belyaev I. N. In the parade of winners: Smolyan participants in the Victory Parades in Moscow. Smolensk, 1995; Varennikov V. I. Victory Parade. M., 2005; Gurevich Ya. A. 200 steps along Red Square: [Memoirs of a participant in the Victory Parades of 1945 and 1985]. Chisinau, 1989; Winners: Victory Parade June 24, 1945. Vol. 1-4. M., 2001-2006; Shtemenko S. M. Victory Parade // Military History Journal, 1968. No. 2.

See also in the Presidential Library:

Memory of the Great Victory: collection.