70 years ago, on June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. It was a 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 Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin shortly after Victory Day - in mid-May 1945. Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Army General 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, and indicated: “We need to prepare and hold a special parade. Let representatives of all fronts and all branches of the military take part in it..."
On May 24, 1945, the General Staff presented Joseph Stalin with its considerations for 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 gave instructions to hold the parade in a month. On the same day, the commanders of the Leningrad, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts received a directive from the Chief of the General Staff, Army General Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov, to hold a parade:
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered:
1. To participate in the parade in the city of Moscow in honor of the victory over Germany, select a consolidated regiment from the front.
2. Form the 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 command personnel consisting of: regiment commander - 1, deputy regiment commanders - 2 (combatant and political), regimental chief of staff - 1, battalion commanders - 5, company commanders - 10 and 36 flag bearers with 4 assistant officers. In total there are 1059 people in the combined regiment and 10 reserve people.
3. In a consolidated regiment, have six companies of infantry, one company of artillerymen, one company of tank crews, one company of pilots and one composite company (cavalrymen, sappers, signalmen).
4. The companies should be staffed so that the squad commanders are mid-level officers, and in each squad there are privates and sergeants.
5. Personnel to participate in the parade shall be selected from among the soldiers and officers who have most distinguished themselves in battle and have military orders.
6. Arm the combined regiment with: three rifle companies - with rifles, three rifle companies - with machine guns, a company of artillerymen - with carbines on their backs, a company of tankers and a company of pilots - with pistols, a company of sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen - with carbines on their backs, cavalrymen, in addition - checkers.
7. The front commander and all commanders, including the aviation and tank armies, arrive at the parade.
8. The consolidated regiment arrive in Moscow on June 10, 1945, with 36 combat banners, the most distinguished formations and units of the front in battles, and all enemy banners captured in battle, regardless of their number.
9. Ceremonial uniforms for the entire regiment will be issued in Moscow.
Defeated standards of Hitler's troops
Ten combined regiments of the fronts and a combined regiment of the Navy were supposed to participate in the festive event. 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: Transcaucasian Front, Far Eastern Front, Transbaikal Front, Western Air Defense Front, Central Air Defense Front, Southwestern Air Defense Front and Transcaucasian Air Defense Front.
The troops immediately began creating consolidated regiments. The fighters for the country's main parade were meticulously selected. First of all, they took those who showed heroism, courage and military skill in battles. Qualities such 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 be no lower than 176 cm, and age should not be older than 30 years.
At the end of May the regiments were formed. According to the order of May 24, the combined regiment was supposed to have 1059 people and 10 reserve people, but in the end the number was increased to 1465 people and 10 reserve people. The commanders of the combined regiments were determined to be:
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. The parade was commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky. 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 accepts 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 ceremonial uniforms, then thousands of front-line soldiers needed to sew them. This problem was solved by garment factories in Moscow and the Moscow region. And the responsible task of preparing ten standards, under which the combined regiments were to march, was entrusted to a unit of military builders. However, their project was rejected. In an emergency, we turned to specialists from the Bolshoi Theater art and production workshops for help. The head of the art and props shop, V. Terzibashyan, and the head of the metalworking and mechanical shop, N. Chistyakov, coped with the assigned task. A horizontal metal pin with “golden” spiers at the ends was attached to a vertical oak shaft with a silver wreath, which framed a gold five-pointed star. On it hung a double-sided scarlet velvet panel of the standard, bordered with gold patterned hand lettering and with the name of the front. Individual heavy golden tassels fell along the sides. This sketch was accepted. Hundreds of order ribbons, which crowned the staffs of 360 battle flags, which were carried at the head of the combined regiments, were also made in the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater. Each banner represented a military unit or formation that had distinguished itself in battle, and each of the ribbons commemorated a collective feat, marked by a military order. Most of the banners were guards.
By June 10, special trains carrying parade participants began arriving in the capital. In total, 24 marshals, 249 generals, 2,536 officers, 31,116 privates and sergeants took part in the parade. Hundreds 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 for 6-7 hours every day. And all this for the sake of three and a half minutes of immaculate march across Red Square. The parade participants were the first in the army to be awarded the medal “For 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 and placed under guard in a special room. On the day of the parade, they were taken in covered trucks to Red Square 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 hold the poles of these symbols in your 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 thrown first, the last - the banner of Vlasov's army. Later this platform and gloves will be burned.
The parade was planned to begin with the removal of the Victory Banner, which was delivered to the capital on June 20 from Berlin. However, the standard bearer Neustroyev and his assistants Egorov, Kantaria and Berest, who hoisted it above the Reichstag and sent to Moscow, went extremely poorly at the rehearsals. During the war there was no time for drill training. The same battalion commander of the 150th Idritso-Berlin Rifle Division, Stepan Neustroev, had several wounds and his legs were damaged. As a result, they refused to carry out the Victory Banner. By order of Marshal Zhukov, the banner was transferred to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces. The Victory Banner was brought to the parade for the first time in 1965.
Victory parade. Standard bearers
Victory parade. Formation of sailors
Victory parade. Formation of tank officers
Kuban Cossacks
On June 22, 1945, order No. 370 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was published in the central newspapers of the Union:
Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
“In commemoration of the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I appoint a parade of troops of the active army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison on June 24, 1945 in Moscow on Red Square - the Victory Parade.
Bring the combined front regiments, 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 general leadership for organizing the parade to the commander 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 turned out to be rainy. Fifteen minutes before the parade started, it started to rain. The weather improved only in the evening. Because of this, the aviation part of the parade and the passage of Soviet workers were canceled. At exactly 10 o'clock, with the Kremlin chimes striking, Marshal Zhukov rode out onto Red Square on a white horse. At 10:50 a.m. the troop detour began. The Grand Marshal alternately greeted the soldiers of the combined regiments and congratulated the Parade participants on the victory over Germany. The troops responded with a mighty “Hurray!” Having toured the regiments, Georgy Konstantinovich rose to the podium. The Marshal congratulated the Soviet people and their valiant armed forces on their victory. Then the USSR anthem was played, performed by 1,400 military musicians, 50 artillery salutes thundered, and three times the Russian “Hurray!” echoed over the square.
The ceremonial march of the victorious soldiers was opened by the commander of the parade, Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky. He was followed by a group of young drummers, students of the 2nd Moscow Military Music School. Behind them came the consolidated 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 (there was 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 the troops was accompanied by a huge orchestra of 1,400 people. Each combined regiment marches through its own battle march almost without pause. Then the orchestra fell silent and 80 drums beat in silence. A group of soldiers appeared carrying 200 lowered banners and standards of the defeated German troops. They threw banners onto the wooden platforms near the Mausoleum. The stands exploded with applause. It was an act full of sacred meaning, a kind of sacred rite. The symbols of Hitler’s Germany, and therefore of “European Union 1,” were defeated. Soviet civilization has proven its superiority over the West.
After this the orchestra started playing again. Units of the Moscow garrison, a combined regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, students of military academies and cadets of military schools marched across Red Square. Closing the march were students of the Suvorov schools, the future of the victorious Red Empire.
Heavy tanks IS-2 pass through Red Square during the parade in honor of the Victory on June 24, 1945
The parade lasted 2 hours in heavy rain. However, this did not bother people and did not spoil the holiday. The orchestras played and the celebration continued. Late in the evening the fireworks began. At 23:00, out of 100 balloons raised by anti-aircraft gunners, 20 thousand missiles flew in volleys. Thus ended this great day. On June 25, 1945, a reception was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace in honor of the participants of the Victory Parade.
It was a real triumph of the victorious people, of Soviet civilization. The Soviet Union survived and won the most terrible war in mankind. Our people and army defeated the most effective 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, did not last forever. New generations of Russian people will again have to stand in the fight against world evil and defeat it.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin quite rightly noted in his written address addressed to visitors to the exhibition “Victory Parade of June 24, 1945,” which opened at the State Historical Museum on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Victory Parade: “We must not forget about this strong parade. Historical memory is the key to a worthy future for Russia. We must adopt the main thing from the heroic generation of front-line soldiers - the habit of winning. This habit is very necessary in our peaceful life today. It will help the current generation build a strong, stable and prosperous Russia. I am confident that the spirit of the Great Victory will continue to preserve our Motherland in the new, 21st century.”
Preparation and organization
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered: |
In mid-May 1945, shortly after Victory Day, Joseph Stalin decided to hold a ceremonial parade on Red Square. He voiced this intention at a festive dinner in the Kremlin, where more than a thousand people were invited: front commanders, scientists and artists, representatives of workers and peasants. As the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Army General Sergei 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, and indicated: “We need to prepare and hold a special parade. Let representatives of all fronts and all branches of the military take part in it.” The idea of inviting the most distinguished heroes - soldiers, sergeants, petty officers, officers and generals - was warmly supported by everyone.” .
Soon a special commission was organized to prepare for the event, which included representatives of the Kremlin Commandant’s Office, the Moscow Military District and other units. The commission was headed by the head of the capital's garrison, Colonel General Pavel Artemyev, who was supposed to prepare all the necessary calculations for the parade and a draft directive. Marshal Georgy Zhukov was assigned to host the parade, and Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky was assigned to command the troops. A number of sources indicate that Stalin did not host the parade on his own because he did not have sufficient horse riding skills. In Georgy Zhukov’s memoirs “Memories and Reflections,” according to Stalin’s son Vasily, it is stated that just before the parade, the leader tried to learn how to ride a horse, but fell. This episode is missing from the first editions of the book.
The head of state took an active part in organizing the event. Contrary to the two months of preparation proposed by the commission, Stalin ordered the parade to be held within a month. According to Shtemenko, Stalin also had the idea to bring Hitler’s banners to the square and throw them at the Lenin Mausoleum at the feet of the victors. A red flag was brought from Berlin and hoisted over the Reichstag.
Combined regiments from different fronts were assembled to participate in the parade. In total, it was planned to present consolidated regiments from ten fronts and the Navy at the parade. According to the initial directive of the General Staff, the strength of each combined regiment was to be 1059 people and 10 reserves, but subsequently the number of military personnel increased to 1465 people and 10 reserves from each front. Students of military academies, cadets of military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison were also involved in participation. Candidates for participation in the parade were carefully selected. The first to be considered were military personnel who showed courage in battle and had military awards. Physical characteristics such as height and age were also important. Thus, the order for the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front dated May 24, 1945 stated that candidates must be no lower than 176 cm and no older than 30 years. Since all the formal requirements were difficult to comply with, in practice exceptions were made for participants.
In the allotted month, the organizers had to resolve many issues. For example, the military personnel participating in the parade needed to be brought, accommodated, and organized for their training. All regiment personnel were given new uniforms according to the summer plan, linen, mattresses, standards and other necessary things. Moreover, during the parade it was necessary to provide medical care, troop logistics, transport, printed materials, photography and videography. At the end of May, consolidated regiments of five battalions were formed and sent to Moscow. By June 10, barracks were prepared in the capital to accommodate the participants. The personnel were stationed in the Chernyshevsky, Aleshinsky, Oktyabrsky and Lefortovo barracks, as well as in the suburbs of Khlebnikovo, Bolshevo and Likhobory.
On the same day, General Artemyev approved the preparation plan for the parade and determined the time and place of rehearsals. The schedule was tight: drills and personnel training took place every day for six to seven hours. If the cadets and soldiers of the Moscow garrison regularly engaged in drill training, then for 15 thousand front-line soldiers, not accustomed to daily drills, the training was difficult. Officers, generals and marshals marched along with the front-line soldiers. On June 12, a joint rehearsal of the arriving consolidated regiments in new uniforms took place at the Mikhail Frunze Central Airfield. A dress rehearsal of foot troops and cavalry also took place at the airfield, and the final review of artillery, armored and mechanized troops was held a week later on Red Square. Pavel Artemyev signed the troop formation and marching scheme.
For Zhukov, the host of the procession, and his attendant, horses of the light gray color of the Terek breed, named “Idol” and “Celebs”, were selected. In his memoirs, Zhukov mentions a white Arabian horse. For the commander of the parade, Marshal Rokossovsky and his escort, they chose black horses named “Polyus” and “Orlik” from the personal collection of Marshal Semyon Budyonny. According to Shtemenko, Zhukov and Rokossovsky are “old cavalrymen, so they hardly needed to train.” The horses participating in the parade were accustomed to the roar of engines and the sounds of the orchestra, and the marshals themselves practiced dressage for about a month. A cultural program was organized for the participants of the Moscow parade: watching films and visiting theaters and cultural centers. A combined orchestra of about 1,400 people was also preparing to take part in the procession. According to preliminary calculations, the duration of the event was supposed to be 2 hours 9 minutes and 10 seconds with the participation of about 40 thousand people.
Ceremonial uniform
The order to sew ceremonial uniforms for the participants of the Victory Parade was given to the Moscow factory "Bolshevichka". Garment factories in Moscow and the Moscow region coped with the order, despite the large volume and short lead time. From the end of May to June 20, workers produced more than 15 thousand sets of new uniforms. Sea-green uniforms for Soviet military personnel were first sewn for the Victory Parade, after which this color became traditional for the dress uniform of Soviet officers.
Victory Banner
According to the original plan, the Victory Parade was supposed to begin with the removal of the Victory Banner, but this plan did not come true. On June 20, a red banner was delivered to Moscow, which was to be carried at the beginning of the column by soldiers who hoisted it over the Reichstag. The keeper of the banner at the Museum of the Soviet Army, A. Dementyev, recalled that standard bearer Stepan Neustroev and his assistants - Mikhail Egorov, Meliton Kantaria and Alexey Berest - performed poorly at the rehearsal, showing unsatisfactory drill skills. In addition, Neustroyev received five wounds and injured his legs at the front. According to Zhukov’s decision, no other standard bearers were appointed, and the war heroes received guest invitations to the podium. The Victory Banner was transferred for storage to the Museum of the Armed Forces. In 1965, Colonel Konstantin Samsonov, accompanied by Egorov and Kantaria, carried the Banner to Red Square for the first time.
Standards
The production of ceremonial standards and banners was entrusted to a unit of Moscow military builders under the leadership of engineer major S. Maksimov. The craftsmen worked for a long time on the first version of the banners, but Stalin refused to accept them. As a result, the order was transferred to specialists from the Bolshoi Theater art and production workshops, who sewed new standards within ten days. The production of the banners was carried out by the head of the art and props workshop V. Terzibashyan and the head of the mechanical workshop N. Chistyakov. According to the new sketch, a horizontal metal pin with spiers at the ends was attached to a vertical oak shaft with a silver wreath, which framed a gold five-pointed star. A scarlet velvet standard, bordered with gold script with the name of the front, was attached to the structure. There were gold tassels along the edges. This sample was approved by management and completed on time. Since the standard weighed more than 10 kilograms, the Moscow saddlery factory quickly produced harnesses that made them easier to wear. In the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater, order ribbons were made that decorated the poles of 360 regimental banners. Each such ribbon symbolized the collective military feat of the regiment.
In addition to the Soviet ceremonial banners, about 900 captured standards were brought from Berlin and Dresden, which were accepted by Colonel A.K. Korkishko. A special commission selected 200 units to participate in the Victory Parade. There is a legend that the “throwers” refused to pick up enemy banners, so they were given leather gloves. It is impossible to say for sure whether leather gloves and German banners were burned after the parade. Some war trophies are still kept in the funds of the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.
Awards
During preparations for the parade, its participants were presented with military awards. On May 24, Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Nikolai Shvernik presented Marshals Zhukov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Konstantin Rokossovsky and Fyodor Tolbukhin to the Order of Victory. On June 12, Mikhail Kalinin presented the “Golden Star” to Zhukov, Konev, Rokossovsky, Ivan Bagramyan and Andrei Eremenko. For many of them, this was not the first award of this rank. Front-line soldiers were encouraged by the medal “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” approved on May 9, 1945. " Certificates were issued for each medal. At the same time, old or defective awards were exchanged for new ones with order bars.
Holding a parade
To commemorate the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I schedule a parade of troops of the Active Army, Navy and Moscow Garrison on June 24, 1945 in Moscow on Red Square - the Victory Parade. Bring to the parade: consolidated regiments of the fronts, consolidated regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, consolidated regiment of the Navy, military academies, military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison. I. Stalin |
The festive Victory Parade began on Red Square on June 24 at 10 am. During the event it rained heavily and the air temperature was about 15 °C. Stalin, standing on the platform of the mausoleum, was dressed in a raincoat and rubber boots. The marshals conducting the parade also got wet. As Rokossovsky’s great-granddaughter recalled, after the rain the marshal’s ceremonial drape uniform shrank so much that it had to be torn apart to be removed and sewn back together. In honor of the holiday, Red Square was richly decorated with scarlet victory banners and flowers. Along the facades of GUM, the coats of arms of the union republics were installed with the coat of arms of the USSR in the center. A 26-meter “Fountain of Winners” was built at Lobnoye Mesto, which was removed after the parade.
Passage of troops
On the day of the parade, the trumpet sounded for the servicemen to rise at 4 o'clock in the morning. The combined front regiments set off from the barracks towards Red Square. Festive columns of demonstrators came out from factories, factories and government institutions, and tanks and military weapons were taken to Gorky Street. At about ten o'clock, the regiments lined up on the square in front of the mausoleum in the same order in which they held the front line. A regiment of the Karelian Front was located on the right flank, and troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were stationed on the left.
In total, about 35 thousand people took part in the parade, including:
The first to cross the area was the combined regiment of Suvorov drummers, followed by the combined regiments of the fronts in the order of their location from north to south: Karelian, Leningrad, 1st Baltic, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Belorussian, 1st , 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian, combined regiment of the Navy. As part of the regiment of the 1st Belorussian Front, representatives of the Polish Army marched in a special column. In front of the combined regiments of the fronts were the commanders of the fronts and armies, the Heroes of the Soviet Union carried the banners of the famous units and formations. For each combined regiment, the orchestra performed a special march. The commander of the 1st Bulgarian Army, Lieutenant General Vladimir Stoychev, became the only foreign general awarded the right to lead, together with Soviet generals, a column of the combined regiment of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. In 1945, he received both of the highest military orders of the USSR - Suvorov 1st degree and Kutuzov 1st degree.
The consolidated regiments were staffed by privates, sergeants and officers (including command staff, each regiment had over a thousand people) of various branches of the military who had distinguished themselves in battle and had military orders. The flag bearers and assistants carried 36 battle banners of the most distinguished formations and units of each front in battle. The combined naval regiment (under the command of Vice Admiral Vladimir Fadeev) consisted of representatives of the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, the Dnieper and Danube flotillas. Units from seven more fronts of the USSR Armed Forces operating as of May 9, 1945 were not involved in participation: Transcaucasian, Far Eastern, Transbaikal and four air defense fronts - Western, Central, Southwestern, Transcaucasian. But combined regiments from two fronts that were disbanded before the end of the Great Patriotic War - Karelian and First Baltic - took part in the Victory Parade. The Central School of Trainers was represented by 301 people. The mine detection service participated with dogs. By personal order of Stalin, the wounded sapper dog Dzhulbars, who discovered more than 7 thousand mines and 150 shells, was carried on his jacket. Units of the Moscow garrison included a consolidated regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, a military academy, military and Suvorov schools, a consolidated cavalry brigade, artillery, mechanized, airborne and tank units and subunits.
The march of the combined regiments was completed by a column of soldiers who carried 200 lowered banners and standards of the defeated German troops. These banners, accompanied by the beat of 80 drums, were thrown onto two special platforms at the foot of the mausoleum. German banners of the 1935 model were collected by captured Smersh teams in May 1945. The dismantled Leibstandarte LSSAH was also an old model from 1935 (at the moment the panel from it is stored separately in the FSB archive). Among the banners there were almost two dozen Kaiser banners, mostly cavalry ones, as well as flags of the NSDAP party, Hitler Youth, Labor Front and others (all of them are stored in the Central Military District). The first standard of the 1st SS Panzer Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler” was thrown by Fedor Legkoshkur. The last to be thrown was the banner of Andrei Vlasov's army. The company throwing the banners included soldiers of the 3rd regiment of the Felix Dzerzhinsky division, they were wearing leather gloves to emphasize their disdain for the enemy. The ceremony was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Vovk. After the end of the parade, the gloves and platform were burned outside the city.
The third part of the parade was a display of military equipment. It all started with the passage of heavy machine guns, as well as small and medium caliber guns. Then anti-tank guns of 46, 76, 100 mm caliber - ZiS-3, BS-3, M-30 howitzers, and M-31 rocket artillery launchers - came to the square. The artillery review ended with the departure of large-caliber guns from 120 to 305 mm and T-34 and IS-2 tanks. Allied military vehicles took part in the parade, such as American Studebaker and Dodge trucks and Willys command jeeps. In total, 1,850 units of military equipment were presented on the square in 50 minutes.
The Victory Parade ended around noon with the march of Semyon Chernetsky “Glory to the Motherland” performed by the combined orchestra. The procession lasted 122 minutes, of which the passage of the following parts was:
The columns of parade participants, having passed the podium, had to leave the square - front-line soldiers were not allowed to remain as spectators. Many of them returned to Red Square in the evening. The planned demonstration of a column of workers did not take place due to bad weather. For the same reason, the aerial part of the parade was canceled - 216 aircraft remained at the airfields.
On the evening of June 24 the weather improved. Festive illumination was turned on, Moscow was surrounded by five floodlight rings: the first around the Kremlin, the second along the Boulevard Ring, the third along the Garden Ring, the fourth along the train stations and the fifth along the Okrug Railway. At 11 o'clock in the evening, 20 thousand rockets flew out of 100 balloons raised by anti-aircraft gunners, and fireworks were displayed on the ground. At the end of the holiday, a banner with the image of the Order of Victory was displayed in the sky.
Held on June 24 this year. The Victory Parade of the troops of the active army, the Navy and units of the Moscow garrison showed good organization, coherence and drill training of all troops participating in the parade.
I express my gratitude to the marshals, generals, officers, sergeants and privates - participants in the Victory Parade.Special thanks from Stalin to the organizers of the holiday
List of commanders of military units
| Part name | Military rank of unit commander | Full name of the unit commander |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Regiment of the 1st Belorussian Front | lieutenant general | Ivan Rosly |
| Combined Regiment of the 1st Ukrainian Front | major general | Gleb Baklanov |
| Combined Regiment of the 2nd Belorussian Front | lieutenant general | Konstantin Erastov |
| Combined Regiment of the Leningrad Front | major general | Andrey Stuchenko |
| Combined Regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front | lieutenant general | Ivan Afonin |
| Combined Regiment of the 3rd Ukrainian Front | lieutenant general | Nikolay Biryukov |
| Combined Regiment of the 3rd Belorussian Front | lieutenant general | Peter Koshevoy |
| Combined Regiment of the 1st Baltic Front | lieutenant general | Anton Lopatin |
| Combined Regiment of the Karelian Front | major general | Grigory Kalinovsky |
| Combined Regiment of the 4th Ukrainian Front | lieutenant general | Andrey Bondarev |
| Consolidated Regiment of the NKVMF | vice admiral | Vladimir Fadeev |
| Combined Regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense | lieutenant general | Alexey Tarasov |
| Red Banner Orders of Lenin and Suvorov Military Academy named after Mikhail Frunze | Colonel General | Nikandr Chibisov |
| Artillery Order of Lenin Academy of the Red Army named after Felix Dzerzhinsky | Colonel General | Vasily Khokhlov |
| Military Order of Lenin Academy of Armored and Mechanized Troops of the Red Army named after Joseph Stalin | lieutenant general | Grigory Kovalev |
| Military Academy of Command and Navigation Staff of the Red Army Air Force (Monino) | Lieutenant General of Aviation | Peter Ionov |
| Air Force Order of Lenin Academy named after Nikolai Zhukovsky | Lieutenant General of Aviation | Nikolay Sokolov-Sokolenok |
| Higher all-army military-political courses GLAVPUR KA | major general | Alexey Kovalevsky |
| Red Banner Higher Intelligence School of the General Staff and RK UKS | major general | Mikhail Kochetkov |
| Krasnoznamennaya | major general | Boris Olivetsky |
| Military Academy of Chemical Defense named after Kliment Voroshilov | major general | Dmitry Petukhov |
| Improvement courses for officers of the Airborne Forces of the Red Army | major general | Mikhail Russkikh |
| Military Institute of Foreign Languages | lieutenant general | Nikolay Biyazi |
| 1st Guards Mortar and Artillery Moscow Red Banner Order of the Red Star School named after Leonid Krasin | Major General of Artillery | Maxim Vovchenko |
| Moscow Red Banner Infantry School named after the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR | major general | Ivan Fesin |
| 1st Moscow Red Banner Order of Lenin Aviation School of Communications of the Red Army Air Force | Major General of Aviation | Viktor Vasilkevich |
| Moscow Twice Red Banner Military-Political School named after Vladimir Lenin | major general | Andrey Ustyantsev |
| Moscow Red Banner Military Engineering School KA | Major General of the Engineering Troops | Pavel Ermolaev |
| Kalinin Military School of Technical Troops of the Red Army | Major General of Technical Troops | Pyotr Melnikov |
| Moscow Military Technical School of the NKVD named after Vyacheslav Menzhinsky | Major General of the Engineering and Artillery Service | Makar Goryainov |
| Kremlin Regiment | Colonel | Timofey Evmenchikov |
| 1st Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Troops | major general | Ivan Piyashev |
| 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the NKVD Troops | major general | Vasily Lukashev |
| Suvorov School | major general | Peter Eremin |
| Central Military Technical School of Trainers | major general | Grigory Medvedev |
| Combined Cavalry Regiment | lieutenant general | Nikolay Kirichenko |
| NKVD Cavalry Regiment | Colonel | Alexey Vasiliev |
| Artillery of the Moscow Military District | lieutenant general | Nikolay Ryabov |
| Air defense units 1 | lieutenant general | Ivan Olenin |
| Air defense units 2 | Major General of Artillery | Mikhail Girshevich |
| 1st Machine Gun Air Defense Division | Colonel | Fedor Leskov |
| 89th MZA Division | lieutenant colonel | Fedor Ioylev |
| 91st MZA Division | Colonel | Boris Basin |
| 1st Guards Anti-Aircraft Division | Guard Major General of Artillery | Mikhail Kiknadze |
| 54th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division | Colonel | Pyotr Valuev |
| 2nd Searchlight Division | Colonel | Alexander Chernavsky |
| GMCH parts - GMCH training camp | Colonel | Dmitry Matygin |
| 40th Guards Mortar Brigade | Colonel | Mark Chumak |
| 46th Guards Mortar Regiment | lieutenant colonel | Ivan Egorov |
| 64th Guards Mortar Regiment | major | Sultanbek Batagov |
| 97th Guards Mortar Regiment | Colonel | Nikolay Mityushev |
| 54th Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade | Colonel | Mikhail Titenko |
| 636th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment | lieutenant colonel | Kuzma Silantiev |
| Artillery Regiment 1st Motorized Rifle Division | lieutenant colonel | Stepan Bogachevsky |
| Artillery Regiment 2nd Motorized Rifle Division | Colonel | Pyotr Velikanov |
| 989th Howitzer Artillery Regiment | major | Fedor Golubev |
| Artillery Regiment 3 LAU | lieutenant colonel | Alexey Yakimov |
| Artregiment RAU | lieutenant colonel | Ivan Vovk-Kurilekh |
| BM Artillery Brigade | Colonel | Vladimir Bachmanov |
| Artillery Brigade OM | lieutenant colonel | Alexander Andreev |
| Armored and mechanized troops of the Moscow Military District | Major General of Tank Forces | Peter Kotov |
| Motorcycle battalion M-72 | lieutenant colonel | Andrey Nedelko |
| Battalion of armored vehicles BA-64 | lieutenant colonel | Alexander Kapustin |
| Motorized infantry regiment | guard colonel | Ivan Stepanov |
| Airborne Troops Battalion | Colonel | Nikolay Yurchenko |
| Regiment SU-76 | lieutenant colonel | Pavel Landyr |
| Brigade of T-34 tanks | lieutenant colonel | Nikolay Burmistrov |
| Regiment SU-100 | lieutenant colonel | Ivan Sivov |
| Regiment IS | Colonel | Nikolay Matochkin |
| Regiment ISU-122 | lieutenant colonel | Fedor Zaitsev |
| Regiment ISU-152 | guard colonel | Boris Prilukov |
| Combined orchestra of the Moscow garrison | major general | Semyon Chernetsky |
Musical accompaniment
The procession was accompanied by the combined brass band of the Moscow garrison, and its preparation was led by Major General Semyon Chernetsky. The musical group consisted of 38 orchestras of Moscow military schools, military units of the Red Army and
THE DECISION to hold a parade of winners was made shortly after Victory Day - May 15, 1945 Deputy Chief of the General Staff Army General remembered : “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, and indicated: “We need to prepare and hold a special parade. Let representatives of all fronts and all branches of the military take part in it...”
May 24 I.V. Stalin was informed of the General Staff's proposals for holding the Victory Parade. He accepted them, but did not agree with the timing. While the General Staff allowed two months for preparations, Stalin ordered the parade to be held in a month. On the same day, a directive signed by the Chief of the General Staff, Army General, was sent to the commander of the troops of the Leningrad, 1st and 2nd Belorussian, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian fronts:
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered:
1. To participate in the parade in the city of Moscow in honor of the victory over Germany, select a consolidated regiment from the front.
2. Form the 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 command personnel consisting of: regiment commander - 1, deputy regiment commander - 2 (combatant and political), regimental chief of staff - 1, battalion commanders - 5, company commanders - 10 and 36 flag bearers with 4 assistant officers. In total there are 1059 people in the combined regiment and 10 reserve people.
3. In a consolidated regiment, have six companies of infantry, one company of artillerymen, one company of tank crews, one company of pilots and one composite company (cavalrymen, sappers, signalmen).
4. The companies should be staffed so that the squad commanders are mid-level officers, and in each squad there are privates and sergeants.
5. Personnel to participate in the parade shall be selected from among the soldiers and officers who have most distinguished themselves in battle and have military orders.
6. Arm the combined regiment with: three rifle companies - with rifles, three rifle companies - with machine guns, a company of artillerymen - with carbines on their backs, a company of tankers and a company of pilots - with pistols, a company of sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen - with carbines on their backs, cavalrymen, in addition - checkers.
7. The front commander and all commanders, including the aviation and tank armies, arrive at the parade.
8. The consolidated regiment arrive in Moscow on June 10, 1945, with 36 combat banners, the most distinguished formations and units of the front in battles, and all enemy banners captured in battle, regardless of their number.
9. Ceremonial uniforms for the entire regiment will be issued in Moscow.
ANTONOV
It was planned to bring ten combined regiments of the fronts and a combined regiment of the Navy to the parade. Students of military academies, cadets of military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison, as well as military equipment, including aviation, were also invited to participate in it.
At the fronts, they immediately began to form and staff consolidated regiments.
At the end of May, consolidated front regiments of five battalions were formed.
The commanders of the combined regiments were appointed:
- - from the Karelian Front - Major General G.E. Kalinovsky
- - from Leningradsky - Major General A.T. Stupchenko
- - from the 1st Baltic - Lieutenant General
- - 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. Tall
- - 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.
Most of them were corps commanders. The combined naval regiment was headed by Vice Admiral V.G. Fadeev.
Although the directive of the General Staff determined the strength of each combined regiment at 1059 people with 10 reserves, during the course of recruitment it increased to 1465 people, but with the same number of reserves.
IN VERY Many problems had to be solved in a short time frame. So, if students of military academies, cadets of military schools of the capital and soldiers of the Moscow garrison, who were to march along Red Square on June 24, had ceremonial uniforms, regularly engaged in drill training, and many participated in the May Day parade of 1945, then with the preparation of more than 15 thousand front-line soldiers, everything was different. They had to be received, accommodated, and prepared for the parade. The most difficult thing was to manage the tailoring of the ceremonial uniforms on time. However, garment factories in Moscow and the Moscow region, which began sewing it at the end of May, managed to cope with this difficult task. By June 20, all parade participants were dressed in new-style ceremonial uniforms.
Another problem arose in connection with the production of ten standards, under which the combined regiments of the fronts were to parade. The execution of such a responsible task was entrusted to a unit of Moscow military builders, commanded by engineer major S. Maksimov. They worked around the clock to make a sample, but it was rejected. But there were about ten days left before the parade. It was decided to turn to specialists from the Bolshoi Theater art and production workshops for help. The head of the art and props shop, V. Terzibashyan, and the head of the metalworking and mechanical shop, N. Chistyakov, were involved in the production of the standards. Together with them we made a new sketch of the original form. A horizontal metal pin with “golden” spiers at the ends was attached to a vertical oak shaft with a silver wreath framing a gold five-pointed star. On it hung a double-sided scarlet velvet panel of the standard, bordered with gold patterned hand lettering and the name of the front. Individual heavy golden tassels fell along the sides.
The sample was immediately approved, and the craftsmen completed the work even ahead of schedule.
The best of the best front-line soldiers were assigned to carry the standards at the head of the combined regiments. And here not everything went smoothly. The fact is that when assembled, the standard weighed more than 10 kg. Not everyone could walk along Red Square in a military step, holding it at arm's length. As always happens in such cases, people's ingenuity came to the rescue. The standard bearer of the cavalry regiment, I. Luchaninov, recalled how an unfurled knife banner was attached on the march. Based on this model, but in relation to the foot formation, the saddlery factory in two days produced special sword belts, slung on wide belts over the left shoulder, with a leather cup in which the standard shaft was attached. 
And many hundreds of order ribbons that crowned the staffs of 360 military banners, which had to be carried across Red Square at the head of the combined regiments, were made in the workshops of the Bolshoi Theater. Each banner represented a military unit or formation that had distinguished itself in battle, and each of the ribbons commemorated a collective feat, marked by a military order. Most of the banners were guards.
By June 10, special trains carrying parade participants began arriving in Moscow. The personnel were stationed in the Chernyshevsky, Aleshinsky, Oktyabrsky and Lefortovo barracks, in the towns of Khlebnikovo, Bolshevo, Likhobory. As part of the combined regiments, the soldiers began drills and training at the Central Airfield named after. They were held every day for six to seven hours. Intensive preparation for the parade required all its participants to exert all their physical and moral strength. Honored heroes did not receive any relief.
Horses were selected in advance for the host of the parade and the commander of the parade: for the marshal - a white light gray color of the Terek breed named “Idol”, for the marshal - a black krak color named “Polyus”.
Starting from June 10, 1945, the medal “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945,” established on May 9, 1945, was the first in the Armed Forces to be awarded to front-line soldiers - participants in the Victory Parade. Along the way, orders and medals that had defects, as well as those awarded back in 1941-1943, were exchanged for new ones that appeared after the introduction of order bars in 1943.
At the direction of the General Staff, about They were received in the gym of the Lefortovo barracks by the commander of the 181st Infantry Regiment of the 291st Infantry Division, Colonel A.K. Korkishko. 200 banners and standards, then selected by a special commission, were placed in a special room and taken under the protection of the military commandant of Moscow. On the day of the Victory Parade, they were taken to Red Square in covered trucks and handed over to the personnel of the parade company of “porters.”
On June 10, a company was formed from the front-line soldiers of the combined regiments (10 ranks, and 20 people in a rank). It was located in the parade formation opposite St. Basil's Cathedral. On the parade ground, where training began, the front-line soldiers did not look their best, but after all, aces were required, and not just combat soldiers. Things took off when, at the suggestion of the commandant of Moscow, Lieutenant General K. Sinilov, an excellent combat soldier, Senior Lieutenant D. Vovk, deputy commander of the honor guard company, was appointed commander. They trained with poles from soldiers' tents, 1.8 m long. But some could not withstand such physical exertion, while others did not go well with drill training. I had to do a partial replacement. The company included a group of tall warriors of the 3rd regiment of the division named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky. With their help, single combat training began. <Кавалер двух орденов Славы С. Шипкин вспоминал: “We were drilled like recruits, our tunics did not dry out from sweat. But we were 20-25 years old, and the great joy of victory easily prevailed over fatigue. The classes were beneficial, and we were sincerely grateful to the Dzerzhinsky guys.”. The company was prepared for the day of the parade. June 21, late evening, Marshal G.K. Zhukov examined the training of “porters” on Red Square and was satisfied.
Unfortunately, not everyone “passed the exam” at the dress rehearsal. According to the organizers, the march of troops was to begin with the removal of the Victory Banner, which was delivered to Moscow on June 20 from Berlin.
But due to S.A.’s poor drill training. Neustroeva, M.A. Egorova and M.V. Kantaria Marshal G.K. Zhukov decided not to take it to the parade.
Two days before the parade, June 22, signed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.V. Stalin issued order No. 370:
ORDER
Supreme Commander-in-Chief
To commemorate the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I appoint a parade of troops of the Active Army, Navy and Moscow Garrison on June 24, 1945 in Moscow on Red Square - the Victory Parade. Bring the consolidated regiments of the fronts, the consolidated regiment of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the consolidated regiment of the Navy, military academies, military schools and troops of the Moscow garrison to the parade.
The first Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow June 24, 1945 It was commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky, and the parade was hosted by Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov.
To participate in the parade, 12 combined regiments were formed 10 from each front operating at the end of the war, as well as from the Navy and the People's Commissariat of Defense. Each regiment numbered over a thousand people - Heroes of the Soviet Union, holders of the Order of Glory, and other military personnel who distinguished themselves in battle. In front of each regiment were the commanders of the fronts and armies.
In addition to these 12 regiments, the parade included a combined regiment of drummers, parts of the Moscow garrison, an orchestra of 1.4 thousand musicians, and about 1.85 thousand units of military equipment. The aerial portion of the parade was canceled due to bad weather.
At the end of the parade, 200 banners of the defeated Nazi troops were thrown at the foot of the Mausoleum.
The next parade dedicated to Victory Day took place May 9, 1965(it was in 1965, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, that this day was officially declared a national holiday and day off).
The Victory Banner was carried across Red Square for the first time. The standard bearer was Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel Konstantin Samsonov, the assistants were Heroes of the Soviet Union Sergeant Mikhail Egorov and Senior Sergeant Meliton Kantaria, who hoisted this banner over the Reichstag on May 1, 1945. Units of the Moscow garrison and cadets of higher military schools and academies took part in the parade; almost a third of the parade participants were veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
The next parade on May 9 was held for the 40th anniversary of the Victory - in 1985 In addition to military units and modern military equipment, columns of veterans and combat vehicles from the Second World War took part in it: T-34-85 tanks, SU-100 self-propelled artillery mounts, and BM-13 Katyusha guard rocket mortars). The military personnel - participants in the historical part of the parade - were dressed in uniforms from the times of the Great Patriotic War.
In the parade May 9, 1990 Military equipment from the Great Patriotic War also took part. During the historical part of the parade, a tractor with a model of an exact copy of the monument to the Soldier-Liberator, installed in Treptower Park in Berlin, drove across Red Square.
May 9, 1995 The historical Victory Parade of 1945 was reenacted on Red Square. All 10 fronts of the war years were represented by combined veteran regiments with their battle flags. Also, Russian army servicemen in military uniforms from the Great Patriotic War walked along Red Square. On the same day, a military parade of units of the Moscow garrison, cadets of military educational institutions, military equipment and aviation took place on Kutuzovsky Prospekt near Poklonnaya Gora.
In the same year, on May 19, the Federal Law “On the Perpetuation of the Victory of the Soviet People in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” was adopted, according to which military parades involving weapons and military equipment, using copies of the Victory Banner are held annually in Moscow, the cities of heroes, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts, fleets, combined arms armies and the Caspian Flotilla are located.
Since then, parades in honor of Victory Day have been held on Red Square every year.
IN 2000 Veterans of the Great Patriotic War marched on foot at the parade. IN 2005 They were transported across the square in 130 vehicles, stylized as GaZ-AA ("lorry and truck") trucks from the 1940s.
IN 2005 At the parade in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, Wehrmacht veterans, who arrived along with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, were present as guests. Also in 2005, the participation of aviation in parades, interrupted in 1957, was resumed - 4 MiG-29 fighters, 5 Su-27 fighters and 3 Su-25 attack aircraft flew over Red Square.
Feature of the parade 2007 became choral singing without musical accompaniment, in which 6,637 military personnel were involved.
IN 2008 For the first time since 1990, heavy military equipment passed through Red Square - T-90 tanks, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, Sprut and Msta-S self-propelled artillery systems, various anti-aircraft systems (Tunguska , "Thor", "Buk"), as well as tactical ("Iskander") and strategic ("Topol") missile systems. Before this, combat vehicles did not participate in the parade due to work on the reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square and the restoration of the Iversky Gate at the entrance to Red Square.
IN 2010 For the first time since 1945, foreign military personnel from 13 countries, including Great Britain, the USA, France, Poland and the CIS countries (75 people from each country), took part in the parade on Red Square for the first time since 1945. In total, in 2010, 11 thousand 300 soldiers and officers, 161 units of military equipment, 127 aircraft and helicopters took part in the Victory Parade.
In the parade 2011 A record number of military personnel in the modern history of Russia took part - almost 20 thousand people, as well as 106 units of military equipment and 5 Mi-8 helicopters.
May 9, 2012 14 thousand military personnel and about 100 units of military equipment marched across Red Square. The Lynx armored car was demonstrated for the first time. Five Mi-8 helicopters took part in the parade.
In 2013, 11 thousand military personnel and over 100 units of military equipment, including for the first time BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, took part in the parade in honor of the 68th anniversary of the Victory. The military equipment parade was completed by a flyover of 68 aircraft and helicopters. /TASS-DOSSIER/
On June 24, 1945, a legendary parade was held on Red Square in Moscow in honor of the end of the Great Patriotic War. 24 marshals, 249 generals, 2,536 officers and 31,116 privates and sergeants took part in the parade. In addition, the audience was shown 1,850 pieces of military equipment. Interesting facts about the first Victory Parade in the history of our country await you further.
1. The Victory Parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, not Stalin. A week before the parade day, Stalin called Zhukov to his dacha and asked if the marshal had forgotten how to ride a horse. He has to drive staff cars more and more. Zhukov replied that he had not forgotten how to do it and in his spare time he tried to ride a horse.
“That’s it,” said the Supreme Commander, “you will have to host the Victory Parade.” Rokossovsky will command the parade.
Zhukov was surprised, but didn’t show it:
– Thank you for such an honor, but wouldn’t it be better for you to host the parade?
And Stalin told him:
“I’m too old to host parades.” Take it, you are younger.
The next day, Zhukov went to the Central Airfield on the former Khodynka - a parade rehearsal was taking place there - and met with Vasily, Stalin’s son. And it was here that Vasily amazed the marshal. He told me in confidence that my father himself was going to host the parade. I ordered Marshal Budyonny to prepare a suitable horse and went to Khamovniki, to the main army riding arena on Chudovka, as Komsomolsky Prospekt was called then. There, the army cavalrymen set up their magnificent arena - a huge, high hall, covered in large mirrors. It was here that Stalin came on June 16, 1945 to shake off the old days and check whether the horseman’s skills had not been lost over time. At a sign from Budyonny, they brought the snow-white horse and helped Stalin into the saddle. Gathering the reins in his left hand, which always remained bent at the elbow and only half active, which is why the evil tongues of his party comrades called the leader “Sukhorukiy,” Stalin spurred the restive horse - and he rushed off...
The rider fell out of the saddle and, despite the thick layer of sawdust, hit his side and head painfully... Everyone rushed to him and helped him up. Budyonny, a timid man, looked at the leader with fear... But there were no consequences.
2. The Victory Banner, brought to Moscow on June 20, 1945, was to be carried across Red Square. And the crew of the flag bearers was specially trained. The Keeper of the Banner at the Museum of the Soviet Army, A. Dementyev, argued: the flag bearer Neustroyev and his assistants Egorov, Kantaria and Berest, who hoisted it over the Reichstag and were sent to Moscow, went through the rehearsal extremely unsuccessfully - they had no time for drill training in the war. By the age of 22, Neustroev had five wounds and his legs were damaged. Appointing other standard bearers is absurd and too late. Zhukov decided not to carry the Banner. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, there was no Banner at the Victory Parade. The first time the Banner was carried out at the parade was in 1965.
3. The question has arisen more than once: why does the Banner lack a strip 73 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide, since the panels of all assault flags were cut the same size? There are two versions. First: he tore off the strip and took it as a souvenir on May 2, 1945, who was on the roof of the Reichstag, Private Alexander Kharkov, a Katyusha gunner from the 92nd Guards Mortar Regiment. But how could he know that this particular chintz cloth, one of several, would become the Victory Banner?
Second version: The banner was kept in the political department of the 150th Infantry Division. Mostly women worked there, who began to be demobilized in the summer of 1945. They decided to keep a souvenir for themselves, cut off a strip and divided it into pieces. This version is the most likely: in the early 70s, a woman came to the Museum of the Soviet Army, told this story and showed her scrap.
4. Everyone saw the footage of fascist banners being thrown at the foot of the Mausoleum. But it is curious that the soldiers carried 200 banners and standards of the defeated German units with gloves, emphasizing that it was disgusting to even take the shafts of these standards into your hands. And they threw them onto a special platform so that the standards would not touch the pavement of Red Square. Hitler’s personal standard was thrown first, the last was the banner of Vlasov’s army. And in the evening of the same day, the platform and all the gloves were burned.
5. The directive on preparations for the parade was sent to the troops within a month, at the end of May. And the exact date of the parade was determined by the time required for Moscow garment factories to sew 10 thousand sets of ceremonial uniforms for soldiers, and the time required for sewing uniforms for officers and generals in the atelier.
6. To participate in the Victory Parade, it was necessary to go through a strict selection: not only feats and merits were taken into account, but also the appearance corresponding to the appearance of the victorious warrior, and that the warrior was at least 170 cm tall. It is not for nothing that in the newsreels all the participants in the parade are simply handsome , especially pilots. Going to Moscow, the lucky ones did not yet know that they would have to practice drill for 10 hours a day for three and a half minutes of flawless march along Red Square.
7. Fifteen minutes before the start of the parade, it began to rain, turning into downpour. It only cleared up in the evening. Because of this, the aerial part of the parade was cancelled. Standing on the podium of the Mausoleum, Stalin was dressed in a raincoat and rubber boots, depending on the weather. But the marshals were soaked through. Rokossovsky's wet ceremonial uniform, when dry, shrunk so that it turned out to be impossible to take it off - he had to rip it open.
8. Zhukov’s ceremonial speech survived. It is interesting that in its margins someone carefully wrote down all the intonations with which the marshal was supposed to pronounce this text. The most interesting notes: “quieter, more severe” - in the words: “Four years ago, Nazi hordes of bandits attacked our country”; “louder, with increasing intensity” - on the boldly underlined phrase: “The Red Army, under the leadership of its brilliant commander, launched a decisive offensive.” And here it is: “quieter, more penetrating” - starting with the sentence “We won the victory at the cost of heavy sacrifices.”
9. Few people know that there were four epoch-making parades in 1945. The first in importance, undoubtedly, is the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 on Red Square in Moscow. The parade of Soviet troops in Berlin took place on May 4, 1945 at the Brandenburg Gate, and was hosted by the military commandant of Berlin, General N. Berzarin.
The Allied Victory Parade was held in Berlin on September 7, 1945. This was Zhukov’s proposal after the Moscow Victory Parade. A combined regiment of a thousand men and armored units participated from each allied nation. But the 52 IS-3 tanks from our 2nd Guards Tank Army aroused general admiration.
The Victory Parade of Soviet troops in Harbin on September 16, 1945 was reminiscent of the first parade in Berlin: our soldiers marched in field uniform. Tanks and self-propelled guns brought up the rear of the column.
10. After the parade on June 24, 1945, Victory Day was not widely celebrated and was an ordinary working day. Only in 1965 did Victory Day become a public holiday. After the collapse of the USSR, Victory Parades were not held until 1995.
11. Why was one dog carried in the arms of a Stalinist overcoat at the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945?
During World War II, trained dogs actively helped sappers clear mines. One of them, nicknamed Dzhulbars, discovered 7,468 mines and more than 150 shells while clearing mines in European countries in the last year of the war. Shortly before the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, Dzhulbars was injured and could not participate in the military dog school. Then Stalin ordered the dog to be carried across Red Square on his overcoat.
