The meaning of the holiday on May 9th. How to celebrate Victory Day and what not to do on a holiday

Every country, every nation has its main holiday, which is celebrated annually for a long time. He unites the nation with a sense of pride for the valiant deeds of the ancestors, which will remain in the memory of descendants forever. There is such a holiday in Russia. Victory, which is celebrated on May 9.

A bit of history

The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 and lasted for a long 4 years. The Soviet people endured a lot during the years of fascist occupation, but still they won. The people paved the road to the Victory Day with their own hands. Only thanks to his selfless work and military merits, the Soviet Union was able to win this war, although it was not easy to do so.

The final push that led to the end of hostilities with Germany was very long and difficult. The Soviet troops began to advance in the region of Poland and Prussia in January 1945. The Allies were not far behind. They were rapidly advancing towards Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. According to many historians of that and present time, Hitler's suicide on April 20, 1945, sealed the defeat of Germany.

But the death of a mentor and leader did not stop the Nazi troops. The bloody battles for Berlin, however, led to the fact that the USSR and the allies defeated the Nazis. Victory Day is a tribute to the heavy price paid by the ancestors of many of us. Hundreds of thousands killed on both sides - only after that the capital of Germany capitulated. It happened on May 7, 1945, that significant day was remembered by contemporaries for a long time.

The Price of Victory

About 2.5 million soldiers were involved in the storming of Berlin. The losses of the Soviet Army were huge. According to some reports, our army lost up to 15 thousand people per day. In the Battle of Berlin, 325 thousand officers and soldiers died. There was a real bloody war. Victory Day - it was still the day, the first celebration of which was just around the corner.

Since the fighting took place within the city, Soviet tanks could not maneuver widely. It was only in the hands of the Germans. They used anti-tank weapons to destroy military equipment. In a matter of weeks, the Soviet Army lost:

• 1997 tanks;
• more than 2000 guns;
• about 900 aircraft.

Despite huge losses in this battle, our troops defeated the enemies. The Day of the Great Victory over the Nazis was also marked by the fact that about half a million German soldiers were taken prisoner in this battle. The enemy suffered heavy losses. Soviet troops destroyed a huge number of German units, namely:

• 12 tank;
• 70 infantry;
• 11 motorized divisions.

human losses

According to the main sources, about 26.6 million people died in the Great Patriotic War. This number is determined by the demographic balance method. This number includes:

1. Killed as a result of military and other actions of the enemy.
2. Persons who left the USSR during the war years, as well as those who did not return after it ended.
3. Those who died due to an increased mortality rate during the period of hostilities in the rear and in the occupied territory.

As for the gender of the dead and dead people during the Second World War, most of them are men. The total number is 20 million people.

Public Holiday

Kalinin signed a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR that May 9 - Victory Day - is a public holiday. It was declared a public holiday. At 6 am Moscow time, this decree was read on the radio by a well-known throughout the country announcer - Levitan. On the same day, a plane landed on Red Square in Moscow, delivering an act of

Celebration of the first Victory Day

In the evening in Moscow they gave the Victory Salute - the largest in the history of the USSR. Of the thousand guns, 30 volleys were fired. It took a long time to prepare for the first celebration dedicated to the Victory Day. The holiday was celebrated like no other in the Soviet Union. People on the streets hugged and cried, congratulated each other on the victory.

On June 24, the first military parade took place on Red Square. Marshal Zhukov received him. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The regiments of the following fronts marched across Red Square:

• Leningradsky;
• Belarusian;
• Ukrainian;
• Karelsky.

Also, the combined regiment of the Navy passed through the square. Commanders and Heroes of the Soviet Union walked ahead, carrying flags and banners of military units that had distinguished themselves in battle.

At the end of the military parade on Red Square, Victory Day was marked by the fact that two hundred banners of defeated Germany were carried and thrown at the Mausoleum. Only after the expiration of time did the military parade begin to be held on Victory Day - May 9th.

oblivion period

After the war, the country's leadership considered that the Soviet people, tired of fighting and bloodshed, should forget those events a little. And oddly enough, the custom of celebrating such an important holiday on a grand scale did not last long. In 1947, a new scenario for Victory Day was introduced by the country's leadership: it was completely canceled, and May 9 was recognized as an ordinary working day. Accordingly, all festivities and military parades were not held.

In 1965, in the year of the 20th anniversary, Victory Day (May 9) was reinstated and again recognized as a public holiday. Many regions of the Soviet Union held their own parades. The day ended with the usual fireworks display.

The collapse of the USSR soon followed, which led to the emergence of various conflicts, including political ones. In 1995, a full-fledged celebration of Victory Day was resumed in Russia. In the same year, as many as 2 parades took place in Moscow. One was on foot and passed through Red Square. And the second was carried out using armored vehicles, and it was observed on Poklonnaya Hill.

The official part of the holiday is traditional. They sound on Victory Day - words of congratulations, followed by the laying of wreaths and flowers at the monuments and memorials of the Great Patriotic War and the obligatory evening fireworks crowns the festival.

Victory Day

There is no more touching, tragic and at the same time glorious holiday in our country than Victory Day. It is still celebrated annually on May 9th. No matter how the facts of our history have changed in recent years, this day remains beloved by everyone, a dear and bright holiday.

On May 9, millions of people remember how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought, not sparing their lives, with enemies who decided to conquer the Soviet Union. They remember those who worked hard at factories producing equipment and weapons for the military. People were starving, but they held on, because they understood that the future victory over the fascist invaders depended only on their actions. It was these people who won the war, and thanks to their generation, today we live under peaceful skies.

How is Victory Day celebrated in Russia?

Rallies and demonstrations take place on this day. Flowers and wreaths are laid at the monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Veterans and participants of those distant and at the same time such close events are honored. In general, the same scenario always awaits us on this day. On Victory Day, in many countries they don’t arrange noisy parties, they don’t blow up firecrackers in the evenings. But this date enters the young hearts of Russians with black-and-white newsreels about that time, soul-stirring songs about a cramped dugout, about the front line and the soldier Alyosha forever frozen over the mountain.

May 9 is a holiday of the proud victorious people. It has been 70 years since the first celebration of Victory Day. But until now, this date is sacred for every Russian person. After all, there is not a single family that has not been touched by the grief of loss. Millions of soldiers went to the front, thousands of people remained to work in the rear. All the people rose to defend the Fatherland, and they managed to defend the right to a peaceful life.

An invariable attribute of the Victory Day holiday

Over the years, the holiday acquired its own traditions. In 1965, at the parade dedicated to the great date, a banner was carried out. It remained an invariable attribute of the holiday, which symbolized Victory Day. This banner is extremely significant today: until now, parades are full of red banners. Since 1965, the original Victory attribute has been replaced with a copy. The first banner can be seen in

Also, the unchanging colors that accompany May 9 are black and yellow - symbols of smoke and flame. Since 2005, the St. George Ribbon has been an invariable reflection of gratitude for peace and respect for veterans.

Heroes are winners

Every year Russia celebrates a peaceful spring. Only, unfortunately, front-line wounds, time and disease are inexorable. To date, out of every hundred winners in the Great Patriotic War, only two people have survived. And this is a very sad statistic, especially for those who were born only after they started celebrating Victory Day. Veterans are our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who still remember those war years. They should be treated with special attention and honor. After all, it was they who made the sky above our heads become and remains peaceful.

Time treats ruthlessly everyone, even the valiant heroes of a harsh war. Year after year, the participants in those terrible events are becoming less and less. But they, as before, go out into the streets with orders and medals on their chests. Veterans meet with each other, remember the old days, commemorate friends and relatives who died in those years. Elderly people visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame. They travel to places of military glory, visit the graves of comrades who did not live to see our bright days. We must not forget the significance of exploits, which they have in relation to each individual fate and to world history in general. A little more time will pass, and there will be no witnesses and participants in that bloody war at all. Therefore, it is important to be very sensitive to this date - May 9th.

We remember our ancestors

The main wealth of every human soul is the memory of the ancestors. After all, in order for us to live now and be what we are, many generations of people created our society. They made life the way we know it.

The memory of the departed is priceless. The heroism of the victors of the Second World War cannot be estimated. We do not know all these great people by name. But what they have done cannot be measured by any material good. Even without knowing the names, our generation remembers them not only on Victory Day. We say words of gratitude every day for our peaceful existence. The largest number of flowers - a pronounced evidence of people's memory and admiration - is at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It always burns here, as if saying that although the names remain unknown, the human feat is immortal.

Everyone who fought in the Great Patriotic War did not fight for their well-being. People fought for the independence and freedom of their homeland. These heroes are immortal. And we know that a person is alive as long as he is remembered.

Monuments and monuments dedicated to the Victory Day

The Second World War left a huge and unforgettable mark in the history of our country. For 70 years now, we have been commemorating this great May every year. Victory Day is a special holiday that honors the memory of the dead. In the vastness of Russia, there are a lot of memorials dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. And all monuments are different. There are inconspicuous obelisks in small villages, and huge monuments in large cities.

Here are some famous throughout the country and the world buildings dedicated to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War:

• Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
• Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.
• Heroes Square in Novorossiysk.
• Alley of Heroes in St. Petersburg.
• Eternal Flame of Glory in Novgorod.
• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and much more.

Holiday with tears in the eyes

This significant and at the same time mournful holiday cannot be separated from the song "Victory Day". It contains these lines:

"This Victory Day
Smell of gunpowder
This is a holiday
With gray hair at the temples.
It's joy
With tears in his eyes…"

This song is a kind of symbol of the great date - May 9th. Victory Day is never complete without it.

In March 1975, V. Kharitonov and D. Tukhmanov wrote a song dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The country was preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, and the Union of Composers of the USSR announced a competition to create the best song on the theme of heroic events. A few days before the end of the competition, the work was written. It was performed at the last audition of the competition by D. Tukhmanov's wife, poetess and singer T. Sashko. But it didn't take long for the song to become popular. Only in November 1975, at a holiday dedicated to the song performed by L. Leshchenko, was remembered by the listener. After that, she gained the love of the whole country.

There are other performers of the famous "Victory Day". It:

• I. Kobzon;
• M. Magomaev;
• Y. Bogatikov;
• E. Piekha and others.

Victory Day will forever remain that holiday for Russians, which is met with bated breath and with tears in their eyes. Eternal memory to the heroes!

The victory of the Soviet people over fascism is celebrated, of course, in a completely different way than it was several decades ago. In many former Soviet republics, excluding those that defiantly distance themselves from the merits of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War, large military parades are no longer held - after the collapse of the empire, there was practically no equipment left for this, and there is nothing to brag to the enemy. Yes, and the enemies have already become completely different - just as modern.

In Kyrgyzstan, for the past few years, celebrations have been limited to celebrations in the capital on Victory Square, in cities - at monuments to heroes who fell in battle, in small district councils - modest "envelope" congratulations to veterans. To say that the Victory Day has become smaller would be immodest and disrespectful to those for whom it is still a red day of the calendar. Thank God there are so many left.

But I will not hide the fact that some of us have recently experienced few genuine sincere feelings for Victory Day. To cast aside the verdict of time would be foolish. I was reminded that the victory of Russia over Napoleon is not often remembered now either. So I have no right to demand from contemporaries such trepidation in relation to the Great Victory of 1945, which is shown in old Soviet films.

Today, very few people in the world have the opportunity to learn about the war against fascism firsthand. The image of victory over world evil is increasingly turning into an annual campaign. For example, not so long ago the St. George Ribbon campaign became popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union. My grandmother on the rear saw this only on postcards that she was given on May 9th. For her, the celebration was not at all about attaching a striped ribbon next to the medals or decorating the front door with it. Then the Victory was not forgotten enough to be reminded with free paraphernalia.

Now St. George's ribbons are handed out for free on the streets, car owners decorate their cars with them, and all at once, as it were, become grateful sons and daughters of Victory, without doing anything concrete for this. It just became fashionable to join the majority and immediately forget about respect for veterans at a pedestrian crossing or in public transport.

Let's not be hypocritical: the current generation cannot imagine all the hardships of military hard times. All that we have, the third or fourth generation born after a bloody war, is memory, and that is what we must cherish. But why is it still believed that on May 9 the main consolation for a veteran is to drink 100 grams of front-line soldiers, and memorial complexes should be cleaned and repaired no more than once a year? Why are monuments to the heroes of the Second World War being demolished in neighboring Uzbekistan, and in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, wedding companies pour the remnants of alcohol into the Eternal Flame? Why is the victory over fascism a political tool in the Baltic countries, and the holiday of May 9 is a reason for the marches of modern Nazis? Is it a mockery of history or collapse in our heads? Why does May 9 begin to quarrel people, but not to unite, as intended?

I remember that we, then Soviet children, felt and realized the fullness of Victory Day when military equipment, decorated with flowers and smiling soldiers, rumbled along the main streets of Frunze, when we looked at pictures in a book about the battle in the Brest Fortress, when we read in the classroom "Vasily Terkin" and wrote greeting cards to grandparents in round letters. We knew what was good and what was bad, and the enemies in children's games were always fascists, not policemen and marauders. On walks in the parks, adults showed us monuments to fallen heroes: flowers lay at the foot of the memorials all year round, and children were forbidden to climb onto the bronze figures of soldiers and draw scribbles with chalk. This is how reverence for the feat of the heroes and participants in that war was brought up, which is why now, at the sight of WWII veterans and their orders and medals, tears well up by themselves. We were just lucky: they managed to convey a good memory of the feat of grandfathers to us. Can we pass it on to our children?

Why is Victory today becoming an instrument of speculation, including on the basis of nationalism? Why do senior officials in Kyrgyzstan compare this holiday with civil coups that mean nothing against the backdrop of the Second World War, without thinking about the reaction to such statements by the heroes of the war? Does this mean that our consciousness and memory are shrinking, like ourselves? Maybe. And it also seems that together with the last veteran of the last war, the very feeling of the Great Victory will sink into oblivion, because it is being replaced by events that are more relevant for politicians. Now in the schools of the Kyrgyz Republic they do not learn plays about the feat of the Panfilovites, but realistically depict on stage death from a sniper bullet during the April events. Wars in the name of wars, not victory ...

Ask modern sculptors and artists: why in all the years of independence in Kyrgyzstan, not a single new monument in honor of Victory Day appeared and not a single surname was engraved on the plates instead of the name of an unknown soldier? Surely you, like me, will be answered that “this is not relevant”, “no one needs it”, and “there is no money” for search work.

This Victory Day
Smell of gunpowder
This is a holiday
With gray hair at the temples.
It's joy
With tears in his eyes…

9th May CIS countries annually celebrate one of the most important holidays in the history of the states of the former USSR - Day of the Great Victory over Nazi Germany during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

This date is celebrated most massively and solemnly in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. It was on the territory of these countries that the most fierce battles unfolded.

Also, this day is non-working and festive in such countries as Azerbaijan, Georgia, South Ossetia, Armenia, Abkhazia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova.

May 8 Victory Day celebrated in European countries such as the UK, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway.

The history of the holiday of Victory Day on May 9

May 9th back in 1945 the crew of the Li-2 aircraft under the leadership of A.I. Semenkov was taken to the Moscow airport them. Frunze document confirming victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. This document was, which entered into force on the night of May 9, 1945, Instrument of Surrender of Nazi Germany.

The siege and capture of Berlin by Soviet troops happened more May 2, 1945, but even so, the German army showed resistance for more than a week. To preserve the remnants of Germany and stop the already senseless bloodshed, the country's leadership decided to sign the act of surrender.

In the French town of Reims May 7, 1945 Soviet, German and Anglo-American parties signed an act of surrender, which did not confirm the comprehensive surrender of the armed forces of Germany. This act did not suit the supreme leadership of the USSR, because. it was signed not on the territory of the aggressor state and by an unauthorized person from the USSR.

May 8 in the Berlin suburbs, Central European Time in 22:43 (on Moscow time at 0:43 already on May 9) German General - Field Marshal W. Keitel signed a second act of unconditional surrender of Germany, which was accepted by G.K. from the USSR. Zhukov. Subsequently, the first act began to be considered a preliminary document, and the second, respectively, the final document.

On the evening of May 9, 1945 from several thousand guns a grandiose salute exploded in the sky and by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR this day was declared as a public holiday - Victory Day. A little later, the official solemn Victory Parade on Red Square was held May 24, 1945. On it, at the foot of the Mausoleum, the flags of the defeated Germany were dropped. The parade was commanded by the chief military commanders of the USSR, marshals K.K. Rokossovsky and G.K. Zhukov.

However, the USSR, having accepted the surrender in 1945, did not make peace with Germany. "Documentary point" in the form of a Decree to end the state of war with Germany was only delivered January 25, 1955.

Between 1945 and 1948 Victory Day was declared a public holiday. Further, this day, for internal political reasons, was announced workers. But only in the anniversary year 1965, during the reign of V.I. Brezhnev, 9th May became a non-working day again. Further, until the collapse of the USSR, it was carried out quite widely with military parades, fireworks and folk festivals. Jubilee celebrations were especially solemn. In the future, after 1991, the holiday began to be celebrated not so widely.

Traditions of celebrating Victory Day on May 9

Parade on Victory Day

The main event during the celebration of Victory Day is the Military Parade. On the main squares of the countries, it is held with the participation of aviation, military equipment and with demonstration performances by various units of the state army. The honored guests of the parades are veterans of the Great Patriotic War and top officials of the state.

Laying flowers

On May 9, natural flowers and wreaths are laid at military monuments and memorials, monuments to the Unknown Soldier, Heroes of the Great Patriotic War and other memorable and historical places. Each city has its own places of military glory, to which everyone brings flowers - both schoolchildren and veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The laying of flowers is accompanied by a minute of silence, as a tribute to all the people who laid down their lives during the war.

Festive events on Victory Day

Throughout the day, on May 9, various festive events, concerts, performances by amateur groups are held. Veterans meet with by their fellow soldiers and colleagues, accept congratulations from the younger generation. Demonstrations of elements of military battles are often arranged, a military field kitchen is broken up with the distribution of dishes from the times of the Great Patriotic War to everyone.

Salute

Traditionally, the end of the holiday is always fireworks.

On Victory Day it is a matter of honor for every person to participate in the congratulations of veterans and participants of the Great Patriotic War. Every year their number is rapidly decreasing and it is very important for them to know that they are taken care of, remembered and their exploits live in our hearts to this day.

Celebrations start this week

May 9 is still a unifying and family holiday of the country. Not only veterans of the victorious country and guests from friendly states, but also their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren want to see fireworks, spend time at a concert and watch the parade. MK figured out how to spend time on the weekend, how to congratulate the honored heroes of the past, and where is the best place to watch fireworks.

We can and must please the heroes

For several years now there has been a youth charitable foundation "V.N.U.K." in Moscow. The project activists themselves decipher the abbreviation as "Veterans need care and company" - and are ready to give the remaining veterans, those who have no grandchildren, both. On the eve of May 9, their main task is to do a general cleaning in the apartments of those old people who themselves can no longer cope with washing windows or shaking out carpets. And along the way, of course, to talk - many veterans willingly share their memories of difficult times, and volunteers willingly listen to them. Most of the enthusiasts are very young: schoolchildren and students.

If you want something more pathetic than a simple wet cleaning, then you can take part in the patriotic action “Thank you for the Victory”, which will be held on May 6–7. As part of this project, citizens can write any personal warm words of gratitude to veterans on postcards, and Moscow volunteers will certainly pass them on to the recipients. Special mailboxes will be installed in the largest parks in Moscow, and all the collected postcards will be sent to veterans' councils by May 9.

In addition, an excellent gift for a veteran would be a photo album - maybe already decorated with several cards of the war years - or something more practical. According to seasoned volunteers, older people can be happy with an LED lamp (a great way to save on electricity in the coming months), a blanket or a warm blanket, goodies like chocolate and fruit, or just a basket of groceries - what seems boring and unromantic to young people will be greeted with a bang. old people.

Veterans with whom you personally know can be invited to the cinema - especially since it will not cost anything. More than 40 films dedicated to the Great Patriotic War can be seen at charitable free film screenings from May 6 to 9 in cinemas and parks. Such well-known films as "The Ballad of a Soldier", "The Fate of a Man", "Twenty Days Without War", "The Dawns Here Are Quiet...", "Belorussky Station", "Soldiers", "Mashenka" and other films will be shown. However, if going to the cinema was not free, many Muscovites would gladly please the heroes. There is not even a doubt about it.

The option is no worse - going to the theater or to a concert, especially since on the eve of an important holiday, several youth volunteer associations have planned performances dedicated to the war, and also for free. For example, in the recreation center "Stimulus" (Sibirsky passage, 2, building 5) on May 4 at 20.00 there will be a concert of military songs "Let's bow to those great years", organized by an amateur vocal studio. And near the metro station "Volzhskaya" (Shkuleva street, 15/18) on May 6 at 19.00 the actors of the amateur theater "TeNer" invite everyone to the musical production "The Dawns Here Are Quiet", which will feature old pre-war songs performed by young actors, - also free.

Several special holiday concerts will be organized separately for veterans:

May 5 - in the territorial centers of social services "Yasenevo" and "Zyuzino", beginning at 10.00;

Listen to the Alexandrov Ensemble

The main festive celebrations in the city will, of course, fall on May 9th. But sitting at home waiting for fireworks and a parade is also not worth it. On April 28, the Moscow Spring acapella festival began in the city: a celebration of spring, music and good mood. Light white chalets decorated with fresh flowers appeared on the streets and squares of Moscow. The aroma from them is unearthly: you can’t even believe that you are in the center of a metropolis. Sometimes it is mixed with the smell of ice cream or kebabs: food at the festival for every taste. But the main character of this spring is music. They play everywhere and in every way. Jazz sounds on Teatralnaya Square, blues sounds a little closer to the metro... (By the way, the dots with the artists are placed very competently: far enough so that the songs do not merge, and close enough so that you can quickly move between venues). In total, 150 performers will play for Muscovites, which in total will give 1200 hours of live music.

On Pushkin Square within the framework of the festival, the famous director and choreographer Yegor Druzhinin will stage the musical "The Girl Without an Address" based on the Soviet romantic film. Last session will be May 5 at 16.00 and 18.00. In addition, thematic excursions will be held during the festival. Educational walks dedicated to composers, musical theaters and patrons of the capital, who took care of the musical life of the city, start Stoleshnikov Lane, house 6–8. For example, May 6 at 13.00 they will tell about the front and non-front Tverskaya, and May 7 at 13.00 will hold a musical in Moscow. Excursions about literature and history will start at Novy Arbat, 13. The final gala concert of the festival will take place on May 8th.

Special festive concerts dedicated to the Victory Day will start already May 8. At the entrance square of Victory Park, on Poklonnaya Hill, on this day at 17:00 there will be a defile of the Kremlin riding school - the show "Traditions of Russia". Cavalrymen will walk across the square with a slender step, a parade with the flags of hero cities will take place. In addition, riders will show tricks on horseback. The concert will start on the main stage at the same time.

May 9 at 13.00 in Victory Park will host a traditional concert of the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. It will be the end of the Easter Festival, with which the maestro traveled all over Russia and visited Syria. Those who could not get to Red Square can start their morning there, on Poklonnaya Hill: at 10.00 the Victory Parade will be broadcast on large TV screens.

First on Poklonnaya Hill the action "Light of memory" will take place. A 10-meter construction will appear on the entrance square: an image of fire and a flower, war and the joy of Victory. The torch flower will change color from red to white to gold.

In general, concerts will be held in every park in the capital. On the square in front of the main entrance of VDNKh the Alexandrov Academic Song and Dance Ensemble will perform. Reborn after a terrible tragedy in December 2016, the ensemble has prepared a special repertoire. On May 9, an ensemble of military drummers will perform, and the choir will perform "Smuglyanka", "Oh, roads ...", "It's time to go, the road", "On a sunny meadow." The arch of the main entrance itself will turn into one huge screen, which will broadcast footage of the pre-war and post-war years of the history of VDNKh.

Gorky Park these days will be filled with music. It's better to come at 13.00, and immediately - to dance: everyone will be taught "Soviet retro". The lesson will last two hours. If you don’t have a soul for dancing, everything is to the French chanson performed by Philippe Dares: close your eyes and imagine the narrow streets of Paris in the setting sun ... Every half an hour from 16.30 they will tell unimagined stories about the war, and at 21.00 the screening of "Once upon a time there was a girl" will begin - a film about the life of besieged Leningrad.

theatre square- a traditional meeting place for veterans - 9th May will live up to its name and become a platform where scenes from performances about the war will be played. Literary readings from young actors and graduates of theatrical universities will also be held on Triumfalnaya Square. The most active will be able to participate in collective readings of poems dedicated to the war.

May 8 and 9 Pushkinskaya Square turned into an open-air cinema. A cinema will be installed near the monument to the poet: Muscovites will see musical numbers and films about the war. And at the end of the holiday there will be a concert with military songs.

At the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Victory Day Artists of the Moskontsert will perform. Naturally, military songs will be performed. From 19.00 to 20.00 the orchestra will play under the baton of the famous conductor Pavel Ovsyannikov. At one time he led the Presidential Orchestra, collaborated with Alexandra Pakhmutova and Lyubov Kazarnovskaya.

On May 6, a parade of the cadet movement will take place on Poklonnaya Hill, in which more than 2.5 thousand students of cadet classes from Moscow schools will take part. It will begin at noon sharp, and the event will end with the release of doves and the laying of flowers at the Fire of Memory and Glory. The parade of the cadet movement, like all other performances of boys and girls in uniform, will be held under the motto "The link between generations will not be interrupted!".

How to watch the parade?

It will start at 10.00 on Red Square and will be broadcast on TV channels. An ideal option for those who want to look at the technique is to attend rehearsals or catch the technique after the parade. You won’t be able to get to Red Square - all invitations are only personalized and they are not on free sale. The parade will be broadcast at city venues and parks.

Flights of aircraft can be viewed from many points. Perhaps the best of them is Raushskaya embankment. And it will be possible to photograph the equipment above St. Basil's Cathedral. Tall houses do not block the view.

It is ideal to watch the technique along the route. At the same time, it is better to avoid Tverskaya Street from Pushkinskaya Square to Manezhnaya - this section will still be blocked. Alternatively, you can look at the equipment during the rehearsals of the parade - for example, on May 7 at 10.00 a dress rehearsal will take place with the participation of foot columns and military equipment, and on May 4 in the morning you can see the flight of aircraft over Moscow.

But things are more complicated with foot columns, because they usually approach Red Square from several directions - along Varvarka, Ilyinka and from Kotelnicheskaya embankment.

It is better to take places for viewing in advance, because, as practice shows, there will be a lot of people who want to see columns of military equipment and “boxes”.

Reconstructions of military events

Central Museum of armored weapons and equipment in Kubinka on May 9 will conduct a historical reconstruction of the events "Victory in the Great Patriotic War". Spectators will see the battle for the Seelow Heights, and after that concert events will begin, in which spectators will also be able to participate. Patriot Park even invited its guests to send a list of songs that they would like to sing to the accompaniment of the button accordion.

A large exhibition of military equipment "Weapons of Victory" will be held in Gorky Park 8–9 May. The ZiS-2 anti-tank gun, T-60, T-37A tanks, M-30 howitzer and other equipment can be seen on Pushkinskaya embankment. Those who wish will be fed with soldier's porridge.

Kids will also have something to do in Gorky park- little guests of the park will be able to feel like nurses and scouts. A popular military game "Zarnitsa" will be held for them.

In the park "Kuzminki" those who wish will be able to take a picture in the uniform of the war years, and then launch letters of gratitude to those who defended our Motherland into the sky.

In the park "Tsaritsyno" in memory of the soldiers of the war, a ten-meter installation "Immortal Flight" will appear in the park - a lot of white cranes flying into the sky. Guests of the festival will be able to make their own cranes out of paper and complete the installation. In addition, at 20:00, a concert of songs of the war years will begin in the park, accompanied by the symphony orchestra of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater. K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.

BUT in Izmailovsky park guests will be able to retrain as aircraft designers and create their own aircraft model.

On Victory Square, at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the exhibition “Battle for Moscow. First victory." At the exhibition, you can see military equipment, military household items, equipment, weapons, etc. 35 museums provided exhibits from their collections.

On Chistoprudny Boulevard The exposition "Front-line life of heroes" will open - the installations "Hospital", "Course of a young soldier", "Before the battle", "Photo studio", "Dance floor of the 40s", "Station, meeting of heroes" are presented here.

At 18.55 a moment of silence will be declared throughout the city.

The concert program will start at 19.00.

Where to watch fireworks?

The spectacle will begin at 22.00 Moscow time and will last 10 minutes. 18 орудий и 72 салютные установки будут размещены в 16 точках: в Лyжникax, нa Пoклoннoй гope, нa BДHX, в Kyзьминках, Измaйлoве, Лиaнoзoве, Tyшине, Oбpyчeве, Hoвo-Пepeдeлкине, Пoкpoвcкoм-Cтpeшнeве, Mитине, Южнoм Бyтoве, нa yлицe Бopиcoвcкиe Пpyды , in the Levoberezhny district and in the cities of Troitsk and 3elenograd.

It is best to watch fireworks on Poklonnaya Hill (there will be the most guns here) and on the observation deck on Sparrow Hills, from where you can perfectly see all of Moscow.

HELP "MK"

May 7 from 7.00 until the end of the dress rehearsal of the military parade in honor of Victory Day and May 9 from 7.00 until the end of the parade on the Red Square of the station "Revolution Square", "Okhotny Ryad", "Teatralnaya", "Alexandrovsky Garden", "Borovitskaya" and " Library them. Lenin" will work only for the entrance and for the transfer of passengers.

On May 7 and 9, during the construction of columns of military equipment and its passage along Tverskaya Street, the exit of passengers from the stations Pushkinskaya, Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, Mayakovskaya, Lubyanka (towards Nikolskaya Street), China -gorod" (towards Ilyinka, Kitaygorodsky passage and Varvarka).

On May 9, throughout the day at the Park Pobedy station, lobby No. 1 will work only for exits, and lobby No. 2 - only for entrance.

On May 9, from 12.00 until the end of the festive events, entrance to the Park Pobedy, Kutuzovskaya, Kyiv, Belorusskaya stations will be limited.

On May 9, after the end of the fireworks and festivities, the entrance of passengers at the stations Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Okhotny Ryad, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Arbatskaya of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line, Borovitskaya, Lubyanka, Kuznetsky Most, Kitai-Gorod, Pushkinskaya, Chekhovskaya, Tverskaya, Park of Culture, Oktyabrskaya, Sparrow Hills, University, Sportivnaya.

Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in the former Soviet republics and many European countries.

2014 marks 69 years since the Soviet army defeated Germany in this long and bloody war.

Victory Day - the history of the holiday

The final stage of the war was the Berlin operation, in which more than two and a half million Soviet soldiers took part, seven and a half thousand aircraft, more than six thousand tanks and self-propelled guns were involved. It is difficult to imagine what sacrifices this victory cost our country. According to some reports, during the operation, the Red Army daily lost more than fifteen thousand soldiers. Fulfilling their duty, a total of 352 thousand people died during the Berlin operation.

Tanks were brought into the city, but there were so many of them that wide maneuvers were impossible - this made Soviet equipment vulnerable to German anti-tank weapons. Tanks became convenient targets. During the two weeks of the operation, a third of tanks and self-propelled guns (almost two thousand pieces of equipment), more than two thousand mortars and guns were lost. Nevertheless, the Berlin operation brought victory to the Red Army. Soviet troops defeated seventy infantry, twelve tank and eleven motorized enemy divisions. About four hundred and eighty thousand opponents were captured.

So, on the evening of May 8, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed. This happened at 22:43 CET and at 00:43 Moscow time. From 1:00 Moscow time, the act came into force. Therefore, in European countries, Victory Day is celebrated on May 8, and in Russia on May 9th. Interestingly, although the act of surrender was adopted, the Soviet Union continued to officially remain at war with Germany until 1955, when the corresponding decision was made by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

On May 9, a plane landed at the Frunze Central Airfield in Moscow, which brought to the capital an act of surrender of Germany. The Victory Parade took place on Red Square on June 24. The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, and Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The consolidated regiments of the fronts marched through the square in a solemn march. Commanders of armies and fronts walked ahead, Heroes of the Soviet Union carried banners.

In 1945, Stalin signed a decree making May 9 a public holiday and a day off. However, already in 1948, Victory Day became a working day. Parades and festive events resumed again only in 1965. At this time, the holiday on May 9 finally became a day off again.

Victory Day - holiday traditions

The first Victory Day was celebrated like never before in history. On the streets people hugged and kissed each other. Many cried. On the evening of May 9, the Victory salute was given in Moscow, the largest in the history of the USSR: thirty volleys from a thousand guns. Since then, Victory Day has been and remains one of the most important and revered holidays in Russia and the CIS.

According to tradition, on this day, volunteers distribute St. George ribbons on the streets - a symbol of the holiday. They are tied by veterans and young people - as a sign of memory of the war and the connection of generations. Victory Day, as a rule, begins with a parade and the laying of flowers and centuries at the monuments of the Great Patriotic War. On this day, veterans are honored, festive concerts are organized for them, gifts are given to them. Courage lessons are held in educational institutions, the war and its heroes are remembered.