God bless you, and thank you. Our greatest Ally.
Enjoy your parade. Your suffering and sacrifice is remembered.
The USSR’s losses are now estimated at about 26.6 million, accounting for half of all World War Two casualties. 26.6 million people. More than a third of the entire current population of the United Kingdom. Imagine that. 26.6 million. I can't - never any good with numbers. For comparison - the United Kingdom lost 449,700 people, military and civilian; the Unites States lost 405,399 military personnel.
The memory of the war, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, is particularly venerated. In the USSR the end of the war was considered to be May 9, 1945, when the German surrender took effect. The date has become a national holiday – Victory Day – and is commemorated in a grand military parade on Red Square. This year, the Parade was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, and was held today, June 24th, creating a Time Bridge to the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945, ordered by Joseph Stalin:
"Order #370 of the Supreme Commander in Chief, Armed Forces of the USSR and concurrent People's Commissar of State for Defense
To mark the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I order a parade of troops of the Army, Navy and the Moscow Garrison, the Victory Parade, on June 24, 1945, at Moscow's Red Square."
The victory parade was held by the Soviet Armed Forces (with the Color Guard Company representing the First Polish Army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany. This, the longest and largest military parade ever held on Red Square in the Soviet capital Moscow, involved 40,000 Red Army
soldiers and 1,850 military vehicles and other military hardware. The
parade lasted just over two hours on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month
after May 9, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commander.
26.6 million dead.
Have a great Parade and a great Day.
Have a great Parade and a great Day.
And, in the States, they do things with great gravitas and stage craft:
We have our own way in Britain of honouring the War. (The only war to be instantly recognised just by that: The War)
Cass Pennant, writing in the Spectator:
"Why ‘hooligans’ want to defend statues
‘Saturday the 13th…everyone’s out to go up town to do Antifa. Loads of West Ham, Millwall, Chelsea, Arsenal, Cockney Reds, even northern firms are coming down. It’s gonna be massive. Birmingham are on the prowl up there looking for ’em and their firm’s half black. Saturday everyone has to go.’ There followed some emojis: 🏴 ⚒️ 👊 (NB the flag should be Union Jack - Ed :-)
I read the text and was amused — but not surprised. Funnily enough the West Ham lot have done ‘statue protection’ before. A few years ago, some of us got up very early to go to Upton Park to protect the monument to our World Cup winners, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters. Rumors had gone around that Millwall fans were planning to desecrate it. The Hammers fans stood guard. It worked. And last weekend, West Ham and Millwall — not for the first time — buried past feuds to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to guard the already boxed-in statue of Churchill.
I predicted there would be a backlash from the previous attacks on statues. That sort of thing rightly touches a nerve; particularly the defacing of Churchill in Parliament Square. For Britain — and much of the world — he represents the never-surrender backbone that overcame the Nazi threat. And sure, some of the views he expressed are unacceptable today. But it doesn’t take away from what the man achieved."
18 comments:
A fitting tribute, Mrs Ishmael.
I think Mr I would have enjoyed this below. We shared some interesting Musical tastes, just not St. Bob....
Not from before, before, but more recent compositions from this Estonian.
https://youtu.be/WUI9XbIU_Sw
tnp
The suffering and stoicism of the Soviet people defending the Motherland beggars belief. A stat gives some perspective: 1 in 7 soviet people were killed, whereas 1 in 320 Americans were killed in WW2. The Red Army destroyed over three quarters of the cream of the German Army, 626 divisions obliterated in the "meat grinder". Magnificent parade yesterday, and very disappointing and sad to see no representative from the so-called Western allies present. The Russian troops looked magnificent, young, handsome and supremely fit. Not a tattoo in sight. And, sotto voce, all white.
Only disappointment was the parade wasn't finished by the march of the Immortal Regiment, which brings a lump to the throat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhT-ilQb2a4
I've just finished watching a Russian documentary on the war in the east. Its 15+ hours, but well worth the time if you wish to learn the history rather than Western propaganda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CerdjvePsg&list=PLwGzY25TNHPC_SsXFcIH-ba0nWuNbHOM6&index=1
And for those who like cathedrals, try this, the new armed forces cathedral outside Moscow (steps made with steel from German tanks):
https://www.rt.com/russia/492550-putin-armed-forces-cathedral/
The Immortal Regiment - a river of people, marching with portraits of the warriors they lost in the Great Patriotic War, wearing their black and orange Victory Day ribbons, and filled with joy! Lump to the throat, mr mike, and tears to the eyes - such loss, such endurance. Moscow broke the invading army of Charles XII of Sweden in the early eighteenth century, the invading army of Napolen Bonaparte in the early nineteenth century, and the invading army of Hitler in the mid twentieth century - and saved Europe from the Third Reich. Hitler should have paid more attention in history class.
Thank you for the links - I liked the cathedral.
And I agree with you about the Russian troops - they looked formidable, and although, as you say, they were all white, you could see the stamp of Russia's different ethnicities and regions in their features.
Thank you, mr the noblest prospect; and thank you for the link to Kreek's music. Ethereal, haunting stuff - mr ishmael would have liked it. And so do I. Good music to remember the fallen of the Second World War.
Much better video of the cathedral, Mrs I, which was the one I meant to have posted. The interior is stunning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lDNvwTx6Q&feature=youtu.be
Make sure to watch full screen
Mr Mike the cathedral is marvel of craftsmanship, art, love and serenity.
Thank you for reminding me of the wonders of human endeavour.
Strewth, mr mike, that surely is a warriors' cathedral. Thank you for the link - and I did watch it full screen.
Built in 600 days, eh?
They were taking their time, Mr mongoose. When they put their minds to it they can do stuff like this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_Bridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uHCLurNmvg
The longest bridge in Europe - in fact 2 bridges, for road and rail. Built in 3 years.
Impressive bridge in its way, Mr Mike. A bit dull but worthy and solid looking.
I see that Putin is going tor another two terms. That will make it 36 years in power by the end. That is properly impressive and makes the rest of them look like amateurs.
Mr mongoose. Its a blessing for the West. Putin understands the past, as well as the future. With Russia's dominance militarily - a NATO study said a war in Europe would be over in 2 days (optimistic, IMHO), and Russia could destroy the US within 30 minutes, if a more muscular leader took over and was ready to assert Russia's power (and God knows they have reason to) then the world would be over. My concern would be what comes next after Putin. Fortunately, I don't think I will be around then.
Mr mongoose. The updated Russian constitution is not just about extending Putin's term. It actually enshrines that Russia belongs to the Russian people, and that Russian is the national language etc.. Russia is a very different beast than the USSR. As with the cathedral, its solidifying its roots - the orthodox religion, family values, and military strength. The West tried to rape its resources in the 1990's and failed. The shoe is on the other foot now.
Do not mistake me, Mr Mike. Russia isn't my enemy. That they can build a cathedral - with its German steps - is fine by me. The willingness to read our own history is what separates us from the mistakes of the past. I am drawn once again to education. The teaching of history is a grotesquely morally relative confection. It is true, of course it is, that beyond the dates of battles and the names of kings that history is a distillation. Distillations being open to manipulation, that's why we need honest historians. Or perhaps historians who at least try to be honest. I don't see many of those.
Sorry Mr mongoose. I'm not chiding, but aiming comments at a wider audience. Russia has been demonised, hilariously at times, largely at the behest of the US because Russia stood up to the bully. As Mrs I said above, Russia should be our greatest ally. It once was, and it saved us. Just imagine if Nordstream 2 stretched from Germany to the UK. It could.
Speaking of hilarity. There is a photo comparison of a Russian defence minister comparing to the defence ministers in from a handful of western countries.
The Russian looks like he’s just walked in off the steppes and the westerns look like they’ve just been having a coffee and a chat.
That’s the difference. The Russian is selected to do the job of national defence. The others.. too busy plucking their eyebrows.
I’ve watched Putin with a face like fury when western armies devastated Libya and he is quite entertaining to watch taking apart contrived arguments against his (And the Russian people’s) Points of view.
Their ambassador, a few years ago now, was most impressive, again taking apart pathetic arguments and in not his native tongue.
They seem to get straight to the simple facts. “You don’t do that in our cities because we, the Russian people, don’t want to see it.”
WW2 from the Russian perspective was still a communist effort. The reintroduction of Orthodox Christianity coupled with the symbols of that war as represented by the cathedral is propaganda of the highest degree. Propaganda might be too strong a word but the people buy it willingly.
It works though. It brings millions of people together in a common cause. All over a vast country.
As ever, no offence taken here, Mr Mike. It is interesting to note what does bring people together in the different communities of the world. The Russian's Immortals March v Climate Extinction or Anti-Rhodes tantrums etc. Mrs mongoose says that people are the same everywhere but in Norway have to deal with it being too cold and in Sicily with it being too hot. This leads to Sicilians behaving differently to Norwegians. Mix the two without an effort to achieve coherence of view and upset may ensue, for a while, until the Norwegians in Sicily learn to leave the windows open and the Sicilians in Oslo learn to close the bloody door.
Perhaps Russia - so huge that it can never be ethnically united - unites around something else and chooses not to be disunited around something it can do nothing about. I think that choosing not to be disunited is a very great lesson to try to learn - especially if it doesn't the fuck matter. Sadly some of our political leaders do not share this view.
Right on queue Mr mongoose
https://thesaker.is/us-ambassador-posts-a-message-to-the-russian-people/
The West has lost its collective marbles.
Craziness, Mr Mike.
Fortunately for us in dear old Blighty, the focus of conflict seems to be moving ever eastward. Which is just as well as we are in no state to do anything about anything. We are too confused by our competing I-know-bestisms.
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