Russia: Impressive Parade on Red Square

Over 5,000 troops and cadets marched this Monday in Moscow's Red Square, an homage to the historic military parade that happened 75 years ago in 1941, when the army was a few dozen kilometers away from the capital of the former Soviet Union, reported EFE and TASS.

Equipped with uniforms and weapons belonging to that period, participants in the parade marched before the tribune of honor where there were dozens of veterans, including 55 who participated in the parade in 1941. The 1941 moment is argued by historians to have been crucial for the defense of Moscow since it cheered the moral and energy of the Soviet army.

In total, 28,500 Soviet soldiers attended the 1941 parade, organized due to an order of Stalin for the 24th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Many of the units that participated in the 1941 in the Red Square parade, which lasted no longer than 15 minutes, went straight into battle. To misinform the Nazi troops, the parade was told to be scheduled for 10:00 in the morning, but the parade was held two hours earlier in order to prevent any air attack on Red Square.

"Today we express our infinite and deep gratitude to all participants in this historic parade, to all those who fought on the battle field," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin in a speech that was addressed to the veterans of the World War.

After the commemorative parade in the Red Square, there has been opened an exhibition right in the square. There city residents and tourists can familiarize themselves with the weapons used by the Soviet army in the Second World War. During communist times, the authorities organized annual military parade in the Red Square to celebrate the Bolshevik revolution.