The 2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade was held on Victory Day on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Great Patriotic War ending in the defeat of Nazi Germany. This was the first time the Russian Federation opened its vehicle showcase since 1991, and the airshow since the Cold War. The parade was commanded by Army General Vladimir Bakin, Commander of the Moscow Military District, and reviewed by Anatoliy Serdyukov of the Russian Ministry of Defence. A speech was made by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who took office just two days prior. This would be notable to be the first ever major Russian military parade seen on television worldwide when RT carried a live broadcast of the parade for the first time in its history.
Parade Program
Parade formations
Note: Those indicated in bold indicate first parade appearance, those indicated with italic indicate double or multiple parade appearances.
- General of the Army Vladimir Bakin, Commander of the Moscow Military District (parade commander)
- Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Anatoliy Serdyukov (parade inspector)
Infantry Column
With more than 9,000 soldier, sailors, and airmen and 100 vehicles marching in the parade, this was the largest such parade held in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. Unlike previous Victory Day parades, there were no units parading in Great Patriotic War uniforms, though the Victory Banner was paraded at the beginning of the ceremony. Training for the parade took two months in Alabino, Moscow Oblast. On 8 May, a temporary platform with a white-blue-red banner was erected on Red Square, covering the Lenin Mausoleum .
Ground vehicles at the Parade
This was the first time in the history of post-Soviet Russia when armoured fighting vehicles took part in the Red Square parade. In order of presentation:
On 22 April, the equipment was delivered to a training ground near Moscow. Before the parade, the tracked vehicles were delivered by rail. Due to the fact that in 1995 the Resurrection Gates were restored, military equipment entered the square on from one side of the State Historical Museum, and not from two as in previous parades.
Aircraft at the Parade
In order of presentation:
Music
Inspection and Address
- March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (ÃÂðÃÂàÃÂÃÂõþñÃÂðöõýÃÂúþóþ ÃÂþûúð)
- Slow March of the Tankmen (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂàâðýúøÃÂÃÂþò) by Semyon Tchernetsky
- Slow March to Carry the War Flag (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂàôûàòÃÂýþÃÂð ÃÂþõòþóþ ÃÂýðüõýø) by Dmitriy Valentinovich Kadeyev
- Slow March of the Guards of the Navy (ÃÂòðÃÂôõùÃÂúøù ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂàÃÂþõýýþ-ÃÂþÃÂÃÂúþóþ äûþÃÂð) by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-Radkevich
- Slow March of the Officers Schools (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂàþÃÂøÃÂõÃÂÃÂúøÃÂ
ÃÂÃÂøûøÃÂ) by Semyon Tchernetsky
- Slow March (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂÃÂ) by Dmitry Pertsev
- Slow March of the Red Army (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂàÃÂÃÂðÃÂýþù ÃÂÃÂüøø) by Semyon Tchernetsky
- Slow March (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðÃÂÃÂ) by Evgeny Aksyonov
- Glory (áûðòÃÂÃÂÃÂ) by Mikhail Glinka
- Parade Fanfare All Listen! (ÃÂðÃÂðôýðàäðýÃÂðÃÂð "áûÃÂÃÂðùÃÂõ òÃÂõ!") by Andrei Golovin
- State Anthem of the Russian Federation (ÃÂþÃÂÃÂôðÃÂÃÂÃÂòõýýÃÂù ÃÂøüý àþÃÂÃÂøùÃÂúþù äõôõÃÂðÃÂøø) by Alexander Alexandrov
- Signal Retreat (áøóýðû "ÃÂÃÂñþù")
Infantry Column
- General Miloradovich (ÃÂðÃÂà"ÃÂõýõÃÂðû ÃÂøûþÃÂðôþòøÃÂ") by Valery Khalilov
- Farewell of Slavianka (ÃÂÃÂþÃÂðýøõ áûðòÃÂýúø) by Vasiliy Agapkin
- To Serve Russia (áûÃÂöøÃÂààþÃÂÃÂøø) by Eduard Cemyonovich Khanok
- Lefort's March (ÃÂõÃÂþÃÂÃÂþòÃÂúøù ÃÂðÃÂÃÂ) by Valery Khalilov
- Artillery March (ÃÂðÃÂàÃÂÃÂÃÂøûûõÃÂøÃÂÃÂþò) by Tikhon Khrennikov
- Combat March (áÃÂÃÂþõòþù ÃÂðÃÂÃÂ) by Dmitry Illarionovich Pertsev
- Air March (ÃÂòøðüðÃÂÃÂ) by Yuliy Abramovich Khait
- In Defense of the Homeland (à÷ðÃÂøÃÂààþôøýÃÂ) by Viktor Sergeyevich Runov
- March of the Cosmonauts/Friends, I believe (ÃÂðÃÂàÃÂþÃÂüþýðòÃÂþò /ï òõÃÂÃÂ, ôÃÂÃÂ÷ÃÂÃÂ) by Oskar Borisovich Feltsman
- March Kant (ÃÂðÃÂà"ÃÂðýÃÂ") by Valery Khalilov
- On Guard for the Peace (ÃÂð ÃÂÃÂÃÂðöõ ÃÂøÃÂð) by Boris Alexandrovich Diev
- We Need One Victory (ÃÂðü ÃÂÃÂöýð ÃÂôýð ÃÂþñõôð) by Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava
- March Hero (ÃÂðÃÂà"ÃÂõÃÂþù")
- We are the Army of the People (ÃÂàÃÂÃÂüøàÃÂðÃÂþôð) by Georgy Viktorovich Mavsesya
- Crew is One Family (ÃÂúøÿðö - þôýð ÃÂõüÃÂÃÂ) by Viktor Vasilyevich Pleshak
- On the Road (ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ) by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy
- Victory Day (ÃÂõýàÃÂþñõôÃÂ) by David Fyodorovich Tukhmanov
Mobile Column
- General Miloradovich (ÃÂðÃÂà"ÃÂõýõÃÂðû ÃÂøûþÃÂðôþòøÃÂ") by Valery Khalilov
- Triumph of the Winners (âÃÂøÃÂüàÃÂþñõôøÃÂõûõù)
- "Katyusha" () by Matvey Blanter
- March Victory (ÃÂðÃÂàëÃÂþñõôðû) by Albert Mikhailovich Arutyunov
- Ballad of a Soldier (ÃÂðûûðôð þ áþûôðÃÂõ) by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy
Flypast Column
- Air March (ÃÂòøðüðÃÂÃÂ) by Yuliy Abramovich Khait
- March Airplanes â First of all (ÃÂðÃÂà"ÃÂõÃÂòÃÂü ôõûþü ÃÂðüþûÃÂÃÂÃÂ") by Vasili-Solovyov-Sedoi
- Air March (ÃÂòøðüðÃÂÃÂ) by Yuliy Abramovich Khait
Conclusion
Criticism
The parade has been criticized for returning to the Cold War-like display of weapons. Upon receiving personal criticism, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated the following: "This is not saber-rattling. We do not threaten anyone and are not going to do this, we do not impose anything on anyone". The military also allocated more than 1.3 billion rubles to the parade, many of which included the stones and asphalt concrete pavement for the mobile column, which came under criticism by opposition sources as well.
References
External links