2014 Moscow Victory Day Parade

The 2014 Moscow Victory Day Parade took place in Red Square on 9 May 2014 to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945, which formally ended hostilities in the Second World War in Europe. The annual parade marks the Allied victory in the Great Patriotic War on the same day as the signing of the German act of capitulation to the Allies in Berlin, at midnight of May 9, 1945 (Russian time). President of Russia Vladimir Putin delivered his third holiday address to the nation on this day.

Parades occurred in 23 major Russian cities, including the newly incorporated federal city of Sevastopol, which was annexed by Russia (along with the rest of Crimea) in March 2014. Sevastopol also celebrated the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi Germany in May 1944. This year the Crimean Hero City of Kerch also held its first holiday parade, and also celebrated the 70th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi Germany on April 11, 1944. Aside from these, 50 more cities and towns in Russia planned to hold joint civil/military parades in honor of the celebrations.

Joining the parade for the first time were the cadets of the Tver Suvorov Military School and the Kronstadt Sea Cadet Corps. In the mobile column, the Tor-M2U air-defense missile systems, the 9M123 Khrizantema tracked tank destroyers[1] and Typhoon-K APCs[2] were also seen. This year's mobile column had a record 149 military vehicles in attendance, with 69 planes (including for the very first time 4 Yak-130s from a newly formed air aerobatics group, the "tactical air wing" formation by pilots from the Lipetsk State Aviation Center and also for the first time, in a late addition to compensate for the absences of the Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatics teams that were in Sevastopol, four brand-new Mil Mi-35s[3]) forming the fly-past.

Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergey Shoigu inspected the parade for the second time, and this year's parade commander was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov.

Preparation

Beginning in November/December 2013, preparations for the parade were well attended at the unit level. Individual unit practices were held in the various military installations for all the participating units. Full-scale rehearsals officially started on March 31, 2014, in the Alabino training grounds in Moscow Oblast, with the rehearsals there to formally conclude in April the same year in order to prepare for the practice runs in Moscow's Red Square in May. Also rehearsing for the parade are the massed military bands of the Armed Forces and the Moscow Garrison, all to be conducted for the 12th straight year by Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov, the Senior Director of Music of the Bands Service of the Russian Armed Forces, and the units and vehicles forming the mobile column. Practice runs for the Russian Knights and Swifts air aerobatics teams that formed part of the fly past column commenced on April 6, 2014.[4] A first general practice run (without the flypast) was held in the Alabino grounds on April 7, 2014, with another run finished on the 11th.

April 16, 2014 saw the first joint practice run of the parade at the Alabino grounds including the fly past column for the first time.[5] Also found joining the parade for the first time in 4 years was the 1st Cavalry Squadron from the Presidential Cavalry Escort Battalion, Kremlin Regiment. The Moscow leg of the practice runs commenced on April 21, 2014 with the mobile column driving its way along Tverskaya Street for its first practice run in the capital. This was followed by the first night practice runs on Red Square itself, joined by the bands, the marching troops and the mobile column, which began on April 29 to 30.

The air flypast column held a practice run above the skies of Moscow on May 3, 2014.[6] All 69 planes joining this year's parade took part, and the run-through was cheered on by both Muscovites and tourists alike. A final nighttime practice run was held on May 5 on Moscow's Red Square. And on May 7, despite the cold weather earlier that day, a final parade practice run was held that morning at 10AM Moscow Time, with General of the Army Shoigu inspecting and with Colonel General Salyukov leading the contingents, just as they would have done in the actual parade.

Full order of the parade

Bold indicates first appearance, italic indicates multiple appearances, Bold and italic indicate returning appearance, all indicated unless otherwise noted.

Military Bands

Ground Column

Mobile Column

Air Fly Past Column

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/03-04-2014/127260-russia_victory_parade_moscow-0/
  2. ↑ http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_02/Last-Generation-Military-Trucks-to-Parade-on-Moscows-Red-Square-on-Victory-Day-0612/
  3. ↑ http://rt.com/news/157156-victory-day-parade-russia/
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojbOBw8Fj10
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcZzqRLhZ8k
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v96CtZFbXm8
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