War always begins suddenly, although a generation later it will seem inevitable to historians. In 1941, the most terrible, closest and the most expensive war began – the Great Patriotic War. It is said that without huge losses the Nazis could not be stopped… See how it was on the pages of the special project «Calendar of the Great Victory».
Today, 9th May – Victory Day in the war over Nazi Germany — is one of the most important, touching and glorious holidays in Russia, former Soviet republics and many European countries.
In the Berlin operation of 1945, which became the final one in the Great Patriotic War, more than 2.5 million soldiers and officers, 6250 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7500 aircraft were involved. The losses were enormous: according to official data, the Red Army lost more than 15 thousand soldiers and officers per day. In total, the Soviet troops lost 352 thousand people in the Berlin operation. During the operation tanks were widely used in the city. In such conditions, tanks could not apply a wide manoeuvre, as a result of which they became a convenient target for Hitler’s anti-tank weapons. This also led to high losses: in two weeks of fighting the Red Army lost a third of the tanks and self-propelled artillery units (self-propelled guns) that participated in the Berlin operation, which amounted to 1997 units. Also 2108 guns and mortars and 917 combat aircraft were lost. As a result of the operation Soviet troops completely defeated 70 infantry, 12 tank and 11 motorised divisions of the enemy, captured about 480 thousand people. On 9th May 1945, the aircraft «Li-2» with the crew of A.I. Semenkov landed at the Frunze Central Airfield and delivered the act of surrender of Nazi Germany to Moscow. And on 24th June the Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. The parade was commanded by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky and hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov.
At the parade the combined regiments of the fronts marched solemnly: Karelian, Leningrad, 1st Baltic, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Belorussian, 1st, 4th, 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian, and the combined regiment of the Navy. Representatives of the Polish Army marched in a special column as part of the regiment of the 1st Belorussian Front. In front of the combined regiments of the fronts marched the commanders of the fronts and armies, Heroes of the Soviet Union carried the banners of the glorious units and formations. The parade ended with a march of 200 flag bearers, who threw the banners of the defeated German troops on the platform at the foot of the Mausoleum. The Day of Victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War was and remains one of the most honoured holidays both in Russia and in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. Following the glorious tradition of recent years, volunteers distribute everywhere St. George ribbons, which not only veterans, but also young people tie and wear as a symbol of the connection between generations and the memory of the Great Victory. Also on this day, ceremonies of laying flowers and wreaths at monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War are held everywhere, various events are held to honour war veterans and workers of the home front, festive concerts, lessons of courage in educational institutions, battle reconstructions and much more are organised. A tradition of recent years has been the holding of the civil and patriotic action «Immortal Regiment» on 9th May, which has now become an international public movement to preserve the personal memory of the Great Patriotic War generation. Every year on Victory Day, participants of the movement march in column through the streets of cities with photographs of their relatives – veterans of the army and navy, partisans, underground fighters, resistance fighters, home front workers, concentration camp prisoners, blockade survivors, children of war and also record family stories about them in the People’s Chronicle on the website of the «Immortal Regiment» movement. To date, this action covers more than 80 states and territories.
Source: http://www.calend.ru/holidays/0/0/40/
© Calend.ru
For the original document on the surrender of Nazi Germany, see the Living Encyclopedia of the Union of Criminalists and Criminologists
professor
Igor Mikhailovich Matskevich
