July 22 — Moscow Sky Defenders Day: history and traditions of the holiday

Every year on July 22, Moscow Sky Defenders Day is celebrated, established in honor of the repulse of the first German air raid at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. In 2024, it falls on a Monday. Izvestia tells how the military and residents of the capital resisted the onslaught of enemy aircraft and who suggested celebrating these events.

The history of the Moscow Sky Defenders Day holiday

In 1993, People's Artist Yuri Nikulin proposed honoring the fighters who repelled air attacks on Moscow during the Great Patriotic War. He knew firsthand about their hard and responsible work, because he himself served in the air defense forces.

Throughout the war, Moscow remained a special strategic target for the leadership of the Soviet Union. The capital was one of the main targets of the enemy, and its loss could mean a complete collapse of the defense — the triumph of the invaders and a turning point in the course of the battle.

Aviation played a key role in the plans of the German command to destroy Moscow. To carry out large-scale air raids, the German Air Force formed a special group of more than 300 bombers as part of the 2nd Air Fleet, ready to launch a powerful strike on the city.

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But Moscow had prepared in advance for the airstrikes. In early July 1941, the Soviet leadership began to develop a plan to repel air raids. A blackout regime was introduced in the city and its surroundings: after dark, street lighting was turned off, and all windows were carefully darkened. Barriers were erected around the perimeter of the city, and the most important objects were repainted to look like ordinary houses in order to reduce their visibility to the enemy.

602 fighters, 124 balloons, 330 anti-aircraft machine guns and more than 1,000 anti-aircraft guns of various calibers were deployed to protect Moscow. The 1st Air Defense Corps and the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps were to carry out the tasks of defending the capital.

Moscow experienced its first air raid on the night of July 22, 1941. It involved more than 200 enemy aircraft. The bombers approached the city from three directions in several groups at intervals of 30-40 minutes. The invaders hoped to destroy railway stations, airfields and factories located in the capital.

However, on the outskirts of Moscow, the German bombers encountered fierce resistance. Soviet pilots, with the support of artillery, were able to destroy the enemy's order of battle, and balloons prevented pinpoint aiming and dropping bombs. In one night, up to 22 enemy aircraft were shot down, the rest hastily retreated to airfields.

The struggle for the capital was not only in the air, but also on the ground. Muscovites helped the wounded to reach shelters, extinguished fires and searched for unexploded shells. Almost all enterprises, residential buildings and educational institutions had volunteer air defense units formed from local residents who were ready to defend the city at any cost.

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In total, more than 5,000 bombs were dropped on Moscow during the first air raid. The explosions and fires killed 103 people and injured 662 others. Despite the losses, the attack was repelled. For the German air force, which was considered invincible, this was the first serious defeat. On July 24, Joseph Stalin expressed gratitude to the defenders of the capital and awarded 81 soldiers with awards.

During the war, Moscow pilots repelled 134 raids and shot down more than 1.5 thousand German aircraft. Thanks to the well-coordinated work of citizens and military personnel, thousands of lives were saved, as well as priceless architectural monuments: the Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater and others.

Traditions of Moscow Sky Defenders Day in 2025

In honor of the holiday, memorable events are held in the capital: concerts, meetings with veterans, patriotic congresses. Residents and guests of the city bring flowers to the memorials and honor the memory of the fallen soldiers with a minute of silence. Also on this day, exercises are held in units of the air defense forces.

Earlier, Izvestia told how the Day of Partisans and Underground Fighters is celebrated in Russia.