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- The 80th anniversary of Victory: the main thing about May 9 - the longest-awaited holiday of the year
The 80th anniversary of Victory: the main thing about May 9 - the longest-awaited holiday of the year
The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is a special holiday for Russians and residents of a number of other countries whose ancestors fought the Nazi invaders. Mass events are expected on the occasion of the anniversary of Victory Day, 29 leaders of foreign countries will come to Moscow. Exhibitions, concerts, movie screenings and much more will be held in all cities of the country. More about the preparations for Victory Day and events in honor of the holiday - in the material "Izvestia".
Victory Day - the main holiday of 2025
The holiday of May 9 is an extremely important day for Russians and residents of many countries around the world. It symbolizes the victory over fascism and Nazism, which threatened every family, in a war that became the bloodiest and most destructive in the history of mankind.
The memory of the Great Patriotic War and those who gave their lives defending the Fatherland is an integral part of our country's history. It is also important that 80 years later some of the participants of the combat events are still alive, and their children and grandchildren make up a large part of the Russian population.
The special role of Victory Day has been emphasized many times by Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Those who fought during the Great Patriotic War, who gave their lives for our country, for our Motherland, for today, for it to be preserved as such, for new and new generations to appear in our country, they have accomplished a feat. But they are still doing it, even those who died defending the Fatherland. Why? Because the memory of their feat forms one of the essence of our entire multinational nation. This is to a large extent Russia, because the historical memory of what was in the past, what is now sets us up for what can and should be in the future. Only by understanding at what price we got our today and our tomorrow, only by understanding at what price and what our ancestors, our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers even, grandmothers, defending the Motherland did, only by understanding at what price it was done, it is possible to understand who we are, where we came from, what our country is. And only in this case we can correctly determine the future and priorities of our actions for today, in the medium term and in the longer term".
Many political figures both in Russia and abroad also speak about the importance of the holiday. According to Igor Tulyantsev, a political analyst and chairman of the public council "For a Free Motherland!". Igor Tulyantsev: "<...> The victory, which our people won, is not dusty in the archives. It lives in us - as a reference point, as a moral compass, as a duty. <...> In this victory - and blood, and pain, and the truth of all our people. And this is not a slogan - it is a memory, which we have no right to turn into a formality".
How Russia is preparing for the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory
Preparations for Victory Day celebrations always begin in advance. In cities across the country, streets are decorated, stands and mass events are prepared, and actions are held. An important part of the preparation for May 9, of course, are the rehearsals of the Victory Parade. In 2025, the dress rehearsal is scheduled for the morning of May 7.
Moscow. More than 4 thousand decorative structures, flags, photo zones and stands about the heroes of the Great Patriotic War were installed in the central streets and squares of the capital for the Victory anniversary. St. George ribbons and booklets about historical personalities in honor of whom streets are named are distributed in popular locations. In addition, everyone can sign a postcard to a veteran, thus congratulating him on the holiday and thanking him for his heroic deeds.
On the eve of May 9, more than 10 thousand schoolchildren and students participate in memorial and patronage actions, creative projects and search expeditions. For example, participants of the "Keepers of History" action under the guidance of teachers tidy up memorial sites, study archival materials, create excursion programs and visit thematic exhibitions.
St. Petersburg. In the Northern Capital also tidy up the territories near the monuments of the Great Patriotic War. In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery became the central site. Not only citizens and volunteers, but also Governor Alexander Beglov and Parliament Speaker Alexander Belsky took part in its cleaning.
Piskarevskoye cemetery is the world's largest memorial complex dedicated to the victims of the Great Patriotic War. In mass graves there rest 420 thousand civilians of besieged Leningrad who died from cold, hunger, bombing and shelling, as well as 70 thousand soldiers who defended the city.
Novosibirsk. In the capital of Siberia prepared film screenings, planned concert program. Especially for Novosibirsk composer Oleg Vladi, who wrote songs for many Russian stars (Sergei Lazarev, Nikolai Baskov, Philip Kirkorov, Mitya Fomin), created the song "Prayer". Rehearsals of the parade are also underway, the last of which will be held in the evening of May 7.
Vladivostok is also actively preparing for the events planned for May 9. The stage is being branded, the installation "Cranes" is being installed, trophy equipment delivered from the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone is being brought. Preparations are also underway for various master classes, an exhibition of vintage cars and much more.
In Sochi, as part of preparations for Victory Day, most of the monuments of military history have been landscaped and repaired. In particular, on Strawberry Street the restoration of the monument of the Soviet soldiers' mass grave is already being finalized. The adjacent territory was also landscaped, new fences and a convenient passage were made there.
DNR. In the Donetsk People's Republic, activists of the "People's Druzhina" are preparing a large-scale car rally timed to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, as well as a procession with portraits of the heroes of the Republic. Young people, as well as activists of "Narodnaya Druzhina" will congratulate veterans on the holiday and bring them gifts. Within the framework of the project "Green Donbass" more than 600 monuments were cleaned up by May 9.
Zaporizhzhya region. According to Governor Yevgeny Balitsky, almost all monuments in the region have been restored, and the work continues. The organizers are actively assisted by local residents, volunteers and youth organizations.
Recall, Vladimir Putin declared 2025 the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, thus paying tribute to all who have ever fought or are currently fighting for the Motherland. Yevgeny Vuchetich's sculpture "Motherland Calls!" installed in Volgograd was chosen as the symbol of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.
Earlier, People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Mashkov told Izvestia about the choice of this monument: "Motherland Calls!" - is an image calling her sons and daughters to fight the enemy. The monument has become a symbol of the indestructibility of the spirit of our people. And this image, of course, unites us, people of different religions, different nationalities, but everyone will find something different in it, his pride, his memory, his gratitude and his victory, our victory".
The anniversary symbols include the number "80", the St. George ribbon and the word "Victory", as well as images of the Eternal Flame and the Victory Banner. Red carnations are associated with the holiday: they are given to veterans and placed at monuments.
Each of these symbols has its own meaning. Thus, the St. George ribbon is associated with military valor and heroism, its colors mean the smoke and flames of war. Red carnations are the memory and respect for the fallen soldiers, they are associated with the blood spilled for the Motherland. The eternal flame is a symbol of eternal memory and respect for the fallen soldiers, and the Victory Banner symbolizes the triumph of the Red Army in defeating the Nazis. It was hoisted over the Reichstag in Berlin in May 1945 and became a symbol of the final victory over fascism.
Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9, 2025
The Victory Parade in Moscow's Red Square will begin at 10:00 a.m. on May 9 and will last about two hours. Details of the program at the time of this article are unknown, but we can say for sure that both classic models of equipment and the latest models used in the area of special military operation will be presented. These may include:
- Tiger-M armored vehicles;
- Iskander-M missile systems;
- S-400 air defense systems;
- Yars strategic missile systems;
- modernized Pantsir-SMD-E anti-aircraft missile and cannon system;
- Rapira-2 and Rapira-3 UAV detection and destruction systems;
- T-34 tanks;
- Malva and Hyacinth self-propelled launchers.
In addition, trophy examples of Western equipment may also be presented:
- American Abrams tanks;
- German Leopard 2;
- International MaxxPro Plus and M113 armored personnel carriers;
- M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle.
The air part of the parade will be held in case of favorable weather conditions. In that case, it will be possible to see over the capital:
- Su-30SM, MiG-29SMT, Su-25BM fighters;
- aerobatic groups "Russian Knights" on Su-30SM and "Swifts" on MiG-29;
- Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers;
- Il-78 refueling planes;
- Il-76 military transport airplanes;
- Mi-28 and Mi-35 attack helicopters.
The Victory Parade on Red Square will be broadcast online, only invited guests of honor - veterans and their relatives, international leaders and others - will be able to watch it on the spot. However, the aerial part of the Parade will be visible from various points in Moscow - from Leningradskoye Shosse and Tverskaya Street to Gorky Park, Sparrow Hills and the Kremlin Embankment.
Putin's speech at the Victory Parade in 2025
An integral part of every May 9 celebration is the speech of President and Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin. His speech is not only congratulations on the victory, but also a tribute to all those who fought in the battles of 1941-1945, and in recent years also to those who are fighting in the North Caucasus Defense Forces.
At a time when the West is trying to distort Russia's history, including its role in the victory in 1945, the President's speech is of special political and cultural significance.
Vladimir Putin's most recent Victory Parade speeches include 2022, just months after the start of the NWO: "Last December, we proposed a treaty on security guarantees. Russia urged the West to engage in honest dialog, to find reasonable, compromise solutions, to take into account each other's interests. All in vain. NATO countries did not want to hear us, which means that in reality they had completely different plans. And we saw that.
For Vladimir Putin, the Victory Parade and the Great Patriotic War itself are of great personal significance, because his father Vladimir Spiridonovich volunteered for the front and defended the Nevsky Patch, which became a symbol of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice of Soviet soldiers. It was there that Vladimir Spiridonovich was severely wounded and lived all his life with shrapnel in his leg. The war took the life of the president's older brother, Viktor, who was only two years old at the time.
Kirill Kazakov, a political scientist and graduate student of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations at PFUR, told Izvestia that it is highly likely that Vladimir Putin will talk about the continuity between the Great Patriotic War and the Special Military Operation in his speech at the Victory Parade.
- As 80 years ago, our country is up against a broad coalition of Western forces seeking to inflict a crushing defeat on Russia and impose their vision of the world order. The president is also likely to note symbolic crossovers between WWII and the NWO. For example, how the Ukrainian military and Western mercenaries actively use Nazi symbols, including those of SS collaborators and other allies of the Reich. Also, the symbolic significance of the Battle of Kursk in the course of the SWO, which is as important as the Battle of Kursk in the course of the Great Patriotic War, will surely be noted," the expert argues.
Foreign leaders at the Victory Parade
It is already known that the Victory Parade in 2025 will be attended by representatives of 29 countries:
- President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping;
- Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev;
- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan;
- President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko;
- President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev;
- President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov;
- President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon;
- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev;
- President of Abkhazia Badra Gunba;
- President of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev;
- Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh;
- President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva;
- President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso;
- President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro;
- General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tho Lam;
- President of Guinea-Bissau, Oumarou Sissokou Embalo;
- President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt;
- Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe;
- Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo;
- President Miguel Diaz-Canel of Cuba;
- President Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos;
- President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh;
- General Min Aung Hlaing, Prime Minister of Myanmar;
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas;
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic;
- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo;
- President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea;
- Ethiopian leader Taye Atske-Selassie.
India, Indonesia, Nicaragua and South Africa will also be represented at a high level. The secretaries-general of the SCO, CIS, EAEU, CSTO, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, African Union Commission and the Union State of Russia and Belarus, as well as the president of the New Development Bank will also be present.
According to official data, the parade will be attended by calculations from Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Alexander Brega, Professor, Doctor of Political Sciences of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia that visits of heads of state to another country for ceremonial events have always been a kind of indicator of the country's authority.
- The large number of heads of state coming to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War is a clear indication of Russia's authority in the world, especially in the current circumstances," he said.
Kirill Kazakov recalled that since the start of the special military operation, representatives of Western political elites have repeatedly claimed that Russia is in international isolation. However, all these claims are refuted by the presence at the parade of a large number of foreign leaders of countries that support Russia's position.
Alexander Brega added that the presence of a large number of leaders of non-Western countries confirms that the world has become truly multipolar, and the perception of the causes of the Ukrainian crisis has changed.
- More and more countries are realizing that the causes of the conflict are rooted in the anti-Russian policy of the West, which grossly violated such a fundamental principle as the indivisibility of security," the expert said.
Kirill Kazakov also notes that the visits of the leadership of Slovakia and Serbia are of particular interest, as they are strongly influenced by the leadership of the European Union and a number of other countries. Their visit to the Victory Parade, associated with sanctions risks, has several meanings, the expert notes.
- The motives for the arrival of foreign leaders, including European ones, can be defined as the fact of the growth of national-state consciousness, understanding that the sovereignty and interests of the state are above the imposed rules of the leading Western countries. In other words, we are witnessing that the Western world is no longer the ideal it seemed 30 years ago, which means that it is not an object of imitation for other countries. Third countries have an opinion to reckon with. The world has changed, it has different development paradigms and leaders, but there is no longer a hegemon," Alexander Brega added.
Live broadcast of the anniversary Victory Parade in Moscow
The 2025 Victory Parade will be broadcast on Russia's main TV channels, including Channel One, Russia 1, REN TV and others. You can also watch the live broadcast on Izvestia's website.
The broadcast will start at 10:00 Moscow time.
How the Immortal Regiment will be held in 2025
This year, the action "Immortal Regiment" will be held in many cities of the Russian Federation. However, the format of the event will be different. In Moscow and Kursk it will be an online procession, and in St. Petersburg and some cities of the Central region, Siberia and the Far East it will be held in the usual offline format. Other cities include Murmansk, Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl, Tver, Samara, Ufa, Kazan, Perm, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok.
The offline format of the march has not been held for several years in many cities, first because of the pandemic, and then because of the danger of provocations against the background of the SWO.
The following cities will join online: Belgorod, Kursk, Tambov, Ryazan, Tula, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Crimea, Rostov-on-Don and others.
A rich program of events on May 9 in Moscow
There is already information about the main festive sites. They will be located in the museum-reserves "Tsaritsyno" and "Kolomenskoye", on Central Square in Zelenograd and Academic Square in Troitsk, in Izmailovsky and Babushkinsky parks, the park "Pechatniki" and other parts of the city.
There it will be possible to watch the broadcast of the parade, performances of creative groups and soloists. The full list of locations, as well as the schedule, can be found on the website of the Moscow Directorate of Mass Events.
Despite the parade, there will be no festive concert in Moscow.
In many other cities, busy programs are also expected, about the schedule and locations of which it is worth checking on the city's websites or local media.
Large-scale fireworks in Moscow for Victory Day in 2025
By order of the Government of the Russian Federation, festive fireworks in Moscow on May 9 will take place. The exact details of the salutes are unknown at the moment, but they usually take place at 22:00 and last about 10 minutes. Last year the salute was held at 16 sites in all administrative districts of the capital, including: the observation deck of Moscow State University, the territory of the Main Temple of the Armed Forces in Patriot Park, Izmailovo and Kuzminki parks and others.
Parades and celebrations on May 9 in St. Petersburg, Volgograd and other Russian cities
In 2025, festive parades in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory are planned in many cities. In addition to Moscow, these are heroic cities and those where the headquarters of military districts, fleets, general armies and the Caspian Flotilla are stationed.
At the same time in the DNR, LNR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions the parade is not planned, which is due to the operational situation and security considerations. For the same reason, the parade was canceled in Sevastopol.
Weather forecast for May 9 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd and regions of Russia
In Moscow on May 9, according to the scientific head of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center Roman Vilfand, there will be cold and cloudy weather with clearings.
"The night temperature is 0-5 degrees. Daytime temperature, maximum - from 8 to 13 degrees," he said.
St. Petersburg weather is known for its fickleness, however, according to preliminary data the weather in the northern capital will be within the climatic norm. The forecast promises St. Petersburgers from +9 to +11 degrees, as well as cloudy weather. Precipitation is not expected.
In Volgograd on May 9 it will be warm - the air will warm up to +20 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. In Novosibirsk thermometers will show +23 degrees, but the weather will be cloudy. In Vladivostok it will be cool - about 10 degrees Celsius. It will also be cloudy.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
