About Victory Day

   The order for this article came from distant Chile. Latin America is so far from all this that my main task was to show why this holiday is so important for our people, why we still celebrate it after almost 80 years. The next task was to show how we celebrate it, what is happening in Russia at this moment, how the president is involved, how we congratulate the veterans, and how young people celebrate him.

Victory Day in the Russian community of Chile

     The fact that for Latin America this is an unexplored topic becomes clear after the demonstration of films about WWII at one of the film festivals in Brazil. In an interview, our actress says: “They were shocked, and asked, did you really have this?!”, And the director’s words: “He who has not seen the war, he knows nothing about it.”

Victory Day in the Russian community of Chile

     There is a very large Russian community in Chile, and every year, even despite the quarantine, they celebrate Victory Day. Nothing is a reason to cancel the holiday. All Russian traditions are carefully preserved and passed on. Anyone can get acquainted with them and try Russian cuisine, including number.

Victory Day in the Russian community of Chile

     To show the importance of this holiday in the article, I needed to tell a little about this war. To reveal its horrors, to demonstrate inhuman courage, resilience and heroism of the people. Why is it so important for us and, from year to year, we pay tribute to our heroes, our to the people. Why is he “with tears in his eyes”, and why we are so proud and remember why he is in our blood. “Who has not seen, he does not know.”
   Imagine my surprise when in the original I saw that almost the entire part about the war was removed, only a part was left that described how we celebrate this holiday.
You can’t argue with the editor-in-chief, but the residue remained, as if the article had lost something important, lost some of its meaning, leaving only the joy of the holiday and the hope that this will never happen again.
I post the full original article here.

     On August 23, 1939, the USSR and Germany signed an act of non-aggression. On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland, as a result of which Britain and France declared war on Germany. This is considered the beginning of the Second World War. On June 21, 1941, Hitler, without declaring war, attacked the Soviet Union. He developed the so-called “Barbarossa Plan”, to quickly capture and advance. They were going to defeat the USSR in this one campaign. The goal was liquidate the state, take possession of its wealth, exterminate the bulk of the population and “Germanize” the rest. For the Soviet people, this war became a liberation struggle for freedom and independence. Covering his true intentions with diplomatic measures, Hitler deployed troops and increased the production of weapons.
The internal political situation in the USSR remained contradictory. The system of state socialism, planning and control was developing. The cult of the leader’s personality, the omnipotence of the party leadership. At the same time, people’s faith in socialist ideals, labor enthusiasm and high morality. The rates of industrial growth and defense capability grew.

   It took time to mobilize the people, organize production and supply. During the evacuation of factories to the Urals, in 1941, they first set up machines and began to work, then they erected walls, in October there was already snow, and they had to work in extreme conditions. worked at the machines .. Everything was put on the earliest possible approach of Victory. Everyone fought for his family and country ..
In the beginning the Germans had the advantage, they were well armed and well organized, but later the Soviet Army intercepted it.
   Since 1941, concentration camps of death began to appear. The conditions of detention were inhuman. Medical experiments were carried out on the prisoners, they died from hunger, disease and violence. At the gates of the Mauthausen concentration camp there was an inscription “Leave hope everyone who enters here”. In the Salaspils concentration camp , in the territory of occupied Latvia, at first people lived in the open air, in dugouts, feeding on the bark of trees. It is famous for the fact that they took blood from prisoners-children for German soldiers, as a result of which they quickly died. In total, about 100 thousand people and 7000 children. A lot of the able-bodied population was deported to Germany as a free or low-paid labor force. Many settlements were wiped off the face of the earth. Detachments of German punishers burned down entire villages.

   On September 8, 1941, the Leningrad ring of the blockade closed. The city turned out to be isolated. Every day it was subjected to artillery shelling. The only link with the mainland was the Road of Life. The route on the ice of Lake Ladoga. Through it they delivered food, evacuated people. The Germans constantly shelled the route, but it There were tents with medical assistance right on the ice, one of the nurses lived in such a tent on the ice for 2 months, but the capacity of the Road could not meet the needs of the city.

   Despite the famine, lack of heating and electricity, and harsh winters, schools were open in the city, concerts were held, people were on duty on rooftops, fire bombs were pelted with sand, and cultural sites were damaged.

   On January 27, 1944, the blockade was broken, during this time about 1.5 million people died, 97% of whom died of hunger. The diary of 11-year-old Tanya Savicheva, where she describes the death of her entire family, is known worldwide. It was not possible to save Tanya, she died. in evacuation from hunger and exhaustion. The norm of bread in the besieged city was 125 grams per day and was issued strictly according to cards, the loss or theft of cards doomed to death. Bread consisted of a small amount of flour, malt, pine needles, cellulose, sunflower cake. residents of the city, so as not to go crazy, listened to the metronome, counting their minutes.
In total, 26.6 million people died during the war, from genocide, mass extermination of people, hunger and disease.

   On May 9, 1945, the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed and the first Victory Parade with salute took place.

The war ended with the complete military-political and ideological victory of the Soviet Union with the complete defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation of the occupied territories and countries of Europe from Nazism. In the liberated territories of the USSR, he conducted measures to establish a peaceful life, food, and fought against the German underground.
There is not a single family in Russia who has not been touched by the war. All the qualities of the Russian people were manifested here. Therefore, the holiday is always widely celebrated here.
But this was not always the case. In 1947, Victory Day was no longer celebrated, it was necessary to restore the country, rebuild cities and factories. Congratulations sounded, concerts were given, but the country could not afford a lavish celebration. And only in 1965, Brezhnev, who loved lush cheering, resumed the large-scale organization of the holiday on the 20th anniversary of the Victory.

   Today it is the Victory Parade with a demonstration of military equipment and aviation, fireworks, honoring veterans. During the very first post-war parade, on June 24, 1945, 200 banner-bearers threw the banners of enemy troops at the foot of the Mausoleum on Red Square. In large cities, every corner turns into concert venue. On the main squares a concert for veterans and residents. Throughout Russia, an action “Immortal Regiment” is held, where townspeople parade with portraits of their close relatives, participants in the war. Schools hold meetings with veterans, listen to their memories, and children show concerts for them, they sing songs, demonstrate theatrical performances, give gifts made with their own hands. “Lessons of Courage” are held, where children are told about the heroic deeds of young men and women who had to take up arms from school.They show children’s films about the war. The values ​​of the Soviet era differ from those of today’s youth, but Victory Day remains a bridge between Russia and the USSR. Children feel part of this people, gratitude and pride. Schools organize trips of children to the memorial “Road of Life ”, Symbolizing the broken ring of the blockade, with an excursion, a visit to the“ Museum of the Siege of Leningrad ”, laying flowers on the mass graves of Piskarevsky, where Tanya Savicheva’s diary was carved in stone, and the Serafimovskoye cemetery, where the victims of hunger were buried in one mass grave.symbolizing the broken ring of the blockade, with a guided tour, a visit to the Museum of the Siege of Leningrad, laying flowers on the mass graves of Piskarevsky, where Tanya Savicheva’s diary is carved in stone, and the Serafimovskoye cemetery, where the victims of hunger are buried in one common grave.symbolizing the broken ring of the blockade, with a guided tour, a visit to the Museum of the Siege of Leningrad, laying flowers on the mass graves of Piskarevsky, where Tanya Savicheva’s diary is carved in stone, and the Serafimovskoye cemetery, where the victims of hunger are buried in one common grave.

The newspapers publish photos of veterans with their memories.

    The government personally congratulates the veterans and gives them gifts, organizes concert programs. Wreaths are laid at the monuments of military valor and glory, at the “Eternal Flame” that burns in the Moscow Alexandrovsky Garden with a constant guard of honor, and other hero cities. It is customary to give veterans red carnations. They symbolize the blood of the dead and the courage of the survivors. This is the flower of the winners. According to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, on this day, along with the State Flag of the Russian Federation, the Victory Banner, hoisted over the Reichstag, is delivered. On May 9, radio and television hold a special solemn and mourning “Minute of Silence”. Memorial services are being held in churches and temples in Russia.
Special exhibitions and excursions are held in museums and exhibition halls. Historical reenactments of events are organized, the field kitchen prepares front-line food for the townspeople. Theaters and concert halls stage performances and perform songs of the war years. Meetings and meetings of veterans are held, and every year there are fewer and fewer of them. and less.

Many films have been shot about the war and a huge number of books and poems have been written, reflecting the courage and heroism of the Soviet people.

     Another attribute of the Victory Day holiday on May 9 in Russia was the St. George ribbon. Since the end of the 18th century, it has been part of the highest Russian army award – the Order of St. George (St. George’s Cross). The motto was written on the tape: “For service and courage”, and it was awarded to the most courageous and courageous soldiers of the Russian Empire. The tape repeats the tape on the blocks of the orders “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.” The St. George ribbon was painted in two colors – orange and black, symbolizing gunpowder and fire. These ribbons are distributed free of charge to everyone in more than 75 countries around the world. They are a symbol of the connection between generations and the eternal memory of the victims.
There is no more tragic and touching holiday, this is the holiday “With tears in our eyes.” No matter how our history changes, this day remains dear and bright.
“We remember, we are proud”