on the eve of the Victory day Parade on red square, Russian state archive of contemporary history has prepared a collection of documents on the history of the celebration of May 9: congratulatory telegrams from the allies, the scheme of formation of troops during a ceremonial March on the main square of the country and much more. It seems to us that 9 May has always been a major holiday in the country, but when it was celebrated officially at the state level and at whose instigation? How were the first parade of the winners and what other secrets are kept by the archives today?
In these dull time folders have long been devoid of top secret, but their content seen only a narrow circle of specialists. Congratulatory telegram from Paris dated 10 may 1945 signed by General De Gaulle or this document is very relevant in our day in connection with the events in Prague. Ambassador of Czechoslovakia Horak writes directly to comrade Stalin: if not the impact force of the red Army led by Marshal Konev monuments of the ancient city would be permanently erased from the earth.
Very interesting and a telegram from a group of Polish Peasant party: “the Berlin conquered. This is the biggest triumph in history. The world was saved almost exclusively by the red Army”.
a Separate set of documents submitted for preparation and holding of the first Victory Parade. Here is a diagram of the formation of troops during the passage of a solemn March on red square. A particularly interesting point is the participation in the parade of the two battalions of the detectors.
“they Actually went with their dogs, which during the war carried out the mine fields. I found a diagram that showed the placement of miners with dogs on Parade of the Victory”, — said Igor Permyakov, Director of the Russian state archive of contemporary history.
To participate in the parade each front has allocated a combined regiment, which selected the best soldiers and officers. Training parade took a little over a month.
No less andinteresting in the Archive of contemporary history documents on the development of our main holiday. Contrary to popular belief for many years may 9 in the USSR was not even a day off. Only 20 years after the end of the war in Moscow took place the Parade of the Victory. And in 1965, on red square for the first time carried the Flag of Victory.
it is believed that the initiative to make may 9 a national holiday belongs to Brezhnev. Shortly before he led the party, replacing Khrushchev and supposedly that way wanted to strengthen his power and to associate myself with a Saint for every Soviet citizen during the day. As it was, really? Refer to the archives.
“the initiative was made by the head of the Communist party Ukraine, Shelest. We have before us a very interesting note, which he sent to the CPSU Central Committee the political elite of the country. Shelest writes that the day of may 9 was declared a work day, the workers were objectively deprived of the opportunity to celebrate Victory Day, celebrations have become formal,” said Timur Jalilov, head of the Department of publications of the Russian state archive of contemporary history.
Offer Shelest met with understanding, and that since 1965, 9 may has become the official weekends and main holiday of the country. By the way, edits in the original speech of Brezhnev on the parade was made almost the entire top of the CC. The same Rustling was offered not to think about Stalin three times during a speech, but to do it only once.
Another unique document, which in 1965 came to the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C. with a proposal from the allies of yesterday: “Eisenhower once again firmly expressed their willingness to participate in the speech on 8 may this year on television with one of the prominent Soviet marshals of world war II (Eisenhower called Konev and Zhukov) with memories of the meeting on the Elbe”.
a Separate layer of documents on numerous projects for the creation of the monument in memory of the great war. The idea to immortalize the feat of the Soviet people in the great Patriotic and install one monumental monument sounded at the end of the war, and after it was repeatedly made even Marshal Zhukov.
Here is the decree of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on may 31, 1957 . Paragraph 55 of the construction of the Victory monument in Moscow. To erect it planned on Poklonnaya Gora, on the territory of the proposed Park. For many years the top political leadership of the Soviet Union has consistently reaffirmed the idea to build here a magnificent monument. But to realize the project was only in the new Russia, and the memorial complex on Poklonnaya hill was opened in 1995 to the fiftieth anniversary of the Victory.
