High Relief in Memory of the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 opened in Moscow

The solemn opening ceremony of the high relief dedicated to the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 was held at a historical place in the very center of Moscow under the auspices of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly and the Russian Union of Veterans with the support of the Public Organization "Association of Graduates of the Higher Komsomol School". The event was timed to coincide with the Day of Military Glory - "September 3 - Day of Victory over Militaristic Japan and the End of World War II (1945)".

The Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Andrei Belyaninov noted that the high relief serves to preserve the memory of the feat of the ancestors and will help us realize the true meaning of the Victory Parade.

“Especially, this is valuable for our young people, so that from time to time they recall this great event in the life of our country,” - he stressed.

Andrei Belyaninov voiced an initiative that, in his opinion, can unite people around the world, despite possible political differences:

“We propose, despite interstate contradictions, to convene once again the Conference of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition. If politicians don't want to sit down at the negotiation table, then we, public organizations, can do it. And what is happening here now is a holiday!”

Soviet and Russian military leader, Major General, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Union of Veterans Vladimir Romanenko stressed that the memory of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War must remain in history forever.

“Today we are opening a high relief, which is dedicated to a great historical event - the Victory in the Great Patriotic War - the Great Victory of our people. Today, the victories of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers are an example for those who defend the interests of our country,” - Romanenko said.

First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Andrei Denisov noted that the high relief is opened on a significant day, September 3, it connects important dates in our history - May 9 and September 3, reminding the whole world of the first Victory Parade on Red Square.

“September 3 is the Day of Victory over militaristic Japan and the end of World War II. In this formulation, this date exists in our calendar recently and is celebrated for the first time. The fact that today we are opening a high relief to commemorate the Victory Parade in the Great Patriotic War, which took place on June 24, 1945, is deeply symbolic,” - the senator recalled.

Dmitry Epifanov, Chairman of the Union of Participants of the Victory Parade, shared his memories of the first Victory Parade in 1945.

“Today, the words of Bulat Okudzhava are coming to my mind: “Someday we will remember this. And we won’t believe ourselves…” Indeed, the war years are a terrible time. The selflessness of the home front workers, the fearlessness and readiness for self-sacrifice of our glorious Red Army soldiers, commanders and political workers - this is what led us to the Victory,” - said Dmitry Epifanov, who himself was a young Suvorovite in those years.

The opening ceremony was attended by the granddaughter of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, who was hosting the parade, Galina Pankratyeva and the nephew of the parade commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky, Yevgeny Silin. They spoke of the discovery of the high relief as an "important page in the historical memory" of Russia.

“Installing the high relief implements the initiative of the civil society of our country,” - said Vladimir Zorin, chairman of the commission of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation on the harmonization of interethnic and interreligious relations. - This is another evidence of the growing role of civil society and its institutions, the development and implementation of the state national policy ... Today, opening this high relief, we affirm our unity in the fight against neo-Nazism. We must join forces in the fight against the demolition of monuments to our soldiers.”

Among the participants in the memorable parade in June 1945 was a combat unit of the Polish Army, formed in the USSR in 1943 and fighting fascism side by side with Soviet troops. The fact that the Polish people, together with the Soviet Union, fought against fascism, was reminded by the cornet of the Polish Troops from the Warsaw Pact period, public figure Jerzy Tyts. He thanked the Russians for not forgetting the anti-fascist Poles who volunteered for the First Polish Infantry Division named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

“Thank you for not forgetting that in June 1945, our soldiers as part of the 1st Belorussian Front marched along the cobblestones of Red Square at the Victory Parade. You know that the grateful Poles have not forgotten and will not forget about their liberators, about the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and officers left lying in our land... All attempts to rewrite history will end in failure. The memory of our common victories and exploits will remain in the memory and in the hearts forever,” said Jerzy Tyts.

On June 24, 1945, 24 marshals, 249 generals, 2,536 officers and 31,116 privates and sergeants took part in the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945. A combined regiment of drummers and an orchestra of 1,400 musicians participated in the Parade. In general, about 40,000 servicemen and about 1,850 units of military equipment passed through Red Square. The grandson of Marshal of Victory Semyon Budyonny - Alexei Budyonny. Public figure, Deputy of the Arbat Council of Deputies Alexei Budyonny noted that the Parade is a deeply personal story for him.

“There would be no Parade if our grandfathers and fathers did not stand in close ranks. There would be no Victory if our grandfathers and fathers did not go on the attack," - he stressed.

The words of Andrey Kuzovlev, the father of five children, the Cossack in the eighth generation of the village of Magnitnaya, a member of the Special military operation, who was awarded two Orders of Courage, sunk into the soul of all those present.

“Historical memory is something that will always give us grounding and confidence in the future. If we remember, we will not repeat (mistakes - ed.). Historical memory fills us with meaning, because we remember what used to be and what we gave for it,” - said Kuzovlev.

The writer Oleg Roy in his speech also emphasized that memory is "the most capacious unit of measure, which is the bond of any nation and state."

“... We are obliged, and we must live by the memory of the past, the present and look into the future,” - the writer said.

Alexander Zvyagintsev, Secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia noted the most important role of monuments in the culture and history of peoples since antiquity, emphasizing the importance of high relief performed by the People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Surovtsev.

“Monuments are carriers of people's memory. People are looking at them. They cannot exist in cold separation from the life of the people, they cannot exist without a person. We must feed them with interest, energy, and they give us the art that the artist has embodied ... In the conditions of a civilizational war, this is extremely important when we are fighting for spirituality. Now it is important to create and recreate the elements of culture in our society and turn our youth to them ... Thanks to Vladimir Surovtsev for this wonderful monument to triumph. I think he will live for centuries,” - Zvyagintsev said.

The author of the high relief, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, member of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, Vladimir Surovtsev captured the commander of the Victory Parade, Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky, and Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, who hosted the Victory Parade. They ride around the line of officers and soldiers on Red Square. This idea of composition was born from the author for a reason.

“By Stalin’s decision, the commanders who hosted the Parade were on horseback. This is a beautiful symbol. As we remember, Napoleon presented Alexander I with an Arabian white stallion. It so happened that on this stallion Alexander I entered Paris. Therefore, here Marshals Rokossovsky and Zhukov are also on horseback - this is the connection of eras, the connection of times,” - Surovtsev explained.

The grand opening of the high relief in memory of the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945 on Red Square on Sunday gathered more than 200 people. The panel was installed at the entrance to the building of the Okhotny Ryad shopping center. The event was held with the participation of representatives of the legislative and executive authorities of Russia and the city of Moscow, public and political figures, diplomats, veterans of the RF Armed Forces, cadets, Yunarmiya members, journalists from Russian and foreign media. Representatives of diplomatic missions and public organizations of all countries that took part in the Great Patriotic War and World War II were also invited to the opening.