The 2005 Moscow

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

Parade was a

military parade A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the la ...

which took place in

Red Square Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

on 9 May 2005 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. The parade was inspected by the

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Sergei Ivanov Sergei Borisovich Ivanov ( rus, Сергей Борисович Иванов, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈrʲisəvʲɪtɕ ɪvɐˈnof; born 31 January 1953) is a Russian senior official and politician who has served as the Special Representative of ...

and it was commanded by Moscow Military District Commander General of the Army Ivan Efremov. Music was performed by the Massed Bands of the Moscow Garrison directed by Colonel Valery Khalilov on his 3rd national parade, the first to include 4 international marching bands. After the inspection of the troops,

President of the Russian Federation The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

gave his 6th-holiday address to the nation. More than 150 foreign dignitaries (included 50 heads of state) were presented. Among them were

Secretary General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-ge ...

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Jose Manuel Barroso Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galil ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

Director General

Koichiro Matsuura Kōichirō, Koichiro, Kouichirou or Kohichiroh is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible Writings *晃一郎, "clear, one, son" *光一郎, "light, one, son" *弘一郎, "vast, one, son" *鴻一郎, "prosperous, one, son" *紘一郎, "large, on ...

, President of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

George W. Bush, Japanese Prime Minister

Junichirō Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi (; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a former Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is ...

, French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a Politics of France, French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to ...

Chancellor of Germany The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ge ...

Gerhard Schroeder Gerhard is a name of Germanic origin and may refer to: Given name * Gerhard (bishop of Passau) (fl. 932–946), German prelate * Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1292–1340), German prince, regent of Denmark * Gerhard Barkhorn (1919–1 ...

President of Kazakhstan The president of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Президенті, Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Prezidentı; russian: Президент Республики Казахстан, Prezident Respu ...

Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...

and President of

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the s ...

Saparmurat Niyazov Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; tk, Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow, in Cyrillic: Сапармырат Атаевич Ныязов (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006), also known as Turkmenbashi, was a Turkmen politician who rule ...

. It was the largest parade in the history of Russia, and one of the largest in the world's history.

Parade

This was the last time veterans took part directly as participants. This time through, reenacting the motorized infantry of the original 1945 parade mobile column, many veterans of the fronts rode in the very trucks which carried infantry to the front lines of the war, arranged accordingly by the fronts they took part at war's end. Veterans from nations such as

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

and

took part in the parade alongside their Russian counterparts.

Troops participating in the parade

Following the parade commander's car the parade marched past the saluting grandstand in the following order, * Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music School * Color Guard of the

Victory Banner The Soviet Banner of Victory (russian: Знамя Победы, translit=Znamya Pobedy) was the banner raised by the Red Army soldiers on the Reichstag building in Berlin on 1 May 1945, the day after Adolf Hitler committed suicide. It was r ...

, the

Flag of Russia The national flag of Russia (russian: Флаг России, Flag Rossii), also known as the ''State Flag of the Russian Federation'' (russian: Государственный флаг Российской Федерации, Gosudarstvenny fla ...

, and the Armed Forces Colour from the 1st Honor Guard Battalion of the 154th Independent Commandant's Regiment * Historical Unit ** Infantry of the Red Army ** Tank forces ** Artillery ** Engineering formations ** Reconnaissance and commando formations ** K-9 units of

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

** Soviet Air Force ** Soviet Navy ** 1st Cavalry Squadron, Presidential Cavalry Escort Battalion,

Kremlin Regiment The Kremlin Regiment (russian: Кремлёвский полк, Kremlyovskiy polk), also called the Presidential Regiment (russian: Президентский полк, Prezidentskiy polk), is a unique military regiment and part of the Russian F ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

Veterans in military trucks, arranged in the fronts in order of the 1945 Victory Parade ** Karelian ** Leningrad ** 1st Baltic ** 3rd Belorussian ** 2nd Belorussian ** 1st Belorussian ** 1st Ukrainian ** 2nd Ukrainian ** 3rd Ukrainian ** 4th Ukrainian *

Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation The Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is a military academy in Moscow which provides graduate education for officers of the Russian Armed Forces. The full name reads: ''The Combined Academies Order of Lenin Order ...

* Peter the Great Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces *

Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation The Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation () is a Russian military university operated by the Ministry of Defense of Russia (MOD). It is located on 14 Bol'shaya Sadovaya Street in Moscow. Since October 2017, the ...

* Military Engineering Academy * Military University of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense named after Marshal Timoshenko *

Gagarin Air Force Academy Gagarin Air Force Academy () is a Russian military aviation academy located in Monino, Moscow Oblast. The academy prepares high-ranking military personnel for the Russian Air Force. Among the academy alumni are around 700 Heroes of the Soviet ...

* Military Aviation Technical University named after NE Zhukovsky * Baltic Naval Institute * Civil Defence Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situation * Moscow Military Institute of the Federal Border Service of the Russian Federation *

Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School The General V.F. Margelov Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov Command School (RGVVDKU) () is a military educational institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense, situated in Ryazan, about southeast of Moscow. It was f ...

* 331st Guards Parachute Regiment,

98th Guards Airborne Division The 98th Guards Airborne Division is an airborne division of the Russian Airborne Troops, currently based in Ivanovo. Russian 98th Airborne Division patch.svg, 98th Guards Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia (1993) History During the Se ...

* Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia * 336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Baltic Fleet *

Suvorov Military School The Suvorov Military Schools (russian: Суворовское военное училище) are a type of boarding school in the former Soviet Union and in modern Russia and Belarus for boys of 10–17. Education in these schools focuses on mi ...

Nakhimov Naval School The Nakhimov Naval School (russian: Нахимовское военно-морское училище) or Nakhimov School (russian: Нахимовское училище) is a form of military education for teenagers introduced in the Soviet Unio ...

Moscow Higher Military Command School The Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School ''"Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR"'' (abbreviated to MVOKU) is a higher military educational institution of the Russian Armed Forces. History The school was formed in December 15, 1917 (O.S., December ...

Music

The music and marches were played by the Military Band of the Armed Forces of Russia under the direction of Colonel Valery Khalilov ; Inspection and address * ''

March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment The March of the Preobrazhensky Life-Guard Regiment (russian: Марш Лейб-гвардии Преображенского полка) is one of the most famous Russian military marches. The Preobrazhensky Life-Guard Regiment was one of the ...

'' (Марш Преображенского Полка) * ''Slow March of the Tankmen'' (Встречный Марш Танкистов) by

Semyon Tchernetsky Major General Semyon Alexanderovich Tchernetsky (Russian language, Russian:Семё́н Алекса́ндрович Черне́цкий) was a Ukrainian-born, Russian and Soviet military conductor. He is credited as the founder of modern Russia ...

* ''Slow March to Carry the War Flag'' (Встречный Марш для выноса Боевого Знамени) by Dmitriy Valentinovich Kadeyev * ''Slow March of the Guards of the Navy'' (Гвардейский Встречный Марш Военно-Морского Флота) by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-Radkevich * ''Slow March of the Officers Schools'' (Встречный Марш офицерских училищ) by Semyon Tchernetsky * ''Slow March'' (Встречный Марш) by Dmitry Pertsev * ''Slow March of the Red Army'' (Встречный Марш Красной Армии) by Semyon Tchernetsky * ''March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment'' (Марш Преображенского Полка) * ''Glory'' (Славься) by Mikhail Glinka * Parade Fanfare ''All Listen!'' (Парадная Фанфара «Слушайте все!») by Andrei Golovin * '' National Anthem of the Russian Federation'' (Государственный Гимн Российской Федерации) by Alexander Alexandrov * Signal ''Retreat'' (Сигнал «Отбой») ; Veteran and mobile column * March ''General Miloradovich'' (Марш Генерал Милорадович) by Valery Khalilov * '' Farewell of Slavianka'' (Прощание Славянки) by Vasiliy Agapkin * ''Defenders of Moscow'' (Защитников Москвы) by Boris Alexandrovich Mokroysov * ''Artillery March'' (Марш Артиллеристов) by Tikhon Khrennikov * '' Katyusha'' (Катюша) by Matvey Blanter * ''Ballad of a Soldier'' (Баллада о Солдате) by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy * '' Sacred War'' (Священная Война) by Alexandr Alexandrov * ''March The track to the frontline/The Song of the frontline driver'' (Марш «Дорожка фронтовая»/Песенка фронтового шофёра) by Boris Andreyevich Mokrousov * March ''Victory'' (Марш Победа) by Albert Mikhailovich Arutyunov * ''Lefort's March'' (Лефортовский Марш) by Valery Khalilov * ''On Guard for the Peace'' (На страже Мира) by Boris Alexandrovich Diev * ''Combat March'' (Строевой Марш) by Dmitry Illarionovich Pertsev * ''

Air March The "Aviators March" (russian: Авиамарш) also known as the "March of the Pilots" () is a Soviet military march published in the spring of 1923 that currently serves as the organizational anthem of the Russian Aerospace Forces. It formerly ...

'' (Авиамарш) by Yuliy Abramovich Khait * ''March of the Cosmonauts/Friends, I believe'' (Марш Космонавтов /Я верю, друзья) by Oskar Borisovich Feltsman * March ''Farewell, rocky mountains'' (Марш/Песня «Прощайте, скалистые горы») by Evgeny Emmanuilovich Zharkovsky * ''Crew is One Family'' (Экипаж - одна семья) by Viktor Vasilyevich Pleshak * ''We are the Army of the People'' (Мы Армия Народа) by Georgy Viktorovich Mavsesya * ''We Need One Victory'' (Нам Нужна Одна Победа) by Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava * ''Glory to the Heroes'' (Слава героям) by Dmitry Illarionovich Pertsev * ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

'' (В Путь) by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy * ''In Defense of the Homeland'' (В защиту Родины) by Viktor Sergeyevich Runov ; Conclusion * ''

'' (День Победы) by David Fyodorovich Tukhmanov * '' Song of the Russian Army'' (Песня о Российской Армии) by Alexandr Alexandrov

Dignitaries in attendance

The Victory Day parade drew many international statesman to the Russian capital in the days leading up to 9 May. According to the Russian government, top leaders from 56 countries were invited to join Putin in the 2005 parade. In total, about 150 countries were represented at the parade. It was the largest gathering of world leaders in Russian history. The parade was the first one to be attended by world leaders since the 1995 parade (which attracts 57 countries). Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder brought with him a group of

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

veterans, whom Vladimir Putin personally approached after a military parade on Red Square. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also arrived with Italian veterans.

Cancelled attendees

President of Georgia President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as two Presidents of Baltic nations, did not attend despite being invited. Saakashvili justified his refusal to attend by saying that "there was nothing much to celebrate in Moscow", instead hosting a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Tbilisi, and hosting President Bush in the Georgian capital the following day. Lithuanian President

Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (; born Voldemaras Adamkavičius; 3 November 1926) is a Lithuanian-American politician, diplomat and civil engineer. He served as the 5th and 7th President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009. Adamkus' ...

and Estonian President

Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel OIH () (born 10 May 1928) is an Estonian politician and agricultural scientist. He has served as the last chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 8 April 1983 to 29 March 1990, Chairman of the Su ...

jointly announced their non-participation in the parade on 7 March. They were all represented by lower-level politicians. In addition to that, a number of ambassadors and war veterans were presented as private attendees.

British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...

was unable to attend due to an emergency engagement followed the

2005 United Kingdom general election The 2005 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 5 May 2005, to elect 646 members to the House of Commons. The Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, won its third consecutive victory, with Blair becoming the second Labour leader aft ...

. Belarusian President

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...

was also invited, however instead chose to preside over the Victory Day Parade on Minsk's Victors Avenue.

Gallery

File:Victory Day Parade 2005-8.jpg, WW2 Veterans of the Soviet Union on Parade File:Victory Day Parade 2005-6.jpg, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin's Victory Day Parade speech File:Sergei Ivanov g8o2613-398h.jpg, Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov File:Victory Day Parade 2005-16.jpg, Veterans of the War. File:Victory Day Parade 2005-17.jpg, Heads of state (from left to right) : Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush. File:Victory Day Parade 2005-1.jpg, File:Victory Day Parade 2005-4.jpg, File:Victory Day Parade 2005-3.jpg, File:Victory Day Parade 2005-14.jpg, File:Victory Day Parade 2005-10.jpg,

References

External links

HD Russian Army Parade, Victory Day 2005 Парад Победы
{{Moscow Victory Parade, state=expanded Moscow Victory Day Parades 2005 in Russia 2005 in military history May 2005 events in Russia 2005 in Moscow