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Commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler, the May 9 parade again had no international guests

Politiko 2023-04-30 09:04:27

Commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler, the May 9 parade

The May 9 parade commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler's Germany will once again take place without international guests.

In the second year of the war in Ukraine, Russia again did not send invitations to foreign heads of state and government to participate in the traditional May 9 military parade.

"This year we have not sent special invitations," the Kremlin confirmed.

The celebrations marking the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II will be attended only by the president of the former Soviet Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Schaparov, who will anyway be in Moscow at the time for a working visit.

The Kremlin officially justified the absence of foreign heads of state with the fact that this year is not a jubilee anniversary. However, in the past there have been many cases when presidents or prime ministers of different countries have been present at the traditional military parade on May 9 in Red Square in Moscow, even though they were simple anniversaries.

Part of the national memory of Russians

The victory over Hitler's Germany is part of the national memory culture of Russians. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II, which was called the Great Patriotic War. The conflict that ravaged towns and villages, caused immense suffering and left deep scars on the national psyche.

The traditional May 9 military parade in Moscow's Red Square features more than 10,000 soldiers and showcases the Russian military's latest weaponry and military technology, from tanks, fighter jets and nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles.

But like last year, the multitude of weapons that will pass through Moscow's Red Square is thought to be smaller because of their engagement in the war against Ukraine./ DW

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