Thread: День победы - 9 May Peace-in-Europe / Victory Day

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

But there should be some movement in this field for keeping the celebration of this day for younger generation and inserting the sense of this day in their hearts.

I agree, but I don't think it's possible to tell what war is to a man who never saw it. They will theoretically agree that this is terrible but this will come from their brains, not their hearts. My grandmother always said 'let it be anything but war' and my other grandmother who was lucky enough to be evacuated from Leningrad in 1942 told me that I can't even imagine what real hunger is and was furious when I left unfinished bread or some other food. My grandfather was half-deaf since the war and I saw a photograph dated 1949 (he was 32 then) and his head had gray hairs already. My other grandfather was younger (he was only 15 in 1945) his father (my great-grandfather) was killed in 1943 and he was the older one in the family with 2 younger brothers.

This day was VERY important to them because this war divided their lives in two parts (before and after).

As for the younger people - some don't even know when this war started and whom we were fighting with.
(Seriously, I know a 20 years old girl who didn't know this).

Originally Posted by Johanna

Please post some nice pictures and Peace day music that you like!

There was a song of US pilots which became very popular in Russia at WWII "Comin' in on a wing and a prayer". It was translated to Russian and performed by utterly popular Russian singer Leonid Utesov in 1943. Here is the link for the song.

My grandfather's war photos:




His military awards (sorry for bad quality, my camera is out of order ):



My grandmother and my mother told me that he was a very good musician and singer, here is one of his favorite songs that he sang very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGLFLKa5o4

March song that he also used to sing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwC4B...eature=related

Originally Posted by Ramil

As for the younger people - some don't even know when this war started and whom we were fighting with.
(Seriously, I know a 20 years old girl who didn't know this).

That's why there SHOULD be celebrations and parades and everything. Not only for those people who did it and some of whom still live, but also so that younger generations get to know a bit... When I was finishing school, I discovered that my best friend didn't know anthing about it either. I was rather shocked.

Frankly, I don't see any "pomp" or "pathos" about this holiday. Some people complain about the new tradition of wearing "Георгивеские ленточки" and I don't understand those complaints either. It's a sign of memory and gratitude. Would it better if it was all forgotten? Then people would surely complain about how ungrateful everyone is.

"The Georgian band" (?) is distributed for free and can be worn on the 9 of May attached to your clothes (chest) or a car antennae.


In France there are military parades on Bastille Day, 14 July, which is their national holiday. It commemorates the 1790 the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison during the French Revolution. So the French still celebrate (very grandly too, with airplanes and everything) something which happened quite a long time ago, something which happened during a horrifically bloody revolution and which to led to a civil war. And the Soviet Union lost between 27 and 40 mln people during WWII... It's difficult to comprehend the scale of this tragedy... I think it's tremendously damaging for the nation's gene pool as the best, most committed and brave people die first.

Originally Posted by Ramil

I agree, but I don't think it's possible to tell what war is to a man who never saw it. They will theoretically agree that this is terrible but this will come from their brains, not their hearts.

See, I sort of disagree. Perhaps it's not possible for us to understand the full horror of it but it is possible to feel at least part of. Last year I was reading and watching a lot about WWII and I personally felt it in my heart. I actually felt as if I've been there. Some books (documentary type) at least had this effect on me, like "У войны не женское лицо" Светланы Алексиевич ("War's Unwomanly Face" by Svetlana Alexievich). Another book "За что сражались советские люди" Дюкова ("What Soviet people Fought For" by Dukov) was a horrible experience. There is so much death and cruelty in it, I actually became really depressed for a few days and felt like I've lost all my faith in humanity.

Anyways, some of the best war time songs, imho, are

Враги сожгли родную хату
В путь
До свиданья, города и хаты
В землянке
Нам нужна одна победа
На поле танки грохотали
День победы
Офицеры
Священная война
В лесу прифронтовом
Тёмная ночь

They can all be downloaded at sovmusic.ru and there are lyrics as well.

"Smugliyanka" -- coloured version, better quality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA8G1rWrGt8

The "World At War" series, the episode about the Soviet Union in WWII called "Red Star": (highly recommended BBC series; this episode, about 40--50 min long (don't remember exactly) is really touching in how it portrays our part of the war, and this was made at the height of the Cold War! It also includes bits of the best war songs.)

Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfloytOAtQ
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lOKtV15ias
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUF2w...eature=related
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIwzr...eature=related
Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Mu6...eature=related

Originally Posted by Johanna

2) Sounds like this holiday does not stir up much sense of triumph or patriotism with anyone here at least!

It does.. in me. Though I am as pacifist and anti-war as it is possible to be... I hate politicians who start wars and I'm vehemently against obligatory army service and drafting people to fight who don't want to. The right to life is the inalienable right of a human being so sacrificing it in god-knows-what cause is just wrong. But I was rather saddened by the display of cynicism at the beginning of this thread. I mean, I actually started to write something rather angry yesterday but thought why bother... And that I'd better cool down a bit.

OK, that's enough ranting from me. I think I'd better go and continue with my work.

Originally Posted by starrysky

Some people complain about the new tradition of wearing "Георгивеские ленточки" and I don't understand those complaints either. It's a sign of memory and gratitude. Would it better if it was all forgotten? Then people would surely complain about how ungrateful everyone is.

About these bands... you mean like this:


Or like this:


Check this site for more:
http://www.za-lentu.ru/

Originally Posted by starrysky

It's a sign of memory and gratitude.

На перекрестке между тачками мельтешат неестественно возбужденные студенты-активисты с ленточками.
- А почему у вас нет ленточки, щас мы вам ее на зеркало...
- Отойди от машины.
- Вы что?!! Это же память!! О великой победе!!
- Кто был командующим 2-м Белорусским фронтом в 1945-м году?
- Ээээ... мммм... А! ЖУКОВ!!!!
- Рокоссовский. На х#й себе ленточку намотай на память...

Originally Posted by Ramil

About these bands... you mean like this:

Well, those photos (they don't show in your post but I looked 'em up at the site) are definitely disgusting (especially on the vodka bottles) but it doesn't mean that the idea behind it is bad. Most people treat it with respect, I hope... Why assume at once that if someone attached it to the car antennae, they do it purely out of "herd feeling"? Maybe they do actually understand and care?...

As far as I know, veterans in Great Britain wear poppies on Remembrance Day. I suppose it's a better and much less controversial choice than our bands. The idea is that it creates a feeling of unity.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day

Originally Posted by Ramil

Check this site for more: http://www.za-lentu.ru/

I always thought that this dumb thread to decorate cars, morons, etc. with St. George bands is something like blasphemy. Today I've seen it on a banner wich advertise discounts in chain supermarket. Disgusting . I have a very strong desire to punch a moron who was struck with this brilliant idea to put it there in the face.

I'm from Belarus, I'm russian but I'm not Russian. In English it looks silly. In Russian we have different words for Russian as citizens of Russian Federation (Россияне) and russian as culture (русские). (Not all Russian are russian, and not all russian are Russian)

So, about 9 May. As for me, 9 May is as independence day in US. It is the greatest holiday. Some people think that it is our national religion to celebrate victory day. This holiday means that we, sons and grandsons of veterans will protect our country from any threats at all costs as they did. That's why military parade is held.

P.S. Sorry for my bad English and mistakes.

Originally Posted by starrysky

Originally Posted by Ramil

About these bands... you mean like this:

Well, those photos (they don't show in your post but I looked 'em up at the site) are definitely disgusting (especially on the vodka bottles) but it doesn't mean that the idea behind it is bad.

They could have chosen any other symbol but this.

Георгиевская лента — это атрибут множества боевых наград Российской Империи, Советского Союза и современной России, характеризующийся как особый знак отличия.

I think that wearing these bands diminishes the deeds of those who wears them by right.

Концовка фильма "Был месяц май", 1970
From the film IT WAS IN MAY

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vypjxfZWS0

Download soundtrack in mp3:
http://glavtekstil.511.com1.ru/may/melody.mp3

Минута молчания. Одна из первых.
Первая была в 1965 году - тогда в кадре была горящая свеча.
Здесь в кадре - огонь на могиле неизвестного солдата (он был зажжен 8 мая 1967 года).
http://video.mail.ru/list/32151/237/2628.html

It was very cool to see photos of peoples' relatives and the links to the songs. Funnily I recognise both melodies but really I can't think where I would have heard them. Maybe on TV a very long time ago. By the way, is super-grand song "Slavianka" about WW2, or something else? Is it more a Soviet era song than contemporary?

Coming from a country that didn't fight and was hardly affected by the war I really feel humble towards all those people who participated or risked their lives in one way or another. But like bitpicker alluded to; Living in a Nazi Europe would have been terrible - thank goodness they were stopped!

If anything from the Russian celebration this year was particularly good, then please post a link to a video so that everyone can see! It is not celebrated at all here in the UK -- like starrysky said, the celebrations are of a different nature, and are held in the autumn.

Originally Posted by Johanna

By the way, is super-grand song "Slavianka" about WW2, or something else? Is it more a Soviet era song than contemporary?

Originaly in was a military march written in 1912 by Vasiliy Agapkin who was an officer in Tsar's army. He called it "Farewell of Slavic woman". There are several variants of lyrics for this march written later by different authors.

To the celebrations: it was very unusial to see this picture at the Red Square today :



And now I'm going to go and watch fireworks at my town's central square. I'm going to make some photos and may be I shall post some of them here.

Haha, yes I can imagine that was a surprise! The British participation has been unanimously positively covered in the British press... and most British people love a good military parade so inviting them was really a PR success in the Western countries, I guess! The British veterans have been very positive about their experiences in Russia.

The main Swedish paper had the Russian celebration prominently featured as well -- with 100% positive coverage. But they point out that the city of Moscow needs a special budget for dealing with all the damages caused by driving tanks through the city...

Originally Posted by Johanna

But they point out that the city of Moscow needs a special budget for dealing with all the damages caused by driving tanks through the city...

As far as I heard, they covered tanks' trucks with rubber to keep roads undamaged.

This is a war time song my heart breaks and I can’t hold back the tear when I hear it.
Here sung by Hvorostovsky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goqj9...eature=related and this time by Utesov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVl0JgcimoA

Даже в Москве недавно нашли 900 снарядов в земле рядом с домами.

А в лесу до сих пор ходить опасно:

http://ekabu.ru/dvig/printage,1,15570 ... -foto.html

Так что для меня это не праздник,
а скорее день посещения кладбища,
которое приходит само к тебе домой.

Yeah, I remember 2 years ago they've found a German 200 kg aerial bomb 15 meters! from my dacha house on my neighbor's land. I's been over 60 years and still this war can kill you. I was very shocked by this, as I remember. Fortunately, this bomb was safely removed and disposed of. My settlement had never seen so many police cars, firefighting teams, guys from FSB, etc.

Originally Posted by alexB

This is a war time song my heart breaks and I can’t hold back the tear when I hear it.
Here sung by Hvorostovsky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goqj9...eature=related and this time by Utesov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVl0JgcimoA

Wow that's a powerful song!!


Gosh, they found a bomb near your dacha!!! Spooky! I wonder if they can go off after this long?

Sorry I don't know this.. . Or I've forgotten... But I guess that means Moscow was air-bombed during the war, right? For some reason all I know about the war in the ex USSR is about Stalingrad, the siege of Leningrad, occupation of Ukraine and the Baltic states. Also that some factories were moved to the Urals. But I don't know what happened with Moscow. It was never occupied though, right? Can't bring myself to read anything about the war, it's just such a sad topic... So I only know what I remember from school.

I know they find mines floating around in the sea from time to time, and in England an unexploded bomb was found last year at a construction site.