Happy Victory Day!

[Prapor]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L3Y6B-TXmg"]YouTube - Moscow Victory Day Parade 2011[/ame]
2011 Victory Day Parade, Red Square, Moscow

By the way, note the uniforms in the parade. Those are new Russian military uniforms, just instituted. For one, all branches now wear berets instead of old furazhka hats. And for Specnaz and the Airborne, new types of camouflage. By the way, this is the first time since '45, the troops marched through the Red Square in combat, rather then parade, uniforms.

 

[AFSteliga]

Once again, an impressive display by the Russian military. Have to admit that I'm surprised to see the berets formed to what could be considered "western" standard though. That's the only thing that seemed odd to me, when I look at some other pictures of Russian forces.

 

[Prapor]

Once again, an impressive display by the Russian military. Have to admit that I'm surprised to see the berets formed to what could be considered "western" standard though. That's the only thing that seemed odd to me, when I look at some other pictures of Russian forces.

They even wanted a new uniform for the Navy too. But the Navy refused and protested loudly. Understandable, the Defense Minitry wanted to, among other things, get rid of white "beskozyrka" hat has been a symbol of the Russian Naval Combat Forces for a very long time

The beskozyrka has been a signature part of Russian seamen's outfit since the Tsarist era, the Imperial Fleet, only back then, they were black, not white

The Admirals apparently told Serdyukov, the defense minister, that they cannot issue the new uniforms as sailors simply will refuse to wear them

By the way, you may also not in the parade, the guys in the Blue Berets, that's us, that's the Airborne; not how everyone else has all their medals and badges on. Our guys only have their Saint Georgy decorative bands. Know why? Serdyukov banned Paratroopers participating in the parade from wearing any of their combar decorations. His revenge for our commanders vocally, publically clashing with him earlier. General Shamanov called him a "fat donkey" and told him to go back to selling furniture (he was CEO of a furniture firm before Putin made him defense minister) in a quite heated row once, not too long ago. Serdyukov took it very personally :roll:

 

[A Can of Man]

Good stuff man!

 

[Prapor]

Good stuff man!

For me, yes. Not for Serdyukov. Playing with fire, that man is. I read an article on Rosbalt forum, apparently military counterintelligence has been discovering 'smoldering' anti-government sentiment in the military. Soldiers and officers want higher wages, better housing, and just overall to be treated better. I think Putin and Medvedev are finally waking up to that. They have been building new, comfortable, high rise appartments for officers recently, in Murmansk now there is a big complex, for the Northern Fleet; and elsewhere. First steps, at least.

 

[senojekips]

I see they still sell Kvas in the streets too. I made a great friend of a lovely old Babushka on Leninskaya in Nakhodka many years ago. I would always stop for a glass or two, and leave her a good tip on my journeys to and from the seaman's club.

We usually used to get ashore at the same time that the boats arrived from the Naval base across the harbour. It was great to walk up from the ferry landing to the town, watching and listening to the young sailors chiacking one another and teasing the girls that passed by. It seems that they don't differ much all around the world.

Many fond memories,...

 

[Prapor]

Turns out that besides the 20,000 troops marching through the square, President Medvedev and Prime Miniter Vladimir Putin's safety and security was assured by a team of specifically positioned snipers

Probably from FSO, Federal Protection Service, our Secret Service. They have their own Specnaz-type groups for this sort of thing. It scared the hell out of some journalists at the parade when they managed to get these snapshorts: imagine, you seat there for two hours and, unbeknownst to you, you are in someone's crosshairs. Oh, well, that's their job though.

 

[Korean Seaboy]

Nice pics! The Russians have the right to celebrate Victory Day (V-E day), seeing that the total casualties from the war amounted to over 70 million (civilian deaths and deaths from starvation, freezing included), more than the total population of Britain at that time