Russia celebrates WW2 victory with Soviet-style parade

Enlarge Photo Military vehicles drive down Tverskaya Street in central Moscow during a Victory Day military parade... Slideshow: Day in pics: May 09

Fri, May 9 12:42 PM

By Michael Stott

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Warplanes screamed over Red Square and missile launchers rumbled past ranks of soldiers on Friday when Russia celebrated victory over Nazi Germany with a show of military might not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The annual May parade, which remembers the almost 27 million Soviets who perished in World War Two, is also intended to show Russia's revival and a military that the Kremlin says is still a force to be reckoned with.

Vladimir Putin, before stepping down as president, ordered generals to revive the Soviet-era tradition of driving tanks, howitzers and missile launchers over Red Square as Russia's top brass watch from a platform in front of Lenin's mausoleum.

President Dmitry Medvedev, sworn in as Kremlin leader this week, shook hands with veterans at the parade's opening.

"I congratulate you from my very heart with the day of the great victory, with a celebration which always was and will remain the most national and sacred and which has become for ever a symbol of our national unity," Medvedev said.

"The history of world wars warns that military conflicts are not born on their own -- they are set alight by those whose irresponsible ambitions are put above the interests of whole countries and entire continents, the interests of millions of people," Medvedev said as Putin looked on from behind him.

"We must do everything to make sure that such tragedies are not repeated," he said. Putin did not give a speech.

RUSSIAN UNITY

The Kremlin has sought to foster memories of the World War Two, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, as a way to forge Russian unity after the upheavals and rancour which followed the fall of the Soviet Union.

Politicians and generals are keen to show results of sharply rising military spending at home and to send a message overseas about Russia's renewed power.

Russia has not displayed heavy weaponry at the parade in Red Square since 1990, the year before the Soviet Union's collapse.

"Good day comrades... I congratulate you with the 63rd annual celebration of victory in the Great Patriotic War," Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov barked at troops from a silver open-top Zil limousine.

Troops answered in unison with "Hooray, hooray, hooray," which echoed across Red Squared.

At least 110 pieces of military hardware are taking part in the May 9 parade this year, including the Topol and the Iskander M, Russia's most modern missile launchers.

Generals shouted orders at the troops, representing different branches of Russia's one million-strong armed forces as they marched stiffly past a viewing stand to martial music from a brass band, their heads all turned to the right to face the reviewing officers.

Troops bellowed out the Russian national anthem, its verses changed for modern times but its tune restored by Putin to the old Soviet one. Around 30 warplanes were set to fly over the parade ground, including Russia's supersonic bombers, MiG fighters and helicopters.

The number of military vehicles will be fewer than in Soviet times because the historic gates into Red Square -- demolished by Stalin to facilitate the passage of tanks -- have been rebuilt. This means heavy weapons can only approach and leave the square from the other side of Red Square.

Russia did not hold big military parades in Red Square in the chaotic years of 1991-94 and in 1995 -- the 50th anniversary of Russia's World War Two victory -- military hardware was paraded separately from the soldiers outside Red Square.

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