Presidential Library presents unique archive documents about 1945 Victory Parade

80 years ago, on 24 June 1945, in commemoration of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War, a Victory Parade was held in Moscow's Red Square.

The parade was hosted by Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov (1896-1974), First Deputy People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR and Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, commander of the 1st Belorussian Front. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (1896-1968), commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front, commanded the parade.

The Presidential Library's collection has been enriched with electronic copies of documents and photos telling about this historical event.

On the Library's portal an authentic copy of the speech of Georgy Zhukov, three times hero of the Soviet Union, at the Victory Parade in Moscow. It is seven pages of printed text, in the margins of which handwritten notes are made, with what intonation one should read this or that paragraph.

For example, the phrase: "Today the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, honours the valiant Soviet soldiers who won this victory..." should be pronounced solemnly, while the words "Four years ago, the German fascist hordes attacked our country in a robbery-like manner..." should be pronounced quieter, harsher. - quieter, harsher. "Wider, louder, more penetrating", and at the end "with increasing elevation" Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov made his speech. "Long live our Victory! Glory to the victorious soldiers who defended the honour, freedom and independence of our Motherland...".

This unique document, as well as the Album "Scheme of formation of troops during the Victory Parade on 24 June 1945" was handed over to the Presidential Library by the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History.

Another archival document of interest is the decree of the USSR Council of People's Commissars No. 1440 "On the work of Moscow enterprises on 24 June 1945". It allows the heads of the capital's enterprises, where "according to the established schedule, work should be done on Sunday, 24 June 1945, to give workers and employees of these enterprises a day off..." on this date. Only "continuously operating enterprises in which it is impossible to interrupt work" did not cease operations on the day of the Victory Parade.

The historical popular science magazine Rodina in 1989 contains the memoirs of the great-granddaughter of Marshal Rokossovsky, who commanded the Victory Parade.

The newspaper Leningradskaya Pravda of June 26, 1945, available on the Presidential Library portal, not only gives a detailed description of the Victory Parade on Red Square, but also tells about the reception in honour of the participants of this historic event held the day before in the Grand Kremlin Palace.

More interesting information about the Victory Parade is available in the On this Day section of the Presidential Library's portal.