2023-05-03 18:50:47
May 9 Victory Day will be very different in Russia this year.
Because Moscow is occupying the neighboring Ukraine, the end of the war is not in sight. This invasion cost the Kremlin a lot financially.
Parades and public gatherings commemorating the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II have been canceled due to security concerns. The “Immortal Regiment” march with photos of relatives of war victims of hundreds of thousands of Russians across the country was also cancelled. Addit to this ceremony, President Vladimir Putin and other officials also joined.
The sacrifices of the Soviets, especially the Russians, in order to defeat Germany were magnified during Putin’s rule and became the main cornerstone of Russia’s nationalist revival. According to many observers, the Kremlin is trying not to exaggerate Russia’s military power in light of the scale of losses in the war in Ukraine.
Historian Maxim Kuzaxmetov He told Current Time, the Russian-language network of Radio Liberty: “And what will happen if someone takes photos of relatives who died in the war against Ukraine? What if hundreds of people do it? That would be shocking. The Kremlin tries to create a feeling of ‘we will win’ and ‘all for the front’ with smiles and laughter. From this point of view, “Immortal Regiment” can only cause ideological damage.
“Putin sees betrayal everywhere”
Officials in many cities urged citizens to celebrate by displaying the portraits in their cars. The press release of the government of Nizhny Novgorod states: “Not only residents, but all institutions can participate in this demonstration.”
The officials of the city of Kazan, the capital of the Central Tatarstan province, appealed to the residents and said that they can use the portraits as badges on their clothes. People are also encouraged to post information about Victory Day on the official website or create commemorative plaques at their workplaces.
The world-famous parade of military equipment on Red Square in Moscow will be closed to the public. The parade will be broadcast on state television channels.
Historian Kuzakhmetov was skeptical of the Kremlin’s reasoning that the Red Square parade was closed to the public. Connecting this with Putin’s “paranoia”, Kuzakhmetov said that Putin was probably the President of Egypt who was killed by his own officers during a military parade in 1981. Anwar Sadatremembered: “And what will happen if something like this happens? What if one of the armored vehicles had real ammunition? Putin sees betrayal everywhere. He is afraid.”
Political activist in Moscow Elvira Vixareva wrote on Facebook on April 18: “Wasn’t the Kremlin, which gathered tens of thousands of people for a pro-war rally in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in March, afraid of a “terrorist” attack?! “Special military operation” is not carried out for free. That’s why they canceled it.”
The Russian government characterizes its war against Ukraine as a “special military operation,” and under a law Putin signed shortly after launching the large-scale invasion, citizens who openly call it “war” are prosecuted.
Actress and blogger Alisa Kovalyova He wrote on Telegram: “Trillion rubles were spent on security, but it turned out that they could not provide it. Or are they afraid of large crowds?”.
Fear of crowds
Historian İvan Kurilla He said in the “Siberian Realities” program of Radio Liberty: “There is a fear that people will carry portraits of those killed in Ukraine and the actual numbers will be revealed, not the numbers presented by the Ministry of Defense. This is the most likely reason.”
125 people were detained for anti-war protests at the 2022 Victory Day events. The Russian government has not provided reliable information on casualties in Ukraine. On September 21 last year, the army said that up to 6,000 soldiers were killed in the occupation that began seven months ago. This figure has not been updated since then. Western experts say that the total number of dead and wounded Russians exceeds 200,000.
At the same time, the authorities have stepped up repression of those who oppose the war, imposing long prison sentences and an unprecedented number of “treason” cases in recent weeks.
The “Immortal Regiment” ceremony began in 2011 in Tomsk, Siberia, when a group of friends commemorated the victims of the Soviet people in front of the “Eternal Torch” monument. Within a few years, this idea was adopted by the Putin government.
Freedom radio
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