On November 7, 1941, the most important military parade in the history of the USSR took place. He showed the whole world that the capital of the country would not be surrendered under any circumstances, and that the Soviet Union had enough strength to fight to victory.
Panic broke out in Moscow three weeks before the parade
Although military parades on Red Square since 1918 were held (with rare exceptions) twice a year - on May 1 and November 7, the decision to solemnly march troops near the walls of the Kremlin in the fall of 1941 was not easy for the country's leadership.
The first phase of the German operation "Typhoon" has just ended: during the German offensive against Moscow in early October 1941, the Bryansk-Vyazemsky disaster broke out - the troops of the Bryansk, Western and Reserve fronts were surrounded. The united defense front ceased to exist for a while and, in fact, for some time the path to Moscow was open for the Nazis.
In the main city of the country on October 16 - after the adoption of the decree "On the evacuation of the capital of the USSR" - a panic began: although the document was secret, many people learned about it, rumors spread that Stalin and the Politburo had left Moscow. Confusion seized hundreds of thousands of citizens, first of all, chiefs of various stripes. For several days, a huge city with a non-functioning infrastructure, frozen transport and a stupor of the police and the NKVD was at the mercy of looters and bandits.
The parade demonstrated the true intentions of the USSR leadership
Soviet tanks move through the streets of Moscow to a military parade on Red Square.
The situation was brought under control only on October 19 - by introducing a state of siege, a curfew and executions on the spot of "provocateurs, spies and other agents of the enemy who call for a violation of order."
But it was also necessary to show that Stalin was still in the Kremlin, that they were not going to surrender Moscow, that "the enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours." AND the best way for this, it was against all odds to hold a traditional military parade on the main square of the country in the presence of the head of state.
This was not just a propaganda move: the country's leadership really intended to fight for the capital. The army was preparing for a new phase of defense, and the high command was already considering that famous counter-offensive that would put the occupiers to flight in the winter of 1941.
The parade was held against the backdrop of the largest battle of World War II
Military parade on Red Square. The photo shows servicemen with Tokarev self-loading rifles of the 1940 model SVT-40 in the “shoulder” position. Single-blade bayonets are attached to the rifles. Behind the back of the soldier is a knapsack equipment of the 1936 model, on the side are small infantry shovels. The original name of the photo: "After the parade - into battle!".
The fact that the battle on the Kursk Bulge became the "largest tank battle" of the Great Patriotic War, and the battle for Stalingrad - "unparalleled in fierceness", has long become a common cliché. But even these gigantic strategic operations pale in comparison with the battles "in the snow-white fields near Moscow."
The battle for the capital of the USSR became one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Both sides were well aware of the importance of the battle for themselves. For the first and last time, the Wehrmacht concentrated three tank groups (armies) in one strategic direction at once. For the Third Reich, the fall of Moscow with a high degree of probability meant the defeat of the main political rival and the end of the blitzkrieg in the East.
The loss of such an important control center and major transportation hub as Moscow would deal the Soviet Union a monstrous military, political and moral blow. No wonder the Germans, mixed with bombs, dropped leaflets: "Moscow is not the capital, the Urals is not the border."
The parade could not take place due to the German air "terror"
remote post air defense on the roof of the Moscow Hotel.
The parade, until the very last moment, was in doubt due to the massive bombardment of the city, which sharply increased with the onset of ground attacks. German troops.
At the end of October 1941, a bomb exploded in front of the Central Telegraph Office on Gorky Street (now Tverskaya), killing and injuring many people standing in line at the grocery store. A heavy mine hit the building of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on Staraya Square. Among the dead was the writer Alexander Afinogenov.
The bomb pierced the roof of the Bolshoi Theatre, disfiguring the building. Other facilities were also damaged, including the then "mayor's office" - the Moscow Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, whose first secretary, the head of the city, Alexander Shcherbakov, was shell-shocked twice in one day.
Despite the careful disguise, the Kremlin also got it. A 500-kilogram land mine that fell on October 29 in the courtyard of the Arsenal killed 45 people, injured more than 100, destroyed the garage and caused a fire.
The peak of air raids came in November, when the front line came so close to the city that planes with ominous crosses began to fly over it not only at night, but also during the day.
At the same time, the Nazis, having decided that the so-called "lighters" were not effective enough, began to massively use high-explosive bombs. The raids followed one after another, sometimes 5-6 times a day.
And the most powerful of them fell on the eve of the parade. On November 6, less than a day before it began, at three o'clock in the afternoon, 250 enemy aircraft tried to break through to Moscow from different courses and heights. However, anti-aircraft gunners and air defense pilots did not disappoint - not a single enemy bomber reached the target, and 34 were shot down.
Forecasters could not give an accurate forecast for November 7 - all meteorological stations in the west of the country were captured by the enemy. The night before the parade was clear and starry. The weather began to change only closer to the morning, when at a temperature of +2 ° ... -2 ° the sky was covered with clouds, and thick snow began to fall. Not a single German aircraft dared to take off in such weather.
There were three parades. And in Moscow he passed in the early morning
Few people know that on the day of the 24th anniversary October revolution in the USSR, not one parade took place, but three - in Moscow, Kuibyshev and Voronezh.
The first one took place in the capital: for security reasons, two hours earlier than usual - at 8 o'clock in the morning. He was commanded by the head of the city garrison, General Pavel Artemyev, and was received by Marshal Semyon Budyonny.
It turned out to be the shortest - only 25 minutes, during which about 28.5 thousand soldiers and commanders, including sailors, 140 artillery pieces, 160 tanks, 232 vehicles passed along the cobblestones of Red Square. There is a common cliché that the participants in the parade on the same day took the battle with the enemy, but this is an exaggeration. Many units really immediately went to the front, but the main battles were waiting for the participants in the parade from mid-November.
Stalin declared from the podium of the Mausoleum that "the enemy is not as strong as some frightened intellectuals portray him," and promised that a few more months, "another six months, maybe a year - and Nazi Germany must burst under the weight of her crimes."
Filmmakers were late for the parade, but received an Oscar
Due to the secrecy of the event, the filmmakers who were supposed to shoot the parade were late for the start, and synchronously Stalin's speech had to be recorded later, inside the Kremlin, where, despite the open windows, the steam from the mouth of the leader of the peoples did not go. But the general public did not notice this.
By the way, the footage of the parade and Stalin's speech were later included in the famous painting by Leonid Varlamov and Ilya Kopalin "The Defeat of German Troops near Moscow." In 1943, it became the first domestic film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Documentary.
On the same day, two more parades took place.
In the stands of the parade in Voronezh was Nikita Khrushchev, then a member of the military council of the front
N. S. Khrushchev, member of the military council of the Southwestern Front with officers
From 11 a.m. on the central square of the 20th anniversary of October in Voronezh, the passage of troops - infantrymen, artillerymen, motorcyclists and tankmen - was commanded by the deputy commander of the Southwestern Front, General Fyodor Kostenko, and the commander of the Southwestern Front, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, received the parade. It was overcast and gloomy, at a temperature of 0 ° ... - 3 ° it was wet snow. The parade ended with a demonstration of the residents of the city and the region.
On the podium, in addition to the military, there were party leaders and writers, among them - Wanda Vasilevskaya, Alexander Korneichuk and the future head of state Nikita Khrushchev, who in 1941 was a member of the military council of the front.
Many participants in the Voronezh parade, as well as in Moscow, soon went to the front.
700 aircraft over Kuibyshev: the only air parade in the war
But the most striking and unusual was the parade in Kuibyshev, the reserve capital of the USSR. Many were evacuated there. government agencies headed by the formal head of state - Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Kalinin, as well as foreign missions.
On that frosty morning, the parade in the city was led by the commander of the 60th reserve army, General Maxim Purkaev, and received it former people's commissar Defense Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, who bravely prancing on a horse, circling the troops lined up on Kuibyshev Square.
The parade was attended by "all-Union headman" Mikhail Kalinin, chairman of the party control commission Andrei Andreev, head of the country's trade unions Nikolai Shvernik, chairman of the State Planning Commission Nikolai Voznesensky. And also representatives of 22 countries, in particular, the British military mission headed by Lieutenant General Frank Noel McFerlane, military attachés and foreign correspondents.
The audience saw not only a solemn march of ground troops - from infantry to tanks - but also the only air parade in the entire war. In Moscow, the weather was non-flying, but up to 700 (!) Combat aircraft, mostly new types, flew over Kuibyshev. Spectators did not suspect that 230 crews of 8 air regiments and 5 aviation schools prepared this flight in just three days. Such an impressive spectacle has never been seen before or since.
It is not surprising that an hour and a half parade, followed by an hour-long demonstration of workers, in which almost 200 thousand people took part, made a strong impression on foreigners, making them believe and then tell the whole world that the Soviet Union was not broken and it still had strength. a lot of.
A unit of Soviet skiers goes to the front along one of the Moscow streets after the parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941.
Unlike the allies of the USSR, the Nazi leadership tried to ignore what happened on November 7th. They remained confident that in the next month they would take over Moscow.
At the same time, enemy intelligence misinterpreted the constant build-up of Soviet forces in the Moscow direction, seriously mistaken in assessing the quantity and quality of troops. Therefore, the counteroffensive of our armies, which began on December 5, 1941, came as a complete surprise to Berlin and for some time was interpreted as strong counterattacks.
Awareness came later, when the German units fled, losing masses of people and equipment. And in the countries of the Nazi coalition, they finally realized that the blitzkrieg had failed, and now they face an exhausting struggle with the USSR and its allies. With unknown, but very heavy losses and consequences.
In the pre-war peaceful years, in commemoration of the next anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the main state holiday of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, solemn events were held in Moscow, the main event of which was always a military parade on Red Square. However, in the context of rapid progress Nazi German troops by territory Soviet Union, many, especially abroad, believed that celebrations in honor of the day of the Great October Revolution would not even be planned. Nevertheless, the military parade on November 7, 1941, which became unique in its political significance, took place. It was the first parade during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. It was organized and conducted on the personal instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin.
“This will raise the spirit of the troops and the rear!”
The decision to hold the parade was not taken immediately - the situation near Moscow was very difficult. On October 28, a meeting was held, held by Stalin, at which they discussed the holding of ceremonial events dedicated to the 24th anniversary of the revolution. The meeting was attended by members of the Politburo, the commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District, Lieutenant General P.A. Artemiev, commander Air Force of the Red Army, Lieutenant General of Aviation P.F. Zhigarev, Commander of the Moscow Air Defense Zone (Air Defense), Lieutenant General M.S. Gromadin, Air Force Commander of the Moscow Air Defense Zone, Colonel N.A. Sales. Among others, at the meeting I.V. Stalin raised the question of the possibility of holding a military parade. The question was so unexpected for everyone that no one could answer anything. A military parade was held in Moscow every year, but in 1941 the situation was so exceptional that no one thought about it. What a parade, when bridges across the Moscow-Volga canal are already being mined, factories are being mined. I.V. Stalin had to repeat his question three times. Only then did everyone respond and speak at once: “Yes, of course, this will raise the spirit of the troops and the rear!”
A powerful offensive of the Nazi troops on the day of the holiday could become a serious danger to the event. Stalin discussed the possibility of such an offensive several times at the end of October with General of the Army G.K. Zhukov, who was appointed commander of the Western Front on October 10. Zhukov reported that in the coming days the enemy would not launch a major offensive. He suffered significant losses and is forced to replenish and regroup troops. Against aviation, which will certainly act, it is necessary to strengthen air defense and bring fighter aircraft to Moscow from neighboring fronts. Council G.K. Zhukov was accepted, and in early November, Soviet aviation carried out a series of raids on enemy airfields. So, a sudden blow was delivered on the airfield south of Kalinin, where they were based german fighters who accompanied the bombers during raids on Moscow.
The command of the parade and its organization were entrusted to the commander of the Moscow Military District and the Moscow Defense Zone, Lieutenant General P.A. Artemiev. The preparation of units for the parade took place in the conditions of heavy defensive battles by the Soviet troops with the Nazi invaders, just 70-100 km from the capital, and was carried out with the strictest secrecy.
A lot of worries were brought to the organizers of the parade by the combined orchestra. On November 2, the bandmaster of a separate motorized rifle division for special purposes named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (OMSDON NKVD) of the USSR to the military tenant of the 1st rank V.I. Agapkin was announced that he had been appointed chief conductor, and ordered to assemble a combined orchestra from disparate groups of musicians. Even an orchestra from the city of Gorky was called to help the Muscovites. There was also a difficulty with rehearsals - for the time being, no one should hear the brass band on the square; marches, drumming, fanfares could alert. Orchestra rehearsals were held in Khamovniki, in the arena, where equestrian competitions were held in peacetime. Deputy People's Commissar Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny, who was supposed to take the parade.
On November 6, on the eve of the holiday, a solemn meeting of the Moscow Council dedicated to the anniversary of October was held at the Mayakovskaya metro station. The event was prepared under the most severe time limit and the strictest secrecy. The order to organize the security of the ceremonial meeting at the Mayakovskaya metro station was signed on the morning of the event. Closing the passages to the platform from the side of the tunnels was provided by two platoons of submachine gunners of the regiment special purpose Office of the commandant of the Moscow Kremlin of the NKVD of the USSR. Head of the Department, Major General N.K. Spiridonov was responsible for providing security around the entrance to the Mayakovskaya metro station. Two additional NKVD OMSDON battalions were allocated to block the streets and the square at the entrance to the metro. The 1st department of the NKVD of the USSR organized the security of the Mayakovskaya metro station, the radio equipment of the hall, issued invitation cards and passes, and allowed those invited to the meeting to pass. At the Belorusskaya metro station, a special train of ten cars was formed, which approached the Mayakovskaya station with guards five minutes before the start of the event. On opposite side There was also a train of ten cars on the platform: platforms with an orchestra, wardrobes and buffets for the meeting participants. The lobby of the metro station accommodated 2,000 people.
Chairman made a presentation at the meeting State Committee Defense (GKO) I.V. Stalin. He summed up the results of four months of the war, analyzed the situation on the fronts, defined tasks and outlined prospects. liberation struggle Soviet people, ending his speech with the words: "Our cause is just - victory will be ours!" Only after the solemn meeting at about 11 p.m. did the parade commander inform the unit commanders about their participation in the military parade on Red Square.
The following were to take part in the parade: 1st Moscow Red Banner Artillery School named after L.B. Krasin; two battalions of the 1st Moscow separate detachment of sailors (Moscow naval crew); 1st and 2nd battalions of the 1st motorized rifle regiment OMSDON NKVD; a special battalion of the Military Council of the Moscow Military District and the Moscow Defense Zone; 332nd Rifle Ivanovo Division named after M.V. Frunze; consolidated anti-aircraft defense regiment; 2nd Moscow Rifle Division (people's militia); a battalion of former Red Guard veterans and two battalions of Vsevobuch; 1st Moscow Special Cavalry Regiment of the NKVD; consolidated rifle and machine-gun motorized regiment; artillery regiment of the NKVD; Artillery Regiment of the 2nd Moscow Rifle Division; tank battalions of the Stavka reserve (31st and 33rd tank brigades).
Parade on Red Square heard the whole world
And then came the long-awaited day of November 7th. Across the stretch from the Moskvoretsky bridge to the building Historical Museum troops are standing. The rectangles of companies and battalions are motionless. A fierce wind raises frosty dust in the air. White needles of frost settle on attached bayonets. The security chain is geometrically even. The troops are waiting.
“The clock of the Spasskaya Tower resoundingly threw eight blows on the square. - Parade, be quiet! From the gates of the Spasskaya Tower on a good, hot horse leaves the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade. Budyonny. Towards him jumps the commander of the parade, Lieutenant-General Comrade. Artemiev.
Having accepted the report, comrade. Budyonny, accompanied by a lieutenant general, toured the troops lined up for the parade and greeted them. Cheerful "cheers" the fighters answered the greeting of the Marshal of the Soviet Union. Having completed the detour, Comrade Budyonny drove up to the Mausoleum, easily jumped off his horse and climbed to the podium.
The orchestra gave the signal "Listen everyone!" Complete silence reigned in Red Square and short speech, addressed to the troops and people of the country, the Chairman of the State Defense Committee, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR I.V. Stalin:
“Comrade Red Army and Red Navy men, commanders and political workers, workers and workers, collective farmers and collective farmers, workers of intellectual labor, brothers and sisters behind our enemy lines, who temporarily fell under the yoke of the German robbers, our glorious partisans and partisans destroying the rear of the German invaders!
On behalf of the Soviet Government and our Bolshevik Party, I greet you and congratulate you on the 24th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.
Comrades! In difficult conditions, we have to celebrate today the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution. The perfidious attack of the German brigands and the war imposed on us created a threat to our country. We temporarily lost a number of regions, the enemy found himself at the gates of Leningrad and Moscow. The enemy counted on the fact that after the first blow our army would be dispersed, our country would be brought to its knees. But the enemy miscalculated. Despite temporary setbacks, our army and our navy are heroically repelling enemy attacks along the entire front, inflicting heavy damage on him, and our country - our entire country - has organized itself into a single combat camp in order to defeat the German invaders together with our army and our navy. .
There were days when our country was in an even more difficult situation. Remember 1918, when we celebrated the first anniversary of the October Revolution. Three-quarters of our country was then in the hands of foreign interventionists. Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia, Urals, Siberia, Far East were temporarily lost by us. We didn't have allies, we didn't have the Red Army - we just started to create it, we didn't have enough bread, we didn't have enough weapons, we didn't have enough uniforms. 14 states then pressed on our country. But we did not lose heart, we did not lose heart. In the fire of war, we then organized the Red Army and turned our country into a military camp. The spirit of the great Lenin inspired us then to the war against the interventionists. And what? We defeated the interventionists, returned all the lost territories and achieved victory.
Now the situation of our country is much better than 23 years ago. Our country is now many times richer in industry, food and raw materials than it was 23 years ago. We now have allies who are holding together with us a united front against the German invaders. We now have the sympathy and support of all the peoples of Europe who have fallen under the yoke of Hitlerite tyranny. We now have a wonderful army and a wonderful navy, which are vigorously defending the freedom and independence of our Motherland. We do not have a serious shortage either in food, or in weapons, or in uniforms. Our entire country, all the peoples of our country are supporting our army, our fleet, helping them to defeat the predatory hordes of German fascists. Our human resources are inexhaustible. The spirit of the great Lenin and his victorious banner now inspire us to Patriotic war just like 23 years ago.
Can there be any doubt that we can and must defeat the German invaders?
The enemy is not as strong as some frightened intellectuals portray him. The devil is not as scary as he is painted. Who can deny that our Red Army has more than once put the vaunted German troops into a stampede? Judging not by the boastful statements of German propagandists, but by the actual situation in Germany, it will not be difficult to understand that Nazi German invaders facing disaster. Hunger and impoverishment now reign in Germany, during the 4 months of the war Germany lost 4.5 million soldiers, Germany is bleeding, her manpower is running out, the spirit of indignation seizes not only the peoples of Europe who have fallen under the yoke of the German invaders, but also the German people themselves, who does not see the end of the war. German invaders strain last strength. There is no doubt that Germany cannot bear such tension for long. A few more months, another half a year, maybe a year, and Hitlerite Germany must burst under the weight of its crimes.
Comrades, Red Army and Red Navy men, commanders and political workers, partisans and partisans! The whole world is looking at you as a force capable of destroying the predatory hordes of German invaders. The enslaved peoples of Europe, who fell under the yoke of the German invaders, are looking at you as their liberators. The great liberation mission fell to your lot. Be worthy of this mission! The war you are waging is a war of liberation, a just war. Let the courageous image of our great ancestors - Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Kuzma Minin, Dmitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov inspire you in this war! May the victorious banner of the great Lenin overshadow you!
For the complete defeat of the German invaders!
Death to the German invaders!
Long live our glorious Motherland, her freedom, her independence!
Under the banner of Lenin - forward to victory!
After the speech of the head of state, the combined orchestra led by the composer and conductor V.I. Agapkin, played the melody of "The Internationale", and a gun salute burst from the Sofiyskaya embankment.
Then General Artemyev gave the command to start the parade and, to the sounds of the march, S.A. Chernetsky "Parade", a solemn movement of troops began. The parade was opened by the combined battalion of cadets of the 1st Moscow Red Banner Artillery School named after L.B. Krasin, headed by the head of the school, Colonel Yu.P. Bazhanov.
The combined orchestra changes the rhythm and beat of the melody. The swift and cheerful melody "Cavalry lynx" sounds. The cavalry enters the square. The cavalrymen are confidently sitting in their saddles, the standards of the units are floating through the air, raised on peaks. Behind the squadrons, machine-gun carts rush with a roar, causing stormy applause from the stands. Behind the cavalry, moving along the flank, motorized infantry passes, cars with anti-aircraft guns drive. Tanks completed the march of military equipment. First, small mobile tankettes passed along the snow-covered asphalt, raising clouds of snow dust behind them. Behind them were light tanks, medium, heavy.
The parade is over. Parts go to the places of deployment, in order to leave for the front the next day. The parade on Red Square was heard by the whole world, a report about it was conducted by the famous Soviet radio commentator and journalist V.S. Sinyavsky.
In total, 28,467 people participated in the parade, including: 19,044 infantrymen (69 battalions), 546 cavalrymen (6 saber squadrons, 1 cart squadron); 732 riflemen and machine gunners (5 battalions), 2165 artillerymen, 450 tankers, 5520 militiamen (20 battalions). The parade on Red Square was attended by 16 carts, weapons and military equipment were represented by 296 machine guns, 18 mortars, 12 anti-aircraft machine guns, 12 small-caliber and 128 guns of medium and high power, 160 tanks (70 BT-7, 48 T-60, 40 T-34, 2 KV). 300 aircraft were also planned to participate in the air parade. However, due to heavy snowfall and blizzard, the parade was cancelled.
From 5 am on November 7 on Red Square, the security of the parade was provided by the Office of the Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin of the NKVD of the USSR and the 1st Department of the NKVD of the USSR. Despite the difficult weather conditions for enemy aviation and the measures taken by the air defense of the Moscow zone, everyone was preparing for any turn of events. In the event of the bombing of Red Square, 35 medical posts were ready to provide assistance. They had about 10 ambulances at their disposal. 5 restoration brigades, 15 firemen and other special vehicles were also in readiness for actions in case of destruction of buildings, gas and electric networks, and fires.
Since the speech of I.V. The cameramen failed to film Stalin at the parade, so it was decided to build a model of the central tribune of the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin in the Sverdlovsk Hall of the former building of the Senate. On November 14, fourteen employees of Soyuzkinohronika and the Radio Committee set to work. In the room, according to a previously prepared drawing, an exact copy of the central tribune of the Mausoleum was assembled from wooden blanks. By evening, lighting fixtures, film cameras, and a microphone were installed. The next day, November 15, 1941, after 4 p.m., rehearsals began, and then the recording of I.V. Stalin, which was included in the film directed by L. Varlamov “XXIVth October. Speech by I.V. Stalin." The footage of the parade was subsequently mounted in the film directed by L. Varlamov and I. Kopalin "The defeat of the Nazi troops near Moscow", which was released on February 23, 1942 and received in 1943 the first American Oscar in the USSR in the nomination "Best documentary".
For the Nazis, the parade was a complete surprise. The radio broadcast from Red Square was turned on to the whole world at the moment when the parade had already begun. She was also heard in Berlin. Later, those close to Hitler recalled that no one dared to report to him about what was happening in Moscow. He himself, quite by accident, turning on the receiver, heard commands in Russian, the music of marches and the firm tread of soldiers' boots, and understood what was happening. As historians testify, Hitler went into an indescribable rage. He rushed to the telephone and demanded that he be connected immediately to the commander of the bomber squadron closest to Moscow. I gave him a dressing down and ordered: “I am giving you an hour to atone for your guilt. The parade must be bombed at all costs. Fly out immediately with all your connection. Lead it yourself. Personally!" Despite the blizzard, the bombers took to the air. None of them made it to Moscow. As it was reported the next day, 34 German planes were shot down by the forces of the 6th Fighter Corps and anti-aircraft gunners of the Moscow Air Defense Forces on the borders of the city.
The military parade aroused admiration and respect for the Soviet people and their army
The military parade on November 7, 1941 was of great domestic political and international significance. He contributed to strengthening the morale of the Soviet people and its Armed Forces, demonstrated their determination to defend Moscow and defeat the enemy. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, they asked about the likelihood of holding the November parade in letters, many did not believe in holding it - "the enemy is close, not up to it." The morning message on the radio on November 7, 1941 was unexpected for many. Front-line soldiers and home front workers realized that if a festive parade took place in the capital, it means that Moscow has enough strength to survive. “After the parade, there was a turning point in conversations and moods. In the following days, the people became completely different: special firmness and confidence appeared ... ”The parade inspired the army and home front workers to fight the aggressor. By the strength of the emotional and moral impact on further developments During the Great Patriotic War, it can be equated with victory in the most important strategic operation.
The parade on November 7, 1941 on Red Square made a demoralizing impression on the enemy. The Germans were already planning a parade of Wehrmacht regiments on Red Square. But the long-awaited triumphal procession did not happen. The courage and will to win of the defenders of the capital broke the spirit and combat readiness of the German troops. For the first time in all the campaigns of the Second World War, defeatist moods appeared in the diaries, letters and reports of German generals, officers and soldiers: “And now that Moscow was in sight, the mood of both commanders and troops began to change. The resistance of the enemy intensified, the fighting became more and more fierce ... "In a letter from a German soldier, captured by Soviet troops in November 1941 in the Mozhaisk direction, it was said:" Every day brings us great sacrifices. We are losing our brothers, but the end of the war is not in sight and, probably, I will not see it .., I have already lost all hope of returning home and staying alive. I think that everyone German soldier find his grave here. It is impossible to defeat the Russians ... ”During the winter campaign of 1941, Hitler's military tribunals convicted 62 thousand soldiers and officers for desertion, unauthorized withdrawal, disobedience, and 35 senior officials were removed from their posts.
The military parade to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution received a wide international response and contributed to the strengthening anti-Hitler coalition. At the time when Goebbels' propaganda announced the destruction of the Red Army, the imminent fall of Moscow and the evacuation of the Soviet government beyond the Urals, a parade took place on Red Square. The whole world saw the impotence of the Nazi command. It was a colossal blow to the prestige of the Nazi leadership.
The military parade aroused admiration and respect for the Soviet people and their army, and contributed to strengthening the international prestige of the USSR. The English newspaper The News Chronicle wrote: "The organization of the usual traditional parade in Moscow at a time when hot battles are taking place on the outskirts of the city is a magnificent example of courage and courage." The Daily Mail echoed it: "Stalin organized on the famous Red Square one of the most brilliant demonstrations of courage and confidence that ever took place during the war."
This parade was a visible manifestation of traditional Russian patriotism, based on the solidarity of all sectors of society in the fight against the aggressor, on the awareness of the just nature of the war, in which the fate of the country and its people is decided. During its implementation, as in Time of Troubles XVII century and the Patriotic War of 1812, the best national qualities of the Russian people were demonstrated, waging a just war against the aggressor for the independence and prosperity of their homeland.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the military parade on November 7, 1941 in honor of the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution took place not only in Moscow. By decision of the Headquarters, a military parade was also held in Kuibyshev and Voronezh.
A special event for all Russians: just over an hour ago, a solemn march in honor of the anniversary of the 1941 military parade ended on Red Square. On this day 76 years ago, soldiers went from here to the front line to defend Moscow from the Nazis. The enemy was very close. It was from this procession that the long road to Victory began.
On Red Square - the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the winners, who in the autumn of 1941 paraded to the front from the walls of the Kremlin.
Sounds of the march holy war”is immersed in those difficult years of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. The same form and military equipment. Moscow is practically under siege by the Nazis, the capital is being bombed, the enemy is thirty kilometers away, but the Soviet soldiers before the hardest battles calmly march along Red Square and further to the defense lines. Celebration - contrary!
In places of honor, veterans recall how they, the young defenders of Moscow, participated in that not just a march, but a military operation to raise morale. A psychological weapon that turned the tide of the battle for Moscow. The enemy was at the gates of the capital.
“It somehow gave us confidence that we were ready to participate in this great war,” recalls veteran Evgeny Fedoseev.
“It is very important to know history. Without knowledge of the past, history, we cannot move forward,” said veteran Nikolai Mestyukov.
Now every year the marchers thank them. Alignment towards the stands. In parade calculations, cadets of military schools, cadets of all metropolitan corps, military personnel of the Moscow garrison. The standards of the fronts of the Great Patriotic War and the banners under which the defense of the capital was carried overhead. A special responsibility lies with those who march in the same way as their heroic great-grandfathers.
“I was encouraged to go to the parade not only by my grandfather, but also by my father. He went to the parade on Red Square more than once and was even an assistant at the banner,” said cadet Yakov Golik.
They appear on the square, as if from a newsreel. Anti-aircraft guns shot down German planes over Moscow, and tanks were then ready to fight in the city center. In a month, the Nazis will be thrown back from the capital, Soviet troops for the first time they will win a major victory and go on a full-scale counteroffensive.
The thunder of the orchestra and the march. The parade in November 1941 was broadcast on the radio to the whole world, which was stunned by the resilience of Soviet soldiers. But the main thing is that the strength of the unbroken capital inspired the soldiers of the Red Army at all lines of defense.
“It was on this day that the long road to Victory began. Today grateful Moscow remembers every hero. Their names are forever inscribed on granite monuments, pages of archives, names of schools and squares, in family albums, in the hearts of millions of people,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said addressing veterans and parade participants.
Today is the day military glory. Historical reconstruction reminds of the exploits and steadfastness of the defenders of the motherland at all times. Steel rows - the legendary military equipment that participated in real battles. Victory salutes of 1945 were then reflected on someone's armor, and some only later long years were found search parties and restored for the parade.
“There was a hit, the crew of this car died during the war years. But despite the fact that the car died, was literally scattered to pieces, it was restored, it is on parade as a tribute to the memory of our soldiers, ”said Yevgeny Lebedev, an expert on military equipment.
After the parade, veterans with representatives of the Moscow authorities lay flowers at the Grave unknown soldier, and the equipment remains on Red Square, in an open-air museum, so that residents can take pictures and think again about how our ancestors proved on these machines: we will not surrender Moscow.
One of the unforgettable pages in the history of our glorious Army.
Marshal S. M. Budyonny accepts a military parade
Parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941 - a military parade in honor of the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution, held during the Battle of Moscow, when the front line passed just a few tens of kilometers from the city. This parade, in terms of its impact on the course of events, is equated to the most important military operation. It was of great importance in raising the morale of the army and the whole country, showing the whole world that Moscow does not give up, and the morale of the army is not broken.
November 7 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the military parade on Red Square in the city of Moscow to commemorate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution (1941).
PREPARING FOR THE PARADE
Moscow celebrated the anniversary of the October Revolution in a state of siege, the evacuation of the city, which began on October 16, and the construction defensive structures on the streets gave rise to a lot of rumors that Stalin and the Politburo had left the city. In order to dispel the rumors and maintain the morale of the country, on October 24, Stalin summons the commander of the Moscow Military District, General Artemyev, and the commander of the Air Force, General Zhigarev, and orders to begin preparations for the parade in complete secrecy.
The day before the parade, on November 6, the traditional pre-holiday meeting of the Moscow City Council takes place, but not in the Bolshoi Theater, which was already mined by that time, but on the platform of the Mayakovskaya metro station. Chairs were placed on the platform, tables with snacks and drinks were installed in the carriages of the train standing at the platform, a tribune was built, those invited to the meeting descended on the escalator, the government arrived by train to the neighboring platform.
During the meeting, Stalin addressed those present with a speech, which was broadcast on the radio throughout the country, and later distributed in the form of leaflets over the occupied regions. He called the main reason for the failures of the first period of the war “the lack of us and partly of aviation ... we still have even fewer aircraft than the Germans. Ours are superior in quality to German ones. And our glorious tankers and artillerymen more than once put the vaunted German troops to flight with their numerous tanks. But we still have several times fewer tanks than the Germans. This is the secret of temporary success german army". At the end of his speech, Stalin said that the defeat of the German army was close.
After the meeting, Stalin announced to the members of the Politburo of the Central Committee, the secretaries of the Moscow Committee and the Moscow City Committee the time for the start of the parade of troops on Red Square, which was postponed two hours earlier, and was scheduled for eight o'clock, and not at ten, as usual. The commanders of the units participating in the parade became aware of this at 11 p.m., and representatives of the working people invited to Red Square were informed about the celebration from 5 a.m. on November 7.
The holding of the parade itself caused great difficulties, in particular, there were great fears at the expense of German aircraft, which could strike at the square in order to destroy the Soviet leadership. In this regard, since November 5, Soviet aviation has been delivering preemptive bombing strikes on the airfields of German troops. In addition, the day before the parade, meteorologists reported that low clouds and heavy snowfall were expected on November 7, all this somewhat relieved the situation.
On the night before the parade, by Stalin's personal decree, the Kremlin stars were uncovered and lit, and the disguise was also removed from Lenin's mausoleum.
HOLDING A PARADE
The parade began at exactly 8 o'clock on November 7, 1941. The parade was commanded by the commander of the Moscow Military District, Lieutenant General Pavel Artemyev, and Marshal Semyon Budyonny received him. The country's leadership was located in the usual place - on the podium of the Lenin Mausoleum.
The solemn march of troops on Red Square was opened by cadets of the artillery school. With unfolded banners, to the battle marches performed by the orchestra of the headquarters of the Moscow Military District under the direction of Vasily Agapkin, artillerymen and infantrymen, anti-aircraft gunners and sailors walked along the main square of the country. Then the cavalry moved along Red Square, the famous machine-gun carts, the T-34 and KV-1 tanks passed.
The parade was attended by:
Battalions of cadets of the District Military-Political School,
- Red Banner Artillery School
- Regiment of the 2nd Moscow Rifle Division
- regiment of the 332nd division named after Frunze,
- rifle, cavalry and tank units of the Dzerzhinsky division,
-Moscow naval crew
-Special battalion of the military council of the MVO and MZO,
-battalion of former Red Guards
- two battalions of Vseobuch
- two artillery regiments of the Moscow defense zone,
- consolidated anti-aircraft defense regiment,
-two tank brigades (31st and 33rd) from the reserve of the Headquarters of the High Command.
In total, 28,467 people participated in the parade, including: 19,044 infantrymen (69 battalions), 546 cavalrymen (6 saber squadrons, 1 cart squadron); 732 riflemen and machine gunners (5 battalions), 2165 artillerymen, 450 tankers, 5520 militiamen (20 battalions). 16 carts participated in the parade on Red Square, weapons and military equipment were represented by 296 machine guns, 18 mortars, 12 anti-aircraft machine guns, 12 small-caliber and 128 guns of medium and high power, 160 tanks (70 BT-7, 48 T-60, 40 T -34, 2 KV). 300 aircraft were also planned to participate in the air parade. However, due to heavy snowfall and blizzard, the parade was cancelled.
From 5 am on November 7 on Red Square, the security of the parade was provided by the Office of the Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin of the NKVD of the USSR and the 1st Department of the NKVD of the USSR. Despite the difficult weather conditions for enemy aviation and the measures taken by the air defense of the Moscow zone, everyone was preparing for any turn of events. In the event of the bombing of Red Square, 35 medical posts were ready to provide assistance. They had about 10 ambulances at their disposal. 5 restoration brigades, 15 firemen and other special vehicles were also in readiness for actions in case of destruction of buildings, gas and electric networks, and fires.
Military parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941. Columns of fighters pass by the Lenin Mausoleum.
Military parade on Red Square. Moscow, November 7, 1941. A very famous photo of the historic parade.
Military parade on Red Square. The photo shows servicemen with Tokarev self-loading rifles of the 1940 model SVT-40 in the “shoulder” position. Single-blade bayonets are attached to the rifles. Behind the back of the soldier is a knapsack equipment of the 1936 model, on the side are small infantry shovels.
The original name of the photo: "After the parade - into battle!".
Military parade on Red Square. Moscow, November 7, 1941. The photo is interesting because the soldiers of the Red Army are wearing winter helmets, canceled in July 1940, and armed with old English machine guns of the Lewis system (Lewis), brought to Russia in 1917.
Frunzensky square. Motorcyclists and cavalry. November 1941
A column of motorcyclists before the parade. Moscow, Garden Ring, November 1941.
Parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941. Soviet medium tanks T-34
Soviet tanks move through the streets of Moscow to the military parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941.
It is not a fact that the tank took part in the Parade on November 7, 1941, but this rare photo rare WWII tank.
Junior Lieutenant P.D. Gudz on his KV-1 tank moves towards Red Square to participate in the Military Parade on November 7, 1941.
Tank KV-1 junior lieutenant Pavel Gudz on Manezhnaya Square on November 7, 1941
T-35, T-34, behind - BT and T-26 of the 1939 model. November 1941 Moscow, Leo Tolstoy Street
The passage of the cavalry on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
The passage of infantry units on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
The passage of infantry units on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
The passage of infantry units on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
The passage of infantry units on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
The passage of infantry units on Red Square during the parade on November 7, 1941.
That's all I wanted to say. Happy holiday to all who honor the traditions of our Army and Navy
On November 7, 1941, a parade took place on Red Square in Moscow, timed to coincide with the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution, which in a few days cheered up the Russians and excited the entire the world. In the midst of the Moscow battle, when the morale of many citizens began to fall due to the huge number of victims and the intensive advance of troops, right in the center of Moscow - in the "heart" of the capital of the USSR - the results of one of the largest political events of the 20th century in Russia were celebrated on a grand scale.
Today, without a shadow of a doubt, the parade of November 7, 1941 on Red Square is considered a turning point, because the Russians and the whole world around them perked up: if Moscow, despite the front line being just a few kilometers from the city, fearlessly holds a military parade on the anniversary of the October Revolution , then the army and the leadership of Russia did not break, and there is still a chance for the army to win the battle with the Nazis.
Utter secrecy
IN modern Russia November 7 is a holiday - citizens across the country celebrate the Day of Military Glory, and a parade is held directly in Moscow on this day, honoring the memory of the events of 1941. Today, that parade is recognized as the most important military operation, because it turned out to be a turning point in world history.
And although on November 7, 1941, it seemed to everyone that the parade was relatively easy for Moscow, in fact, it was extremely difficult to organize it. instructed to begin preparations for the celebration of the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution as early as October 24, 1941: the head of the USSR summoned Generals Pavel Zhigarev (air force commander) and Pavel Artemyev (commander of the Moscow military district), who, on Stalin's instructions, began preparations for the parade in complete secrecy.
During the pre-holiday meeting of the Moscow City Council on November 6, Stalin announced that the parade on November 7, 1941 would not take place at the usual time (10:00 Moscow time), but two hours earlier - at 8:00 Moscow time. And although the members of the Politburo of the Central Committee, the secretaries of the Moscow City Committee and the Civil Code knew about the details of the parade a day in advance, the participants in the parade were informed of the time and place of its holding only a few hours before the event, since information leakage could turn the celebration into a tragedy: Stalin feared that the Germans would launch airstrikes on parade participants and the Soviet leadership.
On the night before the parade, the mausoleum lost its disguise, and the Kremlin stars were uncovered and lit.
Major military operation
The parade on November 7, 1941, as planned by Stalin, began at exactly 8:00. The weather then was relatively favorable: low cloud cover and heavy snowfall greatly complicated the possibility of a German attack, so the situation was a little discharged. As part of the parade, sailors, artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners and infantrymen, as well as equipment - KV-1 and T-34 tanks, machine-gun carts, cavalry, etc. walked along Red Square in Moscow as part of the parade. The Russian leadership watched the parade from the podium of the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.
The parade was really festive: the military and equipment moved in the very "heart" of the capital of the USSR under military marches with unfurled banners. As part of the parade, Joseph Stalin personally spoke, who then spoke words of support to his people.
The parade was filmed to create documentary film, but the group working on the film also found itself in conditions of ignorance: due to the fact that the parade took place at an unexpected time, the sound engineers were unable to capture Stalin's speech, so the film crew had to stage the leader's speech again - a plywood model of the tribune was created in the Grand Kremlin Palace mausoleum, painted in the color of marble. For realism, all the windows were opened so that steam would come from Stalin's mouth.
True, it was not possible to recreate reality - steam from Stalin's mouth did not go, but the mass audience did not attach any importance to this. Later, the film "The Defeat of German Troops near Moscow" was released with a built-in Stalin's speech. The picture cheered up the people, and later (in 1942) was awarded an Oscar.
It was this parade that became a turning point: the people perked up, some military units immediately after the parade went to the front. Both the military and civilians understood that if Moscow is not afraid to arrange a holiday when the enemy attacks almost in its backyards, then the people have nothing to fear, because the enemy cannot take the city.
“The mood of the whole country then changed in two days,” recalls statesman Mikhail Smirtyukov.
There was information that the Germans still tried to hit the parade from the air - about three dozen German aircraft were shot down on the front line.
