Column of Russian Army tanks roll through Moscow waving red flags

[Britney Federline]

Anyone want to take a guess at the significance of this event:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1893

A show of force to the Russian people? Why the red flags instead of Russian flags?

 

[Sichartshofen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2LG-ASco6o

 

[Nimsky]

They're probably tired of America building empires around the world. So they're showing off what America could expect if they would invade Iran and other countries. A warning, so to say.

 

[Shurek]

Well, tomorrow is May Day, and my guess is that those red flags are for traffic warning purposes while the vehicles are on the city streets. Or they could just be early arrivals for the May 9th parade...

 

[Pvt.pile]

I kept expecting to see a T-34 or maybe an IS-2 rolling forward in those pics .

 

[Sichartshofen]

Well, tomorrow is May Day, and my guess is that those red flags are for traffic warning purposes while the vehicles are on the city streets. Or they could just be early arrivals for the May 9th parade...

A tank driving down the road isn't enough of a warning?

 

[Shurek]

A tank driving down the road isn't enough of a warning?

Have you seen Moscow traffic? I have...

 

[Bolt]

That was a repition of the Victory parade on the 9th of May. Red flags are used because that was the colour of flags, under which veterans fought against the fascists - the flag that was raised over the Reichstag was red, not white-blue-red.

 

[Shadrach]

Is there still a May 1st parade in Moscow?

I remember them on the news in the 80s, huge parades showing off the lastest ICBM launchers... scary times. Maybe they were May 9 (V-day) parades, cant recall.

 

[dr. strangelove]

They're probably tired of America building empires around the world. So they're showing off what America could expect if they would invade Iran and other countries. A warning, so to say.

Hmmm. OK....I guess.

Not sure if we here in America have anything to be worried about!

 

[fOgGy]

Whoa!!! What the hell is this ? Some kind of Mobile Nuclear Missile Launcher ?

 

[Pycckuu]

Yup, they are the Topol-M ICBMs.

 

[Tomcat_ha]

A tribute to the fallen soviet soldiers of WW2.

together with awesome hardware.

 

[Heldentod]

A tribute to the fallen soviet soldiers of WW2.

i disagree, more a legitimation for the former regime

 

[Bolt]

So, how should Russians celebrate the V-day, Heldentod?

 

[A-tree]

So, how should Russians celebrate the V-day, Heldentod?

I guess having tanks rolling down streets seems a bit alien to us in the west, at least here in England it does.
Having a challenger driving down a London street to celebrate VE-day seems a bit odd. But then again, we do have flyovers by our newest jets, which I guess is a similar kind of thing. And these parades are traditional in Russia, and forcing people to accept ideas from other countries doesn't normally sit well with the local population.

 

[Nimsky]

Hmmm. OK....I guess.

Not sure if we here in America have anything to be worried about!

Not if the US decides to invade Iran

(Which will happen if Hitlarry gets in the White House )

 

[Heldentod]

So, how should Russians celebrate the V-day, Heldentod?

Without a military parade ? there are many ways to remember a past conflict, speeches, for the religious people maybe having a prayer in church, a minute of silence for the fallen etc.
a military parade brought into custom by a regime brutal regime who used it as their legitimation is always a two sided blade
the soviet union in this case stands for repression and crimes against humanity, same with the national socialist Germany and other states
Additionally a military parade always stands for a show of force , showing the world how "mean" they can be, seriously, is the self esteem of nowadays Russia so low, that they have to show their military as a factor of power?
Who has Russia to fear from outside the country ? I have not heard any nation saying that Russia should be wiped off the face of the earth, have you ?

 

[Bolt]

there are many ways to remember a past conflict, speeches, for the religious people maybe having a prayer in church, a minute of silence for the fallen etc.

Every year, from 1945 until now, at 9th of May we have a minute of silence in memory of fallen soldiers, we put flowers to the eternal flame of the Unknown soldier, then we watch the military parade marching the Red Square, then at night there are huge fireworks. This was the way we celebrated the Victory 60 years ago, it's the way we celebrate it today. All this dedicated to our veterans - alive and dead. And I know for sure it's the happiest day in their life - I have few veterans in my family. As long as they are happy, I say things should stay the way they are. They expect to see parade? - Why not give it to them, they sure deserved it!

a military parade brought into custom by a regime brutal regime who used it as their legitimation is always a two sided blade
the soviet union in this case stands for repression and crimes against humanity, same with the national socialist Germany and other states

This reminds me of Estonians claiming that monument to the fallen soviet soldiers that died fighting fascism in Estonia was really a monument to the bloody regime and NKVD killers.
Soviet Union was not even close to the nazi Germany and saying to veterans: "Hey, guys, I know we've been doing this for dozens of years, but we just realised - you don't deserve a military parade. In fact, you were brutal criminals" is like a slap to their face. Their and ours.

Additionally a military parade always stands for a show of force , showing the world how "mean" they can be, seriously, is the self esteem of nowadays Russia so low, that they have to show their military as a factor of power?

That's a tradition. We have a good saying: "Don't go to the foreign monastery with your regulations".

 

[Shurek]

I have a question about the history of military parades taking place in Red Square (not just only Victory Day or May Day). Don't they date back to the czarist era also? I remember reading about that someplace, but I can't recall where...