ReutersPosted on 05/10/2016 12:46:36 AM PDT by Freelance Warrior
Reuters
The march of the "immortal regiment," in which Russians from all ages and walks of life carry pictures of ancestors who fought, was meant to allow Russians to highlight their forebears' role in beating back the Nazis during WWII. But it has grown immensely in popularity and prominence since then. Today it is a vast torrent that fills the streets of every Russian city and has since spread to over a dozen other countries, including nine US cities this year, according to Russian media. This year it almost eclipsed the more familiar official military parade, in which thousands of troops, armored vehicles, and intercontinental missiles rumbled past the Red Square reviewing stand, while bombers and fighter planes roared overhead.
The originator of the "immortal" movement, Igor Dmitriev from the Siberian city of Tomsk, has complained that his idea for spontaneous, voluntary, and non-commercial acts of memory has been hijacked by the Russian state and turned into a regimented spectacle that validates official views. Yet it's hard to deny the sheer weight of public enthusiasm on display, with whole families walking together to honor their ancestors, generating a mood that seems both somber and festive.
Sofia Serbinenko, an 8th grader, was on the streets of Moscow with about 800,000 other marchers Monday, carrying a beribboned photograph of her great-grandfather, a Soviet fighter-bomber pilot who fought the Nazis in World War II.
"Victory Day has always been very important in our family," says Sofia, "I have read so many books about the war, and I think all the time about the people who died so that we could live. For me, with a good life today, it is only right to declare that I will always remember, and to express my gratitude."
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
An astounding 80 percent of the men born in the USSR in 1923 were dead before the end of WWII, iow, they probably have no descendants. Red Army commanders referred to their soldiers as "effectives" or "bayonets".
Stalin’s War killed more than Hitler, but today’s “liberals” (ex-communists, current communists, wanna-be socialists and communists) have chosen to ignore the tens of millions killed under Communism in their hatred of the West, the right, and conservative capitalism.
Been that way since the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s ...
But Russia/USSR lost many millions to the war. To their leaders in Moscow. To the enemy in Berlin.
Wholeheartedly agree — the post-Soviet Memoriale group estimated 40 million died in the purges (Stalin ruled for over 30 years, although the first ten or so were spent scapegoating his former rivals); 20 million civil war dead (on the losing side) were claimed by Trotsky; 20 million probably died in the war one way or another.
So many died in the civil engineering projects (canals, etc) that i’d be surprised if that were not part of that 40 million, but as it was the result of the action of the regime and its dictator, still counts.
[the former]
Was Lenin poisoned, or did stress kill him?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/was-lenin-poisoned-or-did-stress-kill-him/
But they won. The Berlin's enemy wanted to have them as slaves and their land settled with the German 'pureblood' population.That was the gravest danger of that country at the time. Which the country overcame.
The immense cost in lives is a fact, but could it be otherwise in the situation of a country, being a peasant one just yesterday against the most technically advanced of the time, reinforced with the almost all Western European might, excluding the UK?
And the last thing: I doubt that anyone coming to a family, who has lost the majority of their relatives in a war with a speech 'all those sacrificies were useless' can expect a sort of understanding.
the West, the right, and conservative capitalism.
In Russia the West isn't associated with these things. Otherwise, it's associated with gay marriages, multiculturalism, Muslim migrants and welfare.
This figure is highly questionable. Too many people back in the nineties cried out figures in tens of millions without an adequate proof. Still, the available archives have about 1 million death sentences, 5-10 millions of forcibly relocated, 3-10 million starved to death, and so on. Generally speaking, the estimates differ too much, while the 'liberals' have already lost any public confidence.
Well, obama’s gotten involved in something similar.
He’s cut the US military to levels not seen since before WWII.
In Russia, your patriotism shows you!
Don’t forget Mao was on the Kremlin payroll since 1925. He murdered another 50 million
Meanwhile our young people are barely aware that WW II even occurred.
I doubt he was on the payroll when he was actually murdering those 50 mln. Murdering in such scale is expensive, so he had to be using his country’s resources.
Ask the.Poles about their feelings on this
they remember that the Russians were the German allies from 39 to mid 41 and if Hitler had not attack Stalin in 41 Stalin and Hitler would have still been allies the entire War
Lenin died because a Lady tried to assassinate him in 1918. She was killed but he was badly hurt—and this was a major factor in hs death.
I'm aware of their feelings. They have a right for them. It doesn't mean though, that the Russians have to share those feelings. Every side cares for it's own sake and mourns its losses, not someone other's. It's the human nature.
if Hitler had not attack Stalin in 41 Stalin and Hitler would have still been allies the entire War
That's unlikely. One of them would have attacked the other, sooner or later.
In result, it was the Soviets, who broke the Nazi army, what turned out a huge service to the whole world, which the latter had to pay, however, and the price wasn't cheap, especially for the Poles.
I read an interesting paper about that awhile back. The author's premise was that the Nazi-Soviet pact was the West's fault. When Czechoslovakia was carved up at Munich (1938) Stalin felt betrayed, as the Soviets had a treaty with Czechoslovakia, yet the Soviets were not invited to the conference.
Bottom line: Britain and France pushed Hitler and Stalin together. I don't know if I buy that completely, but it's a strong argument.
sorry but the logic your post completely diminishes the sacrifices of every country in Europe that did not Ally with the Nazis...
Britain and France went to war against the Nazi over Poland... both those countries made grievous sacrifices in doing it...
France fell and was occupied Britain paid in Blood and treasure but neither Allied themselves with the Nazis to save their own skins
Conversely the Soviet Union did Ally themselves with the Nazis and in fact joined in the start of the rape of Europe in joining in the common invasion of Poland and went off on their own territorial ambitions like Finland
the Soviet Union would have been equally happy if Hitler had made an offer to share the spoils all of Europe .....
the Soviet Union will never have the moral High Ground when it comes to the Nazi Germany anymore more than one mob family going to war with another mob family over territory to exploit
it’s left is b******* to try to make the Soviet Union the moral Superior victim of World War II...
you may see the death toll as Soviet sacrifice to defeat the Nazis I see their death toll as Soviet Karma for their sins up being allies and enablers of the Nazis.....
because a lot of those deaths we’re not fighting Nazis but from attacking the Poles, the Finns and other European countries and then when the war was over the Soviet Union was completely content to takeover half of Europe not as liberators but as conquerors
The Soviet crap that I remember is also 44 when outside Warsaw and the Polish resistance did the Uprising against the German Nazis ...the Soviets stopped outside to let the Nazis do their bidding and slaughter the Poles again ....that’s what I think of when I think of the Soviet Union in World War II
spare me pity for the Communist sacrifice against the Fascist ...it’s crap ...it was two vicious jackals fighting over a carcass
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