Published on: 2026-06-24
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On June 24, 1945, the First Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow, emphasizing the indestructibility of the Soviet people.
Preparation for the Victory Parade
Shortly after the Victory Day celebration in the Great Patriotic War on May 9, Joseph Stalin decided to hold a “special parade” to consolidate the triumph.
The event plan was drawn up by May 24, 1945. Preparation was carried out under the guidance of the commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District, Pavel Artemyev.
For participation in the parade, it was decided to allocate a consolidated regiment from each front. The most celebrated war heroes, distinguished in battle, possessing combat orders and good physical attributes, were selected. All participants were provided with parade uniforms.
Special attention was paid to the decoration of the capital and its heart — Red Square: the facade of GUM was decorated with state flags and huge portraits of Lenin and Stalin, and on the square next to the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, a 26-meter fountain of the Victors was erected.
To accept the Parade, Joseph Vissarionovich entrusted one of the key Victory commanders – the deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov.
Start of the Parade
Exactly at 10:00 on June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade began. Under the chimes of the Spasskaya Tower, George Zhukov rode on a white horse through the gates. Opposite the Mausoleum, he met with the parade commander, Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who reported on the readiness of the participants.
At this time, a combined military orchestra of 1,400 musicians came out to the center of the square and performed Glinka’s “Slav’sya.”
Marshal of the army, whose formation corresponded to the deployment of fronts from north to south during the Great Patriotic War, from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea.
After that, Georgy Zhukov climbed onto the tribune of the Mausoleum, where the leaders of the Communist Party and the USSR government were already seated, including Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Anastas Mikoyan, Nikolai Voznesensky, Kliment Voroshilov, Mikhail Kalinin, Andrei Zhdanov, Andrei Andreev, and others.
Marshal of the Soviet Union thanked the Soviet people for their feat and heroism, both on the battlefields and in the rear. He especially emphasized that it was this unity that allowed them to defend freedom and avoid living in slavery under the Nazis, and the German fascists learned the fate of all who encroached upon our sacred land.
Solemn procession
After Georgy Zhukov’s speech, the orchestra performed the anthem, and from the Kremlin walls, 50 volleys of salute rang out. At that moment, military columns began a ceremonial march across Red Square.
The parade lasted 122 minutes. More than 35 thousand people participated in it: 24 marshals, 249 generals, 2536 officers (from junior lieutenant to colonel), 31,116 sergeants and soldiers, as well as 1850 units of military equipment.
On this day, before the tribunes of the Mausoleum and thousands of spectators, the entire military history of the country took place.
Participants of the Victory Parade from the GUU
Among the participants of the Victory Parade were also those who connected their lives with our university. Here are the names of those whose participation is reliably known:
- In the composition of the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, there was mortar man Mikhail Gureev,
- Together with the battalion of the Military Academy of the command and control composition of the Air Forces of the Red Army, war participant, pilot Vitaly Maksimenko,
- On the command vehicle with the banner of the 46th Guards Mortar Regiment, comrade Andrey Shary,
- In the ceremonial formation near GUM, cadet Vladimir Kedrov from the 1st Moscow Military Aviation Communication School watched the parade, also contributing to the victory over the fascist invaders.
Due to the cancellation of the air portion of the Parade, our pilot Petr Sedelnikov, who has repeatedly participated in the subsequent May 9 parades, could not perform.
I want to recall graduate of GUU Arkady Pashenin, who was not present at the Victory Parade, but during the signing of the final Act of Germany’s unconditional surrender, held the banner of the USSR.
Fascist banners on the wet cobblestones
The concluding moment of the Victory Parade was especially dramatic: at 11:25, to the sharp beat of 80 drums, the fighters of the special combined battalion carried a banner of the defeated Hitlerite army lowered to the ground and threw it at the foot of the Mausoleum. The first to be thrown onto the wet pavement was Hitler’s personal standard.
This action became a symbol of victory over a terrible, inhuman enemy, who came to destroy all living things, but was crushed by the might of the Soviet army.
The whole day was filled with festive events, and at 11 p.m. on Red Square, a festive fireworks display began: from 100 balloons, lifted by anti-aircraft gunners, 20 thousand rockets were fired in volleys.
Note that the video recording of the Parade was made by ourselves, and everyone can appreciate the scale and solemnity of this event.
The first Victory Parade became a day of popular triumph when a country that had paid a huge price for victory was finally able to openly and proudly celebrate the end of the Great Patriotic War.
Subscribe to the TG-channel “Our GUL”Publication date: 24.06.2026
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