More than 180 thousand spectators attended the military parade in Minsk, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Soviet people's Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Among them is the delegation of the Orsha district and journalists from "Arshanka".
To be part of such an important and large-scale event and see everything with your own eyes is a great honor and pride.
Traditionally, the parade was opened by the President of Belarus, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Aleksandr Lukashenko.
— For 80 years now, we have been celebrating Victory, remembering the heroes and bowing our heads before the fallen. We hold the parade in honor of those who did not flinch and bravely fought, slowing down the machine of death that levels cities, villages, fates, and lives to the ground, — noted the Head of State.
Aleksandr Lukashenko called to remember the lessons of the Great Patriotic War and emphasized that Belarus will do everything necessary and even more to strengthen the country's defense potential.
The event began with a parade of air technology. The audience could see transport-combat helicopters, attack aircraft, fighters, as well as next-generation aircraft from the "Russian Knights" aerobatic team of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation in the sky.
Then, a ceremonial march of foot parade units of the power structures and agencies of Belarus took place in front of the stands. Traditionally, the youngest participants of the parade marched first. In total, more than 4,000 people marched in the foot column. These are the best and most prepared servicemen.
Participants in the parade included not only Belarusian military personnel but also those from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
A separate delight among the spectators was caused by the column of female servicemen – the pride and beauty of the Belarusian army.
The feature of this year's parade is the historical part, which was opened by a cavalryman. The participants of the event saw servicemen in uniforms from the times of the Great Patriotic War, as well as a procession of descendants of legendary Belarusian partisans.
Several hundred units of military equipment passed through the mechanized column. The first was a column of retro technology, among which was the legendary combat vehicle "Katyusha". New models of combat equipment were also presented at the parade.
The demonstration performance of the combined honor guard company elicited enthusiastic applause from the audience. During the drill concert, they performed several complex elements, including forming the word "Victory".
The finale of the large-scale event was a theatrical performance titled "We Will Live!". Then the sky over Minsk was painted with bright fireworks.
Olga TIKHONOVA.
Photo by the author.