It seems strange to me, but I can't help think this event was for a select few and for the surviving Russian veterans. All of the people that could go to watch it in Red Square, were a very privileged few. On TV, you could see all the veterans weighed down heavily with medals, faces carved with time and experience, singing along to the national songs. Later in the day, there was a big concert on TV. The cameras focused on all the pretty, typically Russian looking girls at the front rows of the concert, famous Russian singers (that I did not recognize) came and went on stage, to sing old Russian classic songs. Round men in their fifties with dyed black hair, loudly sang their songs, beautiful little boys with long golden hair, that looked like girls, sweetly sang their songs and marching bands marched onto the stage to the sound of drums. You could see people in the audience singing along to every song. At the end in a climax, of glory, fireworks lit up the Moscow sky and they must have spent the state budget for a month on the fireworks, not including everything else. Its amazing where they get the money from when they can't provide fair pensions to the old, build decent roads and solve the cities traffic and crime problems. They can control the weather, as they did for the day by bombing the clouds with chemicals to prevent rain but they can't solve or won't solve basic human needs and problmes.
I think its nice and respectful to remember the war and to honor the survivors and remember the dead but I can't help thinking that the whole event here in Russia was an exercise in nationalism "par excellence". I would even say it was a plan of genius, if I were a cynical man. Create an event, glorify a country and a time, stir up national pride and you get a population eating from your hand. Putin is known to foster and feed nationalism and the event was perfect in every way, an exercise in public relations that other countries like the United Kingdom and France would be wise to copy. Make a nation proud of its past, present and future and you hide and paper over all the cracks of political and economic failings. However, the event was a wonderful show, its just a pity we could not actually see it for real, when we live in Moscow.
Great information and the view of the man in the street tells all. I am also a cynic about big public events held in the U.S. We have July 4th celebrations, The Rose Bowl Parade, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the list goes on, but anyone who wants to see them should stay home because TV has the best viewing. Having lived through the Vietnam War protest period, I now see that it is a little hard in my country to get a crowd worked up on patriotism at an event such as the one you described. Some will, but most won't. I don't watch presidential inaugurations. I like hearing about your experiences in another country.
ReplyDeleteHi, I just wonder what do you mean by "typically Russian looking girls"?
ReplyDeleteTaliyana There is a Russian look (and eastern european look) that femals have. It is in the mouth, face and hair and some girls and women have it. As a man I can tell in seconds. This look is very nice and is a complement to them. They are highly sexy and very nice to look at.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a typical white Britsh look in men. I can also tell this in seconds and is not so nice. It is thin white hairy legs, a large nose and English look. Luckily not all men look like this including me !!! :-)
I'm afraid you won't be able to understand what does this celeratoin mean to us and why we all sing all these songs together. It has nothing to do with nationalism or public relations. It's a great joy and deep sorrow in all our hearts. In each and every family people think about their family members who were lost in the battlefields of the Great Patriotic war. You know John Donn said that the bell tolls for thee and every loss influences you. That's why it's a celebration, which is very personal. We celebrate it at home and this morning starts with the parade on TV, and we are proud of those who survived and wish them long life. You comment was quite respectful but stranger's look is always a superficial one. The fireworks were spectaculous and of course expensive: it's fair if to imagine that many of the veterans won't be able to see them next Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteI respect your opinion and know many people do remember the dead and the people the died which is the correct way to use the day, however I do believe that it has been turned into a "Public relations" exercise which fills me with horror.
I suppose Britain also lost a lot of British people in this war and France did and others. So every country in Europe has it's own purpose to sorrow and to celebrate. But every Russian should think why German losses were about 8 mln (3 mln civilians) people and Russian losses were about 24 mln (14 mln civilians) people! 14 mln were injured, 5 mln were captured. It is huge, enermous, tremendous and ect. difference! We've lost 15% of country population. 24 mln people is population of several european countries. I appreciate feat of Russian soldiers very much, they were strong character people. But we should show our respect every time, not only on 9th of May =/ When I was at school we used to congratulate them by ourselfes, we bought flowers and visited every veteran in our district (there aren't many of them). They had tears on their eyes becouse of our attention. It shows that in fact they are lonely and forgotten, it's very, very sad.
ReplyDeleteAbout parade: I'm living in Moscow for 18 years and all this years (ok, most of this years)) I want to see The Parade by my own eyes, but it's impossible. As you've noted, only few have invitation there, everyone else couldn't see it because of security. And I can tell you why. It's a great patriotic event, very important and you can imagine how terrorists will be glad to ruin it. And they did it several times: in Kaspijsk in 2002 bomb blowed up in the very center of demonstration where 45 people were killed. Second was in 2004 in Groznij where the head of state was killed (all this happend at Caucasus, very restless place, so, don't be afraid to walk through the street on next 9th of May, I hope we have good security in capital for this event)). The fireworks you can see from several places and without any invitation. We always have bright and expensive fireworks, we like pomp and showing off :)
It is not a nationalism, it isn't impermissibly. USSR won the war, not Russia. A lot of nationalities from USSR take part in this war (There were more than 150 nationalities in USSR!). So the aim of this event is to remembmer people, who sacrifised their lifes and happiness for the USSR future; to rise patriotism among young Russians, to show our army in all its splendor.